Disclaimer: The one from the first chappie still stands, so there's hardly anything to go over, since this is only wasting space. =P
FYI: For those of you still reading this fic over a decade later, as of 3/18/24, the first chapter has been significantly edited in great detail, so please go back and reread it to refresh your memory before you continue on to this chapter. Certain details have been added that will significantly impact the later flow of the story and not knowing about them will lead to much confusion in the following chapters. So, it is in your best interest to read Chapter 1 again. Thank you for keeping interest in this sad little story of mine…
Chapter 2: Shroomtown Madness
"If you would be so kind as to tell me where it is we are supposed to be going, it would be easier and quicker for us to actually get there, since the two of you seem to like lagging behind," Elenor commented as they passed through another series of winding hallways.
"Well, your friend is still sleeping and I would rather not lose my balance and fall on her," Arthur grumbled his excuse about concentration and something else the girl could care less about. "Are you even listening?"
She glanced over her shoulder at him and stopped. "I must admit I was paying more attention to finding our way to where you should be leading me." Her reply was simple and calm, though she inwardly raised an eyebrow.
Arthur sighed and turned to Merlin as Elenor spun around to face them. "Here, Merlin. You take her," the prince stated, preparing to place the sleeping blonde in the boy's arms. Cassandra, as if knowing she was being moved, tightened her grip on the prince and dug her nails into his skin for support. Immediately, the expression on Arthur's face changed from slight frustration to one of extreme discomfort. "Bloody hell –" he began, the pain increasing as he attempted to get her to let go. "She's like a cat!"
Elenor snorted in partial amusement. "Or a puppy," was her partial response before she raised her voice so they could hear. "You do know she is still sleeping and will not let you put her down, right?"
"Don't be ridicu–" Arthur's sentence was cut off by a fresh round of pain as the sleeping girl in his arms tightened her grip even further. "Merlin, you lead." The moment he gave up trying to place her with Merlin, she let go and buried her face even deeper into the crook of his neck.
"Should we be worried?" Merlin questioned, standing next to the small girl.
"No," Elenor replied simply, glancing at him rather disinterestedly. "She'll wake up soon, though we should really focus on what's ahead of us before she does. After you, dearie."
A quick glance at both Elenor and Arthur told Merlin that he ought to hurry or else he would probably find himself in the stocks… not that he minded much… or worse, which he minded very much. "Yes, of course." He nodded to the small girl and proceeded to take the lead.
"Soon isn't nearly quick enough," Arthur muttered to himself, for once trying to at least act like a prince around their unexpected guests. And, for one freak moment, he thought he heard both the girls' voices in his head saying, 'I heard that', but quickly dismissed it as he followed the other two down the hall.
~~~~~~ As soon as the group finally reached the council chambers, where Uther was talking with Gaius, Elenor stopped the other two in front of the closed door. "So, how would you prefer us to go about this?" she questioned, turning to Arthur. "Would you like to go in first and talk it over with your father while we wait or would you rather we go in with you?"
Arthur shifted his weight so he could better balance the girl in his arms. Normally, he wouldn't have trouble, but it almost seemed like she was getting heavier. "It's not like I don't enjoy assisting those in need, but…" he began almost sarcastically, "your friend hasn't woken up yet and she is not exactly the easiest person to handle."
Elenor gave him a look that suggested his statement was already a well-known fact. "It took you this long to figure that out?" she quizzed, an eyebrow raised. "Okay, listen… Since you two seem to be reluctant to give any input at the moment, though I don't blame you for being overwhelmed under these circumstances, I will tell you what we should do. Cassie and I have pulled this off in several other places, though it usually hasn't ended according to plan, but whatever happens will determine whether we stay or leave."
The two young men looked at her expectantly, waiting in vain for some sort of explanation. But not even a word was offered as Elenor suddenly barged into the room at such a speed that they wouldn't have been able to stop her even if they had seen it coming.
"I am so sorry to disturb you, my lord, but… my friend… she seemed fine when we got here and we've been traveling for so long!" Elenor wailed as she crossed the room, doing her best to sound panicked and grief-stricken. "It may just be exhaustion, but she doesn't seem well and I hear you have a marvelous physician who works miracles. We will repay you in any way we can, just… please, sir, I beg you to help her."
Uther stood in surprise as the strange small girl hurried over to him, quickly followed by his son and Merlin, the question on his mind immediately shifting from who let her in here to why did you let her in here.
Gaius simply looked on, glancing from the young warlock to the girl in the prince's arms. "I don't know about miracles, but I'll see what I can do. I suppose that's your ailing friend," he said thoughtfully as if trying to figure out what was really going on.
Elenor nodded. "Yes, I simply do not understand what came over her. She has been like this for a while now."
Merlin came up behind her and subtly leaned towards her. "What are you doing?" he whispered what both he and Arthur were wondering.
"If I had told you, you would have said no," she replied quietly so no one else would be able to hear.
"Yes, she does seem to be troubled by something alright. Now, tell me… has she been up to anything that would cause her any harm, perhaps emotional, physical?" Gaius questioned, approaching the blonde girl as Uther looked on curiously. "And mind if I ask… What are your names?"
The king cleared his throat, effectively gathering their attention. "It seems you are new to Camelot, so tell us a bit about yourselves. Who are you and where are you both from?"
Elenor looked at him as politely as she could and thought a moment before answering. "Well… I don't know if you could call our proceedings harmful. Risky, yes," she went on to explain. "I am Elenor and that is Cassandra. I could bore you for hours explaining our families' similar heritages, but we might not have that kind of time. We both come from a village not too far from here actually. It's only a few kings away, so it's really not that long of a journey… unless you're on foot, of course. I grew up with my grandparents and Cassandra lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. We've known each other for a few years and have been friends for almost as long."
Uther nodded slowly, trying to piece together why the girls would travel so far. "What brings you to Camelot?" he inquired. Surely, if his son let them in, there must be a reason. There was always a reason. And it wasn't like two ordinary girls could break in.
"Well, you see…" Elenor began, as distraught as she could. "We were chased out of our hometown by a gang of brutes, so we fled from village to village until we found our way here. Nowhere else was safe enough… and we were fortunate enough to cross paths with your son. These two gentlemen kindly took us here to speak with you and then… Cassie…" She trailed off, managing a convincing sob.
"Yes, that was very… kind of them," Gaius commented somewhat distractedly before directing his next statement at the prince. "I am afraid you will have to set the girl down for a better examination before I can say exactly what might be wrong with her."
Arthur hesitated as the physician reached over to help him guide her gently to the ground. The last thing he wanted was to experience the discomfort of moving her again. The moment the older man's skin came in contact with her, Cassandra's eyes burst open and she leapt up from the prince's arms to the floor rather swiftly.
"I'm alive, I swear!" She held her hands out innocently, if not more than a bit confused as to what was going on. "Did I miss something? You look like you've seen a ghost. Wait… I am alive, right?" Her hands flew to her face to make sure she was still there.
"Yes, you are quite alive, I would say." Gaius nodded towards her. "Now, would you kindly tell us what happened to put you in such a predicament?"
"Erm… I fell asleep?" she guessed, though she didn't want to say it was a state between consciousness and subconsciousness that she could sometimes will herself into but hardly ever out of without special help… because that hadn't gone over well the last time she'd been goaded into an explanation.
"I see," the physician stated thoughtfully. "With all due respect, I will need to perform a more thorough examination before you leave. I would rather test and prove your prior state to be that of exhaustion than of something more serious."
"But… I'm fine," Cassandra insisted, not all that comfortable with the idea of having a stranger look her over for any reason.
"No, Cassie. You're not," the smaller girl spoke up, approaching her friend's side in all seriousness. "He got you up in a matter of seconds, whereas it's taken me years to figure it out. If the king would permit us to stay in Camelot for a night or two before we leave again, we might discover why that is and make you better. Wouldn't you like that?"
Cassandra sighed as though she had no other choice and nodded slowly. "I suppose…" she agreed in a small voice submissive enough for the others to tell she needed no other argument.
"Now, you mentioned you came to speak with me," Uther brought them all back on track, satisfied with how quickly their problem had been resolved. "What matters could be so urgent that you found it pressing to bring them to my attention?" He resumed his seat and watched them with the eyes of a man hardened by age and wisdom, the kind almost always characteristic of a king taken by his duty.
"Oh… of course," the blonde girl spoke just loud enough for her voice to be carried clearly throughout the large room to all listening ears. The others watched as she fumbled around within the small satchel she wore slung over her shoulder in such a fashion that it fell diagonally across her upper body and rested on the opposite hip. A small triumphant smile replaced her saddened expression as she retrieved a smaller sack from within the handmade bag. "I came here to make a proposition," she began, the childish grandeur steadily making itself present in her tone once again.
Arthur steadied himself, silently awaiting the disaster he knew would come from this. Although both he and Merlin were curious to see how the girl would bring about her argument, they were obviously on different sides of the wager.
Just as the blonde girl was about to continue, Elenor cut in with a look that suggested Cassandra let her take the reins for a moment. She clearly knew what she was doing and her slightly taller companion obediently stepped down as if catching on to the unspoken words of her plan.
"But first we wish to thank you for your kindness with an offering… as partial payment for being patient with us thus far," the smaller raven-haired girl gushed and curtsied politely, a gesture that had their first acquaintances slowly catching on, Merlin only slightly recognizing it as a well-mastered suck up routine.
Sufficiently buttered up, Uther seemed almost intrigued as he raised an eyebrow. "Proceed," he urged them to continue.
Elenor looked to Cassandra for the rest and the blonde's emerald eyes lit up like candles in a window.
"Have you ever eaten a mushroom before?" she opened with an unexpectedly random question.
If the king found it odd, he made no sign of it. "I imagine I must have at some point," was his response, plain and simple if not a tad indifferent.
"Have you ever eaten one fresh out of the ground?" she persisted curiously as if she were looking for a specific answer.
Uther sighed wearily. "I am sure that all of the plants we eat came from the soil as fresh as they are made," he responded, growing tired of her badgering.
"But have you ever plucked one straight from the ground, washed away the dirt, and eaten it plain?" the beaming blonde girl emphasized, sounding as though she were coming to a conclusion.
Uther almost thought about it. "No, I can't say I have," he admitted, eyeing her suspiciously for some early form of a marketing gimmick.
"Then this will tickle your taste buds!" Cassandra enthused, loosening the drawstring on the small sack in her hand and presenting a miniature mushroom, completely normal-looking aside from the specklings of dark grey on the top. "I grew them in my garden back at home and salvaged all I could before we left. They may be small, but they grow plentifully when properly cared for and they're made for eating fresh – uncooked! I promise you it's a taste you won't forget. The first time is always the best, though."
The other occupants of the room just stared at it while Uther debated whether or not to accept such a… unique gift. He'd been offered a lot of other things before, but never a mushroom. Still, her offer was so genuine – although that could be a trap – and she seemed so excited about sharing her home-grown food with him. Did she not understand what she was dealing with?
Even if he did accept it, he could always dispose of it later if need be. And so it was decided. "Thank you for your generosity," he spoke with a nod and watched as the girl bounded up to him, curtsied, and placed the tiny mushroom in his hand before stepping back several paces. "Now, tell me about this proposal of yours."
The girl hesitated, eyeing him with the look of an eager child. "Aren't you going to try it?" she asked hopefully. "I have a few left. If you like it, I could grow some more for you – a whole garden if you want."
Was she honestly questioning him?
"I would rather hear your proposal before I settle down to enjoy such a … unique treat," he bluffed a response, unsure of why he wasn't using his usual blunt manner to deal with her persistence. "Please, proceed." He gestured for the two girls to start, although Cassandra still seemed hesitant.
"I was hoping I could see your reaction when you taste it," she pressed innocently, an underlying excitement sparkling behind her emerald eyes. "I wanted to watch your kingly smile unfold when you take your first bite."
Uther tried to remain unswayed, faltered perhaps upon attempting to stare down her hopeful expression for too long, and hesitated to form a response around his heavy sigh. Some things about being King simply were not easy. "Very well," he gave in rather reluctantly. "I will grant you that much."
He glanced down at the bite-sized object in his hand and warily noted that it seemed relatively harmless. For heaven's sake, he prayed that was the case as the mushroom passed his lips and tickled his tongue. It was a most peculiar taste, exploding with a flavor that could only be described as sweet and sour at the same time. The other occupants of the room watched with various expressions of eagerness to hear his response, curiosity, and partial confusion… or perhaps that was disbelief. Uther was unsure of what to believe he was seeing.
"This is quite good. Tell me… What do you call this treat of yours?" he inquired, blinking away the slight glow that had started to engulf several people standing in the room. Regardless, nothing he'd ever eaten before had tasted like that.
"Let's see…" Cassandra took a moment to recall the correct title she'd no doubt given them. "I call them… Magic Shrooms."
No sooner had the words popped out of her mouth – almost literally, he noticed – than he stumbled to his feet in angered surprise. "Magic?!" he bellowed, his reaction startling the others, and he found himself losing balance far quicker than he ever remembered doing so before. "You mean to tell me you are in league with… magic? How dare you bring such a dark force into my kingdom!"
Gaius helped seat him once again as a spell of sorts overtook him.
"What? No, they aren't magical or anything. They're normal mushrooms," Cassandra insisted hurriedly. "They really are meant to be eaten before bed, though. Magic Shrooms are just tiny mushrooms without the mu- in front of it. That's all."
Uther couldn't concentrate as the strange glow started to return and he faintly noticed Gaius' attempt to explain that not everything with the word magic in front of it was magical. It was when the words started melting together and flying out of his mouth in front of a backdrop of psychedelic colors that Uther demanded the others leave him be.
He was going to die.
He'd just eaten something magical and now he was going to die, he just knew it. The only thing that seemed to comfort him was that the experience seemed to be far less painful than he'd imagined. He could almost say he enjoyed it. What was his world coming to?
~~~~~~ "Would you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" Arthur demanded of the girls as they left the room, closing the doors behind them. They had dragged him far enough into this already without a word of explanation for him to ignore something so odd. "Are those things honestly magical?"
Cassandra blinked up at him ever so slightly and shrugged. "They aren't in the sense that you think, but they are something special alright," she answered simply, catching a glimpse of the strange look Merlin kept giving the small sack she was firmly clutching in her hands. "Does that mean you want to try one?"
The prince almost seemed to think it over to himself, still finding it peculiar that his father hadn't done more than yell and send them away this time. On any other day, Uther would have neglected all attempts at reason the moment something he suspected was magical entered the room and, after an interrogation of sorts, sent the offender to his immediate demise.
"Absolutely not," he decided just to be safe. "I wouldn't put those things anywhere near my mouth if you paid me."
"And that's why you have a pole stuck up your arse," Elenor murmured, much to her compatriot's surprise.
"Is there something you'd like to say to my face?" Arthur turned on the black-haired girl. "Because I didn't quite catch that."
Cassandra and Merlin placed a restraining hand on their respective friend's shoulder to prevent an escalating argument from breaking out.
"What she said was… You wouldn't be able to eat one anyway," the blonde female quickly formed an excuse.
Arthur knew what he'd heard, but relaxed a bit anyway. "And why is that?" he inquired, curious to know what was so different about him that she would refuse to allow him one of her… treats, she'd described them as.
"Well… that's because they're reserved for royalty alone," Cassandra replied innocently. She hardly ate them anymore mostly because she'd never found the leisure to after she'd left town with Elenor.
"Is that so?" Arthur eyed her skeptically as she nodded once in confirmation. "Really? Then there shouldn't be a problem, since I am royalty… or have you forgotten who I am already?"
The emerald-eyed girl looked him over thoughtfully. "You aren't yet a king and, if you're a queen, you're certainly hiding it quite well," she noted, provoking a quiet chuckle from her friend and a smirk from the dark-haired boy. "Therefore, you don't qualify to eat the Shrooms."
Arthur sighed and shook his head, thinking better of offering her a response. It would only encourage her to splutter more nonsense.
After a quick moment, Merlin finally pulled his thoughts together enough to speak. "Since the two of you are only passing through, I couldn't help but wonder," he kindly directed at the girls. "Have you found a place to stay yet?"
Cassandra shrugged while the shorter girl took the liberty of answering his question. "Just about." Turning her head to raise an eyebrow in his direction, she made an inquiry of her own. "Why, would either of you boys happen to know of a decent place where we could afford room and board?"
"I might," Merlin admitted, noticing Arthur's jaw tense a bit, "but I'll need to look into it for you."
"That would be very kind if you were to do that for us," Elenor stated pleasantly, but Cassandra could tell by the look in her friend's eyes that there was more to her words than what she was letting on. If the boys picked up on that, they made no mention of it.
"But, Elly." Cassandra tugged on her friend's sleeve. "Where are we supposed to stay until we find proper lodging?"
Elenor pursed her lips a moment in thought. "Well, I don't think we'll be permitted to leave here before the physician looks you over to ensure your previous state wasn't harmful," she reminded the blonde girl, who seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea. "We should have a place to stay by then."
The emerald-eyed girl sighed as she returned the mushroom sack to her satchel. "And when will that happen?" she asked reluctantly, looking to the others for some form of helpful response. She'd need all the details she could get in order to prepare herself for the inevitable discomfort to come. She'd never been good with physicians – her family could attest to that.
Merlin shrugged simply. "Probably as soon as Gaius is done convincing Uther to relax after the frenzy you put him into by speaking the M-word," he explained quietly.
Cassandra looked at him strangely for a moment as if trying to figure in her head what word she'd used. "M-word…" she repeated in confusion before finally understanding what he meant. "Oh, you mean mag–"
"Shh!" the others immediately cut her off, three hands simultaneously covering her mouth to keep her from finishing that thought.
The girl's green eyes widened in surprise as she realized the firm grip they had on her. Though it was no shock that Elenor's hand had been the first to react, she found it strangely unexpected that Arthur had reacted at nearly the same time. She couldn't help but think that if Elenor wasn't so caught up in silencing her to notice, she'd be thrilled at the fact that Arthur's hand was clasped over hers. Since her mouth was currently on lockdown, she stared at them questioningly instead.
"If you haven't already noticed, that's not permitted here," Arthur took a moment to briefly explain the way his father worked. "Magic is banned in my father's kingdom."
Cassandra made a motion to speak, but the force preventing her was stronger than she'd expected. Her eyes shifted between them for a moment and she slowly parted her lips beneath their restraints.
Elenor's eyes widened into a cold glassy-eyed glare in response to the childish pouting look the silenced blonde was giving her. "Don't even think about it," she warned the girl in a tone that could paralyze the toughest man.
The boys watched in confusion as Cassandra stared up at her friend through blonde lashes and blinked in an innocent yet challenging way. After a second's pause, Elenor shrieked in disgust and viciously ripped her hand away from the taller girl's mouth, forcing the others to hastily pull their hands back and step away so as to avoid being slapped in the process. Cassandra wore an expression that suggested she was just as distressed, if not only slightly more so than her friend.
"Ugh, you little creep! That's disgusting!" the brown-eyed girl remarked to her companion, quickly rubbing her hand on the skirt of her dress as if that should purify it.
Cassandra shook her head, face scrunched up in an amusing display of distaste. "Well, if you'd let me go, I wouldn't have had to lick you," she retorted, poking out her tongue disdainfully for a moment. "Ew, you taste gross."
"My hands were clean before you spit all over me," Elenor reprimanded the girl.
"Alright, that's enough," Arthur cut in before Cassandra could release the breath she'd taken in to counter the argument. "I swear the two of you are like children. I shouldn't have let you in here in the first place. I don't know what I was thinking."
And there he was – back to his old ways again. Merlin sighed as Elenor responded by narrowing her gaze in a biting expression of disinterest for his opinion.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure you brought us here because I'm cute… though it could be that you were captivated by Elly's extensively charming personality," the emerald-eyed female offered in a semi-sarcastic voice, but it was otherwise ambiguous as to whether or not she was teasing them.
"Hm," Arthur grunted, though a casually amused look started to form on his face, "I can hardly imagine that being the case."
"Ouch…" Cassandra spoke in mock hurt. "That's real hurtful, Princey…"
"Yes, way to be a gentleman," Elenor deadpanned, defiantly narrowing her eyes only slightly further. "It would do you good to learn from your friend and treat a lady with proper respect."
Arthur took a step toward her and exaggeratedly smirked down at her. "Then it's a pity I don't see a lady anywhere around here," he retorted and received an outraged glare from the small girl in return.
It was quite comical actually, considering their differences in height were made that much more noticeable by their close corners. The prince was practically towering over the dark-haired girl, whose neck was craned to match his gaze.
"Well, I think they're getting along quite well, don't you think?" Merlin spoke quietly to Cassandra in a moderately amused tone.
Finally, it seemed, Arthur had met his match – someone with a head as swollen as his and a tongue sharp enough to back it up. The young warlock's smile faded a bit as he looked over at the blonde girl standing next to him and noticed her worried expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked, taking a second or two to realize that she was devoutly fixated on the two before them almost as if she were in a trance.
Her lips moved for a moment, trying to form words that couldn't be heard.
"Cassandra?" he persisted, watching the girl beside him as his face fell into a look of general concern at her irregular behavior.
The young woman turned her head in his direction slightly, but her emerald eyes remained fixed on the display of dominance before them. After a pause, she finally spoke, almost startling the young warlock in the process. "He did it…" Cassandra nearly mumbled. "Your friend will regret making her mad."
Merlin adopted a look of amused disbelief at the innocent statement. "Who, Arthur?" he asked and shook his head in disagreement as he glanced over at the prince's self-satisfied expression. "No. He doesn't regret much of anything he does. He's too much of a prat… as you can see."
"Elly's the same way," Cassandra explained quietly and took hold of his wrist, causing the boy to look back at her. "And that's what worries me." She glanced up at him just long enough to get her point across.
"What do you mean?" Merlin searched her eyes for a sign of some form that would give away what the girl was thinking, but she quickly released his wrist and directed her gaze at the floor.
"Well, then," Elenor interrupted the silence in a hard, clearly unimpressed tone. "I think we've just established that your head is a bit too large for that crown of yours." Sharply, the raven-haired girl turned to Merlin. "See if you can drill some proper manners into him," she practically ordered him, holding her chin up in a stubborn manner. "I cannot imagine he'll be able to rule a kingdom without them."
Merlin shrugged. "I've been working on that since day one and he still hasn't listened to me," he replied with a small grin as he noticed Arthur's lips pull into a firm pout.
"Well, try harder," Elenor stated resolutely before latching a hand to Cassandra's scarf and pulling her along down the corridor. "Come along, Cassie. We have more pressing matters to attend to before your examination."
The blonde girl quietly yelped in shock, immediately raising her own hands to hold the scarf firmly in place, but didn't struggle against the smaller girl's grasp as she stumbled along behind her. Merlin stood staring after them as they disappeared around a corner.
"Come on, Merlin. Quit lolling around," Arthur called to him. "You look like an idiot."
The young warlock turned to realize that the prince was already halfway back down the hall again and hesitantly rushed to keep up. "Do you really think you should've let them go like that?" he asked when he'd reached the blond male's side.
"It's a much better idea than keeping them here," Arthur retorted rather disinterestedly.
"Well… shouldn't we go after them?" the dark-haired boy persisted somewhat nervously. "You know, just to make sure nothing… completely terrible happens…"
Arthur gave him a scrutinizing look, trying to see through his servant's innocent expression. After a short moment, he sighed and looked away again. "Alright, Merlin. Spit it out," he finally spoke in the indifferent tone he usually adopted whenever Merlin tried to dissuade him from something. "What's on your mind?"
"I just don't think it's a good idea to let them wander around on their own."
"Oh, yeah? And why is that?"
"Well… what if they get lost?"
The way Arthur nearly rolled his eyes at the thought seemed to say if only he could be so lucky.
"Someone will show them out before they can start any trouble," he declared instead. "You worry too much, Merlin. You should try concerning yourself with more important matters… such as inquiring about what happened to my father."
"But –"
"No buts, Merlin." The prince momentarily stopped them both in their tracks, placing a hand firmly on his servant's chest with a stern look. "Am I clear?"
Merlin heaved a sigh. "Yes, sire."
(A/N: 2010-2011) Okay, first off, I should make one thing crystal clear to anyone and everyone who somehow still happens to be reading this. The "shrooms" Cassandra brought with her… are absolutely not… the hallucinogens that are considered actual Magic Shrooms. I'm not even sure they had the equivalent of our modern-day Magic Shroom during the medieval time period. And I actually had no idea those things were real until my brothers explained rather mockingly, might I add, that I'd written about an already existing drug-hallucinogen-thing-whatever.
Heheh… ^_^' Weird, right?
So, don't worry, Merlin fans. Cassandra didn't drug Uther (as much as I'm sure that a great deal of you wish she had =P). Considering the way she is, though, she would make that kind of mistake with the name… But, for the record, the nature of Cassie's home-grown "shrooms" shall be revealed thoroughly as the story progresses. *nods*
I figured I'd share that little tidbit with you cuz, well, I found it an odd coincidence is all… and I hope it at least gave you a great big laugh! Cuz I know I was laughing hysterically when I found out what I'd apparently written about… or supposedly written about… Meh. =( It's actually kinda funny if you think about it. ;P
Please leave pretty reviews for me! Many thanks! XD
Also, here's a shout out to my three totally awesome reviewers, scientia-potentia-est, DiamondKiss437 (Children-of-the-Blood), and Mason and Alex. Your reviews helped bring my interest back to this story after so long! Without that, I'm sure this story would've died. Thank you so much for helping me save it! =D *bows appreciatively*
And also a special thanks to scientia-potentia-est for continuously poking me to get this chapter finished and posted here! Thanks so much for the constant reminders to get my arse into gear. Heheh… I don't think this chapter would have ever been completed without your encouragement. ;D
Though I regret and apologize that it took so long, I really do hope that everyone (miraculously) still reading this enjoyed it! I had a bit of a writer's block for a while until I re-watched Season 1 (got the DVD set for my birthday 8D). Now, that was fun… and inspiring. Ah, the behind-the-scenes features are so amusing. =P
Ciao for now, my doves! Hopefully, there will be more soon. I have the next chapter planned out and in the works, so it shouldn't be too long of a wait this time round… I hope. *fingers crossed*
(A/N: 4/17/2024) *sweats nervously and side-eyes the date* I had so much hope for my creative productivity back then. In my defense, the years during which I was actively writing this fic were objectively pretty terrible times for my health. I tried to come back to it in 2015 when I felt a renewed urge to revamp my old writing and finish all of the stories I'd left hanging, but evidently my mental and physical health had other plans. So, here we are.
For posterity's sake, I am leaving my past writing on this chapter intact if only because it serves as a time capsule of the culture way back when.
Will I ever continue this fic? I have plans for it, as my old notes allude to, and the themes I was setting up here do still hold a special significance to me. But if all goes well and I do manage to breathe new life into it, I will be dropping the "Adventures in Camelot" part of the title and continuing the story where I can have more control over it on AO3 (archiveofourown) under the title "Sweet Irony" instead. The first chapter has already been backlogged and this second one has joined it.
All things considered, I am truly sorry for this unsatisfying "ending" without a conclusion, but I do hope anyone still interested will eventually join me over there: archiveofourown (d0t) org /works/55260619/chapters/140175115