Camelot
March, 504 AD
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes as I leant against a pillar in the throne room while I examined the two strangers that stood some metres away from me. One was a normal-looking man, perhaps a decade older than Uther judging from his fully white hair and beard; and the other a girl who appeared to be a bit older than myself (though I've always been told that I look younger than I am, so who knows?). She was fairly pretty, with long curly auburn hair, turquoise eyes, porcelain skin, and tall cheekbones.
What caught my attention the most, however, were the fancy staffs they each held. The man's reminded me a bit of Loki's sceptre in 'The Avengers', due to a glowing blue stone that sat at the top, and the connection made me uneasy.
Arthur and Merlin had brought the pair in after finding them – allegedly lost – while they had been out on a hunt.
"So, who are y'all?" I asked, growing impatient that the King was taking so long to make his appearance. Speaking of the devil, though, he appeared at the door just as I finished talking.
"Astraea, please. I ask the questions here," he scolded with a stern look as he moved to sit on his throne. I snorted. "Who are you two?" he then turned to the man and woman. I crossed my arms as I waited for a response.
"My name is Aulfric, heir to Tír-Mór," the man answered. I grinned, thinking that his name's kinda funny. It sounds like a chemical compound. A mix of sulphur and gold. "This is my daughter, Sophia."
"You are a long way from home," Uther noted while raising his eyebrows. "What brings you to Camelot?"
"Our home was sacked by raiders and we barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry," the man explained.
I narrowed my eyes at him again. You would think that something as notorious as a couple of royals getting sacked would be widespread news, by now. Then again, CNN won't exist for another fourteen centuries or so…
My gaze strayed towards Sophia, who was very obviously looking at Arthur with an intense look in her eyes. It made me instantly dislike her, though I couldn't tell why. It's not like I've never acknowledged that the Prince is good-looking. But her stare was coupled with something beyond simple contemplation. It reminded me of the way in which a dog eyes a piece of meat.
"These are dangerous times," the King noted with a sympathetic look, his words making me return my attention to the two men. "What will you do?"
"We travel west to Caerleon, where we have family and, I hope, a new life," Aulfric responded.
"You must stay here a while, break your journey. A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot," Uther assured them. Aulfric and Sophia shared a grin.
I pulled Merlin to the side while he and another servant were preparing a room for Sophia.
"How did you find them? Where did you find them? Anything suspicious?" I asked him rapidly. "I don't like the way she was looking at Arthur."
"Jealous?" he asked with a smirk.
I slapped his arm and scoffed, "Please, the only reason I put up with the arrogant jerk is because he still owes me for savin' his life."
Merlin chuckled, "All right, so what is wrong, then?"
"Nothing," I sighed. "Not really… I mean… It's just that… I would expect the news of a kingdom being taken over by raiders to reach all neighbouring lands within days, wouldn't you?" I paused to look for a reaction, and the boy nodded pensively. "And it's convenient that they were right in you guys' path… I don't know. Maybe I'm just paranoid. But everyone always seems to come here with bad intentions."
"We did not," Merlin argued with a soft expression.
"Well, yeah. If Camelot's gonna be put in danger every other week, it needs someone to protect it," I replied with a shrug as a grin formed in my face. "And if we cannot protect it, you can be darn well sure we'll avenge it."
"Astra, focus," Merlin scolded.
"Right, sorry," I mumbled and looked down.
"We can keep an eye on them," he concluded, making me grin. "But do not do anything rash," he warned.
"Me? Rash? Never!"
He snorted and gave me a light shove. I returned it and then left him to do his job in peace.
I wandered around the castle for a bit in search of some entertainment, and eventually figured that I would go into the library, where I thought I might be able to obtain some information regarding 'Tír-Mór' and its associates.
"Hello, Geoffrey," I grinned at the librarian as I entered his little corner of the world, making a bee-line for his desk.
"Astraea," he greeted with a courteous nod.
"So..." I started as I leant an arm on the table. He looked up with a frown. "What do you know about Tír-Mór?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
The elderly man sighed before explaining, "It is a very small kingdom towards the northeast. Their economy relies primarily on mining… It is fairly far from here, so we rarely get news from them. There is not much more I can tell you."
His face produced an apologetic look when I sighed in disappointment. I guess it kinda makes sense that we hadn't heard of its misfortunes.
"Okay, what about the heirs? More specifically, our guests?" I pressed on.
"I cannot say I have ever heard of them," he replied. "But, again, we have very few records on the kingdom."
I puffed. "Gotcha. Thanks, Jeff." I gave the man a pressed smile before leaving.
The next morning, as I left the castle so that I could take my horse out for some exercise, I found Merlin in the courtyard, in the stocks, covered in food. I laughed at the sight and ran to his side. He dropped his head when he saw me.
"What did you do and why didn't you invite me?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.
He sighed and looked up at me as he explained, "Arthur asked me to cover for him so he could skip his patrolling duties, and Uther was not happy."
"That jerk!" I growled. Merlin snorted. "What was so important he had to get you into this mess?" I asked.
"He took Sophia out for a ride," he mumbled.
"What?! Alone!?" My friend nodded. I threw my arms around in exasperation, "I thought we were gonna keep an eye on 'er!"
He sighed, "I was going to follow them, but the guards dragged me here before I could even finish speaking to Uther."
I huffed and ran a hand through my hair. Look, maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if she has bad intentions… if she hurts Arthur… y'know, Camelot would be left without its heir and that would be messy. "Screw it, I'm going after them," I mumbled and took off running towards the stables to get Dallas.
My Thoroughbred seemed happy to get attention from me and I gave him a small piece of carrot before leading him into the stables so that I could groom and saddle him. I soon climbed onto his back and we took off galloping into the woods, following the marked trail.
If Arthur is looking to court Sophia, I doubt he'd take her on a complicated ride.
It didn't take me too long to find them. They stood in the middle of the woods, horses tied to a tree and long forgotten, while they held hands and stared into each other's eyes. I lowered my body onto my horse's withers as we hid behind some trees and I watched the scene from in between the leaves.
I tilted my head as Sophia's lips moved in speech, while Arthur appeared to be in some sort of trance-like state. Not in an infatuated, love-struck way like in romantic movies, but like… the Winter Soldier after he's been wiped. Stoic and emotionless.
The girl leaned in, looking like she was going for a kiss, and a sudden jolt of my stomach made me leave my hiding place.
"Hey, you two! Step back! Leave room for the holy spirit!" I scolded as I guided Dallas to step in between them, pushing them apart. Sophia gasped in surprise, while Arthur blinked a couple of times and he appeared to break out of his robotic state. "No kissin' until marriage, ya' hear me?" I reprimanded further while pointing a menacing finger at them.
"Astraea! What the hell are you doing here?!" Arthur yelled at me, looking very annoyed.
"Merlin is in the stocks because of you, you prick!" I yelled back, glaring at him. The Prince made an angry motion towards me, which caused Dallas to flinch back and push Sophia. She squealed as she fell backwards, dropping her weird staff. "Oops. Sorry," I quickly mumbled to the girl as I stroked my horse's mane to reassure him.
Arthur helped her up without taking his furious stare off me, and then he went to grab the staff.
"Do not touch that!" Sophia suddenly shouted in a rough voice. My eyes widened as I started at the change in her tone. She sounded like possessed!Regan in 'The Exorcist'!
"My apologies," the Prince mumbled while scrambling away from the item, looking just as spooked as I was. "Maybe we should go back," he suggested, his voice slightly shaky, as he motioned towards the tied horses. Sophia agreed and he gave me one last glaring glance before he guided her towards the animals.
I waited atop Dallas as they mounted and then followed them closely all the way back to the castle, my eyes constantly analysing Sophia. There is definitely something wrong with her.
"Lookin' good, buddy!" I told Merlin teasingly as I ruffled his hair, which was still dirty from the food he'd had thrown at him. He playfully glared up at me from his seat at the kitchen bench and I smirked, hopping to sit on the table. Gaius chuckled at our exchange.
"Hey, Gaius? Do you know anything about the staffs that Sophia and Aulfric carry?" I asked the physician as I started to play with my spare hair-tie.
He turned to look at me, momentarily abandoning his work in the kitchen as he fell pensive, "Not much. They do seem rather peculiar."
"Yeah… Arthur went to grab Sophia's when she dropped it, and she had an outburst. Her voice was almost demonic…" I recounted, grimacing at the strange memory. "Couldn't it be like a source of magic? It has some inscriptions..."
Gaius nodded contemplatively, "Perhaps… I would need to look at them to be sure."
I hummed and nodded, my leg involuntarily bouncing up and down on the table until Merlin stopped it. I sent him a sheepish look.
"Maybe right now is the perfect time! They're dining with Uther. I could go into one of their rooms, take a few pics..." I proposed, raising my eyebrows suggestively as I patted the Samsung in my pocket.
"It is not a bad idea," Merlin noted, smiling up at me.
"Even I have to agree," Gaius said, making me grin at the surprising statement. "If they mean to harm someone, then we need to do everything in our power to stop them."
"Awesome! I'll be right back!" I exclaimed and sprinted out of the apartment.
I peeked into the dining hall to ensure that Aulfric and Sophia were indeed inside – which they were – and then snuck into the former's bedroom, making sure to leave a crack in the door so that I could hear if anyone approached. I glanced around, finally spotting the staff propped up in a corner. I smirked to myself and looked to see that no one was near again before pulling out my phone and taking a few photographs of the inscriptions, taking care that they were clear in the image.
A triumphant smirk pulled at my lips and I quickly went to the door.
My stomach dropped when I spotted Aulfric coming straight towards me… and he saw me! Crap!
"Mr. Aulfric! Hi! Sorry, I was looking for… the… restroom," I quickly gave the easiest and most believable excuse on Earth. Well… easiest and most believable if I were still in the twenty-first century, because these people don't know fixed toilets, they know movable basins.
"The what?" he asked, frowning down at me with a certain rage in his eyes.
"Uh. I needed to tinkle. Thought this room was empty," I said more explicitly, inwardly cringing at my own words. The man clenched his jaw in anger and I almost really tinkled myself. "Right. Nice talking to you. See ya' 'round," I said rapidly before running away.
I bursted into Gaius's home, panting from the adrenaline and the physical exertion.
"Did you get them?" Merlin instantly asked.
"Yeah," I pulled out my phone and unlocked it before passing it on to Gaius. "Ran into Aulfric. He might kill me. Don't let my murder go unavenged," I added in between laboured breaths.
The two males shared a concerned look. "Did he see anything?" Gaius wondered.
"No, but he's definitely suspicious of me now," I responded and bit down on my bottom lip.
"We can deal with that later," Merlin stated before moving to stand beside the physician, both of them looking at the photographs in awe.
"Oh, not again!" I exclaimed in exasperation as I came across my magical friend the next morning – back in the stocks.
"Arthur can be very persuasive," he responded with a heavy sigh.
"No. He can be a big ass-butt and I'm gonna kill him," I muttered as I clenched my jaw. Merlin chuckled. "'S he out with Sophia again?"
"Yes," my friend answered with a guilty look.
I huffed and ran off to get Dallas. Again.
We cantered along the marked trail and found the young couple in the middle of the woods once more, a repetition of the day before as they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes. I left my Thoroughbred a few ways back and snuck the rest of the way up to them, wanting to get closer without being seen. I crouched behind a big rock and listened in on their conversation.
My eyes widened as I realised that Sophia was speaking in a foreign language while Arthur was back in his trance. I knew it wasn't any romance language. And with our track record, I was certain she was chanting some sort of spell. My suspicions were confirmed when the Prince's eyes glowed red, and so did the whor– I mean, witch's.
I didn't have the time to laugh at the fun thought of Arthur looking like an alpha werewolf from 'Teen Wolf' as I scrambled to get away and rush back to my horse. Interfering could possibly get me killed, and that would do nothing to help the Prince.
Dallas and I sprinted back to the castle and I quickly untacked him before hurrying to Gaius's apartment. Merlin was thankfully back from his public humiliation, and the pair were sitting at the kitchen bench while going through some books and munching on biscuits.
"Sophia is a confirmed villain," I explained in between pants, "I heard her chanting a spell… and her eyes were red… and so were Arthur's."
The two males shared a knowing look and I raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"I have analysed the images you brought yesterday. They are members of a fairy species called the 'Sidhe'," the physician revealed.
I puffed and plopped down at the kitchen bench next to Merlin, criss-crossing my legs. Fairies are real, too, now! What's next?! Trolls?! Vampires?! Unicorns?!
"How do we kill 'em?" I asked while reaching for a biscuit.
"I am still trying to figure that out," Gaius responded while gesturing to the book that sat in front of him.
I sighed, "Well, we can't let 'em out of our sight now."
"What do you propose we do? Camp outside their rooms?" Merlin wondered with a snort. I tilted my head in contemplation and nodded.
"I cannot believe I let you talk me into camping outside their rooms," Merlin grumbled while we were setting up a mattress in the corridor just outside my room once the lights were out and everyone had gone to sleep. We had a fairly good view of the corridor that ran perpendicular to this one, where the evil fairies' rooms are.
"It was your idea!" I shot back.
"I was not being serious!"
"Then why did ya' bring it up?"
We took hourly turns to sleep and watch, and I was oh-so-happy when my turn to sleep came, curling up under my Avengers blanket while Merlin sat up and leant his back against the wall. But I had barely begun to drift off when the young sorcerer shook me awake and held a finger to his lips. I pushed off the mattress and we quickly moved to hide behind a column that stands between mine and Arthur's rooms as Aulfric exited his room and looked around, presumably to make sure he wasn't being watched.
His old eyes weren't sharp enough to spot us and he soon began to make his way towards the main staircase.
"Where do you think he is going?" Merlin asked me in a whisper while we waited a few seconds prior to following him.
"Out to get some beer? How would I know?" I replied with a shrug while slipping on my white sneakers. "Let's go."
My friend and I snuck out of the castle and tracked Aulfric from afar. He was wrapped in a brown and navy blue cloak, the dark colours being a smart choice as he blended in with the dark forest. It was a cloudy night and the moonlight was faint.
"Shift, it's cold," I whispered as a gust of wind hit us.
"I told you to bring a cloak," Merlin replied while sending me a pointed look.
"Sorry, mom," I shot back with a playful glare.
We stumbled through the forest after the man for about two hours, neither of us recognising the path he was taking as he drifted far away from the marked trails. Part of me feared that he knew we were right behind him and that he was leading us somewhere remote where he could kill us.
"Seriously, where is he going?" the sorcerer asked once again as we climbed a small hill.
"McDonald's, they have twenty-four hour service," I replied with an eye-roll.
"Astra," Merlin groaned, nudging me.
I slipped on some leaves, but was able to catch myself before I face-planted on the dirt. "What? How am I supposed to know? I can't read minds!" I shot back while pretending that nothing had happened.
The little adventure ended just over the hill, where a big beautiful lake lay surrounded by trees. The scarce moonlight hit the water in a way that made it look as if it were giving off a blue light, which coincidentally matched the colour of the stone on Aulfric's staff. The man stopped at the shore, standing tall and proud.
Merlin pulled me behind some bushes and we crouched as we watched the scene unfold.
"I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders," the evil fairy spoke in a firm voice, then he said a few magic words.
My body jolted when a blue light beam abruptly shot up from the middle of the lake, and a bunch of little glowing birds with anthropomorphic heads flew out of it. My eyes widened in wonder while my mouth fell agape.
"I come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality!" Aulfric's voice echoed through the nature surrounding us.
"Immortality?!" I whisper-yelled in shock. "Sure, why not."
Merlin sent me a cautionary glance.
"Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life," a booming voice, the source of which I couldn't identify, replied. "You will never be able to return to Avalon!"
"Hey, at least they have a moral compass," I whispered, earning a nudge to the ribs. I glared up at Merlin for a second.
"The crime was mine, not my daughter's," Aulfric pleaded, a certain rough emotion behind his tone.
I rolled my eyes. She probably helped in some way. An innocent person doesn't make a Prince's eyes glow red.
"The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter – unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered up to them," the other voice said.
Never mind, no moral compass – they're evil, too.
"Dude – they're gonna sacrifice Arthur!" I whisper-yelled to my friend while gripping his arm out of anxiety. He turned to me as his face blanched and his eyes widened.
He gulped and whispered, "We should go."
I nodded and we sprinted away.
Merlin agreed to keep an eye on the evil fairies for a couple of hours while I worked with Dallas and Cinderella. My sessions with them weren't very productive because I was exhausted from the midnight trek to what Gaius later revealed is called the 'lake of Avalon'. Still, I was happy to clear my mind for a bit and spend time with the equines.
A frantic knock on my door made me jump as I was pulling on my shirt after bathing. "Hold on!" I called out, rushing to get my baby blue hoodie and throw it on. Then I pulled on my dark blue jeans. "Okay, come in!"
In came Merlin, sporting a very mortified look.
My stomach churned at the sight and I asked, "What happened?"
"Oh, Astra, it was crazy," he mumbled as he sat down on my bed, inhaling deeply as he buried his face in his hands.
I hopped on to sit next to him and watched him as I nibbled on my bottom lip.
Merlin took a deep breath before speaking, "Arthur gathered the court and asked for Uther's blessing to marry Sophia." I felt a pang in my chest – obviously just worry – and I nodded for him to keep going. "Uther said 'no', so Arthur defied him, which led to Uther sentencing Aulfric and Sophia to die as a punishment."
My eyes widened as a smile formed on my lips, "So we don't have to worry about them anymore?"
"Yes, we do. He released them as soon as Arthur apologised."
I huffed, crossing my arms as I processed his words. "Sophia must have Arthur under some sort of love spell, right?" I posed. "I mean. The trances… and the red eyes..." I trailed off, staring at my friend for a reaction.
"Yes, I agree. Which is why we need to make sure that he does not do anything stupid," Merlin replied with a decisive nod.
I snorted, "That's gonna be hard. Stupid is his modus operandi."
The sorcerer chuckled for a moment and then he nudged my side gently, "Come on, we should find him."
We entered the Prince's room to find him hastily packing a bag. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders tense. My heart began to race.
"Goin' somewhere, Artie?" I questioned, trying to make my voice as soft as possible to avoid upsetting him further.
"Get out," he growled.
Merlin and I shared a worried look.
"I thought the King was a bit harsh," my friend commented, feigning sympathy. I knew that he, like me, was very relieved that Uther had denied the Prince's request to marry evil Tinkerbell; or we would've been in a world of trouble.
"I do not need sympathy, Merlin, especially not from you," Arthur spat back. I rolled my eyes.
"But I did think he had a point," the sorcerer continued, ignoring the comment. My eyes widened as I turned to him for a moment. That is not the way to appease him!
"I ordered you to get out!" the Prince raised his voice as he turned around, his face red in anger. "Now leave me!" I flinched and took a step back while Merlin remained unmoving as he eyed the blond with a gentle look.
"I know what you think you are doing, and I know you think you are in love with Sophia..." the sorcerer continued softly.
"Who are you to tell me what I am thinking?!" Arthur roared.
"I am your friend," Merlin replied, still calm.
"No, Merlin, you are my servant."
I scoffed while my friend averted his gaze for a second.
"Merls, he's under her spell. His brain's extra mushy," I whispered to the sorcerer.
He sighed and nodded before addressing the Prince again, "You do not know what you are doing. She has cast a spell on you. You are enchanted."
I couldn't help but admire his ability to remain composed; especially when my heart was beating loudly and my lungs felt constricted. And even more so when Sophia suddenly entered the room, followed by her father.
"I told you that people would try to keep us apart!" she cried dramatically as she ran to wrap herself in Arthur's arms. I glared at her while my fists clenched
"I know. I will not let that happen," the blond assured her while he kept his enraged gaze on Merlin.
"Do not listen to her. She is controlling you," my friend tried to persuade, his voice a little louder this time.
I knew it wouldn't work, but figured that I wouldn't lose anything by supporting him as I threw in, "Yeah! She used magic on ya'!"
Arthur faltered for a few seconds, his eyes darting between the girl in his arms and Merlin and I.
"We can elope together. Get away from this place, these people," Sophia said while gently caressing the Prince's cheek. That seemed to sway him in her favour once more. I had to look away for a second as my jaw clenched.
A sudden surge of desperation grew within me (I really don't know why I care!) and I gathered the courage to walk up to the Prince and try to knock some sense into him by speaking loudly, "Artie, they're gonna sacrifice you! We followed Aulfric and heard his plans!"
The Prince's clouded blue eyes landed on me and he frowned. The anger in him seemed to fade and he appeared only puzzled now.
"You let your servants talk to your guests this way?!" Aulfric questioned and I glared at him for a moment.
"Arthur – Astra and I followed him to a lake and heard everything," Merlin echoed my previous statement. "You have to believe us," he pleaded as he searched his eyes.
"We really did, Art. We're just trying to protect you," I added softly, surprising myself with my tone. Arthur's eyes were on us again as he seemingly contemplated what we'd said. He looked like a confused puppy and it made my insides churn. "We're your friends, remember?" I added.
"Do not listen to them, Arthur! Let us go. Let us leave tonight!" Sophia butted in again, stealing his attention once more.
"Dude, she's gonna kill you! They're evil fairies who want to sacrifice you in exchange for immortality! Do you hear me!? If you go with them, you will die!" I took a few more steps towards the Prince and Sophia, looking him straight in the eyes as I mentally prayed that he would snap out of the enchantment.
Arthur separated from the girl and moved away from her, his eyes unfocused as he blinked rapidly. "T-that does not make sense. W-we are in… love," he said softly, stumbling over his words.
"It's an enchantment, Artie," I reminded him.
"They are magical beings! Look at the writing on the staff!" Merlin exclaimed while reaching for Aulfric's sceptre. The evil man-fairy quickly moved it away from the sorcerer and his eyes glowed red.
I grabbed the sleeve of the Prince's red shirt and turned him towards Aulfric. "Look! His eyes are glowing red! Doesn't that tell ya' something?!" I asked desperately. My heart was beating faster than ever!
The room suddenly blurred as I was yanked away from Arthur and I felt a sharp pain on the side of my head before the world went black.
"Astra! Wake up!" I heard a shaky female voice as a gentle hand covered my arm.
A groan escaped me as I moved slightly, feeling like my head had been put in a blender. "Aunt Kelly? 'S that you?" I asked in a mumble while trying to force my eyes open, but they kept closing back up.
"Astraea! Come on! Please!" the voice continued desperately.
My eyelids finally obeyed and a pale face with long wavy black hair came into focus. "Oh. Hey, Morg," I greeted with a sleepy grin. The next thing I noticed was the hard wooden floor underneath me and I frowned as I sat up. "What happened?" I inquired as the room spun slightly. "And why does my head hurt like a b*tch?"
"You and Merlin were attacked," Gaius answered gravely, suddenly appearing behind the Lady. "Sophia and Aulfric have left… with Arthur."
I frowned and glanced around, finding the young sorcerer sitting up against a wall with a disoriented look on his face.
Ah, I remember now. We tried to stop the evil fairies and they didn't like it.
I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the facts that the room was still spinning slightly, that my vision was a bit blurry, and that my heart was racing like crazy. "We have to rescue him before they carve his heart out!" I exclaimed in terror, grabbing Morgana's arm when I stumbled a little. Her eyes widened as she steadied me.
"Yes, I have got to go after Arthur," Merlin mumbled. "What is that buzzing noise?" he asked while blinking rapidly. Then he, too, stood up. Also struggling to do so.
"Careful, Merlin, you can barely stand up," Gaius warned as he moved to steady him. "Astra, sit down," he turned to me with a stern look.
"No, we have to help that idiot!" I stated and gently shrugged off Morgana as I went to grab a sword that leant against the wall, next to the wardrobe. "So that I can kill him after," I added under my breath.
"You cannot, not in this state. It is a wonder you two survived this at all!" the physician argued.
"We can heal from a small bruise to the head, Arthur can't heal from death!" I retorted while moving – or more like stumbling – towards the door.
Gaius sighed in frustration and turned to Merlin, "Has that buzzing stopped?"
"Yes," the sorcerer replied quickly, clearly lying as his eyes were still darting around unfocused.
"Liar," the physician scolded.
"I have to go, Gaius! He will die if I do not!" Merlin raised his voice a little as he walked towards me.
The elderly man dropped his head, obviously knowing that we were right. "The Sidhe are a vicious people. You must be careful," he warned.
"Do not worry, I know what I am doing," Merlin assured him with a small grin.
"I don't," I confessed, making both Gaius and Morgana's eyes widen in worry. "But hey, neither did Peeta and he survived," I added with a smirk.
The physician went to protest again, but Merlin and I ran off before he could say anything.
"Wait, wrong way," I noted in a mumble as we passed by my room.
"Right, the stairs," my best friend replied as we turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
I didn't bother to tack up Dallas, figuring that I'd just ride bareback and give him a back massage later, and I helped Merlin to get on a random horse from the stables before we blasted off into the woods.
"D'ya know where to go?" I asked the sorcerer as he strayed from the main trail.
He nodded, "Yes. I feel a pull."
"Okay, cool," I responded and let him lead the way, assuming that it's part of his magic powers.
We got to the evil fairy lake in record time and left the horses a few ways away (to keep them from being harmed), then we ran the rest of the way, reaching a speed that I never thought possible. It must be true what people say about adrenaline making you do crazy stuff.
A rapidly-swirling vortex had formed in the middle of the water as little human-faced birds flew circles around it. Aulfric stood by the side of the lake while Sophia was leading Arthur into the water by the hand. He seemed entranced again, as he was compliant to the girl's every tug.
My soul was screeching in horror as Merlin and I stopped in front of the lake, my hand gripping his arm. My stomach churned when I saw Sophia kiss the Prince before pushing him further into the water, making him fall backwards.
"Get Arthur, I will deal with them," Merlin whispered.
I nodded and dropped the sword I'd stolen to the ground before running straight towards the lake while kicking off my shoes and socks, then I went into the water.
I think it was a little too late to remember that I don't really know how to swim, which stuck me doggy-paddling once my feet no longer reached the bottom of the lake. The water was cold and I was instantly shivering like a grandma; but I still moved as fast as I could towards the general area where I'd seen Sophia push Arthur; my body fuelled by adrenaline.
And, hey, if Stiles Stilinski was able to hold a paralysed Derek Hale above the water in a seven-feet-deep pool for, like, two hours with a giant lizard trying to kill them; I can get Arthur out without drowning. I have to, 'cause I'm not sure I'll be able to live with myself if I don't.
What the heck is my life?! I should be a few months into my second semester of college, not rescuing pretty princes from lakes!
"This'll be worth it once I get to rub it in his face," I muttered to myself before taking a deep drag of air and diving down. I ignored the pain of the water entering my eyes as I opened them to search for the Prince. Everything was blurry, but I was able to make out a mop of blond hair some two metres below me.
I swam slightly up again so that I could take another puff of air, and then I made a run (or fast swim?) down for the Prince, keeping in mind that I can't hold my breath for too long. I hooked my arms under Arthur's as soon as I reached him and then used all of the strength in me (which really isn't much, but the water helped) to pull us both up.
A gasp escaped my lips as soon as I broke through the surface, and I made sure to keep the Prince's head above the water as I moved it to rest on my shoulder. "You're freaking heavy," I mumbled in between pants as I fought to get back to where I could touch the ground.
"Astra!" I heard Merlin yell.
I glanced around and saw him rushing towards me. "Ah, my hero," I sighed in relief as he grabbed one of Arthur's arms and helped me drag him to the shore.
Gasping for air in exhaustion, I collapsed to the ground, accidentally taking the unconscious Prince down with me. I groaned as his head landed on my abdomen, but I kept my arms firmly around him, clutching his dampened shirt as I tried to calm my racing heart. I found that the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest under my hands helped me regulate my own breathing.
Merlin sat beside us, also panting from the exertion. I sat up slightly once I was stable enough, being careful not to move Arthur too much, and then I looked around at the scene, finding that Aulfric and Sophia were nowhere to be seen.
"Is it over?" I asked my friend, looking up at him as my eyes begged me to close them. Mostly due to the sudden fatigue I felt after the extreme adrenaline, but also because they still stung from the water.
"Yeah," Merlin breathed out. "Yes, we are okay now," he said more steadily.
I sighed in relief and dropped back onto the sand, allowing myself to rest for a bit, still not letting go of the Prince as I found that his natural warmth served as a sort of blanket for my still shivering body.
Gaius was ready to help Merlin and I deal with Arthur as soon as we got back to the castle. We teamed up to carry the Prince to his room, sneaking him in through a staircase meant for servants to avoid questions from courtiers and knights. Once we'd placed him on his bed, Merlin moved to change him out of his wet clothes and I ran off to get the physician's supplies in the meantime.
When I returned, I dragged a chair from the dining table to place it beside the bed and curled up on it with a towel wrapped around me. I nibbled on my bottom lip as I watched Gaius work, with Merlin assisting him by handing over tools.
"Merls, you have to put 'em on a diet. If he keeps eatin' like this, I won't be able to save 'em next time," I said – my Texan accent slipping through more sharply due to my tired state – in an attempt to lighten the mood.
The sorcerer snorted while the elder man gave me a disapproving look. "Let us hope there is not a 'next time'," the latter said gravely.
"Wishful thinkin'," I mumbled in a whisper.
About an hour later, the Prince let out a groan as his eyes opened.
"Artie!" I exclaimed involuntarily and jumped out of the chair, ignoring the increased cold that leaving my little cocoon caused as I kneeled down on the floor next to where he laid while watching him intently.
"What happened? Where am I?" he asked groggily, not moving one inch.
"You've been asleep, Cap," I quickly spoke, not wasting the opportunity. Gaius and Merlin gave me stern looks while Arthur slowly turned to frown at me. I recoiled when I suddenly found his face a little too close for comfort – which caused my own face to warm up – but I decided not to linger on that fact as I continued to quote Nick Fury, "For almost seventy years."
"Astraea!" Gaius scolded.
"Sorry," I mumbled and returned to the chair to curl up under my towel.
It was dark outside now and I was still wet from the splash I took. I hadn't had the chance to change my clothes as I refused to leave the room until we were sure that the Prince was all right – just 'cause I take my duty as Camelot's ally very seriously, y'know?
"Can you remember anything?" Merlin hesitantly asked the Prince.
The blond frowned, then he hissed. "Ow! Oh, my head!" he whined as he propped himself up on his elbows, making me give him a sympathetic smile. "There was a girl… Sophia… I asked my father something about her, I asked him..." Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock and he sat up completely, bewilderment replacing confusion.
I shared an amused smile with Merlin.
"What was I thinking?!" Arthur exclaimed.
"I know, right?" I mumbled.
"Well, we did wonder…" Merlin responded, "especially when you eloped with her last night." He and Gaius exchanged a mischievous glance.
They had decided that it would be better if Arthur didn't know the whole truth about what had happened – which I was very unhappy about because I wanted to brag about how I've saved the Prince's life twice now. But they made me promise that I would keep quiet and I like being friends with them too much to break that.
"I did what?" Arthur asked, now looking mortified as some colour drained out of his face.
"Yeah, Merls n' I had to drag you back to Camelot," I told him. They still allowed me to have a heroic role in the cover story they made up.
"I do not recall any of this," the Prince stated, looking like a sad puppy again. It was cute. I had to look away for a moment as my heart malfunctioned yet again. I would've gotten a transplant already if we were in the twenty-first century.
Merlin made a 'tsk' sound as he grinned at me, "It must have been one heck of a blow."
He and Gaius also allowed me to hit him in the head in the fake narrative and I smirked at the mental image.
"Blow?" Arthur questioned, his eyes travelling to me and narrowing.
"Well, um… when we caught up with you, we could not persuade you to return, you were beyond reason…" the sorcerer began.
"So I had to make you," I finished with a smirk.
Arthur scoffed in disbelief as his eyes returned to me and he quirked an eyebrow, "You managed to knock me out?"
"Yeah, with the hilt of your own sword," I replied, giggling as I nodded towards the weapon, which was now propped up next to the chair where I sat. He glared at me once more, making me laugh fully.
"She only did it to bring you back safely," Gaius reminded him while sending me a pointed look that demanded I stop messing with the poor, innocent blond. I huffed.
"No one can know about this," the Prince told the three of us sternly. "Any of it. Is that understood?"
"I dunno. I kinda wanna tell everyone that I got to hit you," I said, giving him an innocent grin as I watched him grow more agitated.
"Astraea," he said in a warning tone while pointing a menacing finger.
I chuckled and threw aside the towel (seeing as it no longer served its purpose, now being as damp as I was). "Don't worry, buddy, we won't tell anyone," I assured Arthur. He sighed in relief and let his head drop. "For a price," I added, smirking once more.
"Astraea!" Gaius scolded.
"Fine!"