Camelot

April, 504 AD

"What took you so long?" Morgana questioned Merlin when he finally returned with supplies to help treat the boy some three hours later.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly, "once Gaius gets talking about anatomy, there is no stopping him."

Merlin set the bag he'd brought atop the dining table before hurrying to pull out a flask that contained some ointment, and a bandage. Then he moved towards the boy and he used a small wooden stick to gently apply the white paste onto his injury – which was a nauseating sight that made me move away from the scene.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" the Lady asked nervously as she kneeled beside the sorcerer.

"I am doing my best," he replied in a whisper. Then he turned to address me, "Astra, can you get some water?"

"Yep!"

I grabbed a near-empty bucket that stood near the bed and scurried out of the room. I hurried to the pump right outside the castle, filled the container, and then I began to walk back towards Morgana's room; freezing in my tracks when I ran into Gaius as I rounded a corner.

"What do you need all that water for?" he asked while raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Uh… a bath, obviously," I replied with a scoff.

"But it is almost night," he pointed out while crossing his arms. "If I remember correctly, you always bathe at midday after working with the horses."

I faltered for a second, then I feigned a sheepish look as I lied, "Well, I had a lady accident."

"Oh," Gaius said with a grimace as he averted his gaze, suddenly looking flustered.

I'm such a genius.

"That's why it's better to stay out of other people's business, grandpa!" I called out to him as he quickly walked away, then I smirked in triumph and bursted out laughing.

I was still giggling when I entered Morgana's room again. "What happened?" she asked, sounding slightly concerned as she scanned my face.

I put down the bucket next to the boy and was thankful to see that his wound was now covered by a bandage. "I just put Gaius off our trail in the most epic way ever," I informed her.

She looked confused while Merlin chuckled and offered a high-five. I smiled widely at the gesture and eagerly completed the motion, then I explained what had happened. The roles were quickly inverted as Morgana was now the one chuckling, while Merlin stared at me in horror.

"Oh, darn, he's like a freaking furnace," I mumbled as I placed a gentle hand on the boy's forehead, my heart plummeting to my stomach. Morgana and Gwen kneeled down beside me, also staring at him in concern. "Y'know, I don't think Merls is cut out to be a doctor," I noted, while glancing at the wound. It was still covered, but a yellowish hue surrounded the affected area on his abdomen.

"What do we do?" Gwen asked in a sorrowful voice.

"I'm gonna find Merls and convince him to tell Gaius," I said decisively and stood up, giving the two girls a reassuring nod before leaving the room.

Lucky for me, I didn't need to break my mind searching for the boy because I found him exiting Arthur's room almost as soon as I left Morgana's. "Buddy, a word!" I called to him and raced to grab his arm and pull him into my room.

He tilted his head, "What is wrong?"

"We need to tell Gaius about our little friend," I told him sternly.

His face fell. "But–"

"Whatever you did to him yesterday did not work," I said while cutting him off. "He's gonna die if he's not treated properly!" He dropped his head and sighed, then he nodded.

Together, we went downstairs to the physician's chambers. The elderly man turned to us from his work table when we entered, his eyes widening in apparent surprise at our sudden appearance. I closed the door behind me and nodded to Merlin, who sighed before confessing, "Morgana is hiding the druid boy in her chambers."

Gaius raised an eyebrow and huffed. "When you say that Morgana is hiding the druid boy… I take it that means that you two are helping her?" he spoke slowly and steadily.

I looked down, not liking the disappointment that crossed his features.

"Sort of," Merlin replied.

The elderly man crossed his arms, "Children, you promised me that you would not get involved."

"I know. I am sorry. We had no choice," my friend responded, also refusing to meet his gaze.

"Every guard in Camelot is searching for this boy, and you are harbouring him under their very noses!" Gaius exclaimed angrily. "Can you not see how dangerous that is? What were you thinking of?"

I never thought he had it in him to get so upset, and it sucked to know we were the cause of it.

"Was I supposed to hand him over to the guards to be executed?" Merlin raised his voice as he argued. I prayed there was no one in the corridor outside the apartment – we really need to get some padding to soundproof the walls!

"You think you can save this boy? What happens if you are caught? Who is going to save you?" the physician questioned. His face turned slightly red and the veins in his forehead became more prominent.

"So you are saying it is wrong to harbour a young magician?" my friend dared to ask, making my eyes widen.

"Darn, he went there," I mumbled under a breath.

"The difference is, Merlin, that your magic is still secret," Gaius's voice turned softer. "Though it is a wonder how, considering how careless you are."

I shook my head as I realised we were getting off track.

"Gaius, look. I know you're mad at us, and you have every reason to be, but we really need your help," I interjected. "The boy's got an infected wound. Merls tried to treat him, but it didn't work."

The man sighed in frustration. "So now you want me to risk my neck, too? I wish the boy no harm, but it is too dangerous," he said with a shake of his head and turned his back to us as he moved towards the door. My jaw dropped in disbelief.

"But if you do not, we may as well hand him over to the guards, because he will die anyway," Merlin tried to reason. "You did not turn your back on me. Please, do not turn your back on him."

That did the trick and, soon enough, we were dragging the physician to Morgana's chambers, being cautious that no one saw us. The elderly man paused in surprise when he noticed that Gwen was involved as well upon entering the room, then he turned to Merlin and I for a second. "You children will be the death of me," he muttered before he moved to the little boy's bedside.

My friend and I shared a sheepish look.

"I will treat the boy, but as soon as he is well, you must get him out of Camelot," Gaius stated sternly while eyeing the four of us. "And woe betide anyone caught helping him," he warned before getting to work.

Morgana, Merlin, Gwen and I exchanged worried glances.

Thankfully, the boy got better overnight thanks to the physician's proper care and, in the morning, he was in good enough shape for us to start planning an escape. It wouldn't be easy. In fact, it would probably be the most dangerous thing Merlin and I have done to date. Arthur's soldiers were posted at every corner, it seemed, checking everything that came their way; and even a curfew had been imposed on the city. But we had to at least try.

"We'll never make it past the hallway, let alone the gates," I mumbled, my pessimistic side coming out as I anxiously nibbled on my bottom lip.

"There is another way out," Merlin noted, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. "There is a secret door in the armoury. It leads to the lower town. I will take the boy out that way."

"No, it is too dangerous," Morgana protested. "I will do it." I turned to her, raising my eyebrows in surprise.

"But I… I am good with secret doors and things," the sorcerer argued weakly.

"She's got a point, dude," I threw in my two cents. "If they catch you, they'll kill you on the spot, no questions asked. She's got a better chance of gettin' out alive if things go south."

My friend sighed, but he didn't argue further. "Well, you will need a key to the door," he stated while glancing between us.

"And who has it?" Morgana questioned.

He sighed, "Arthur."

"Awesome," I mumbled.

I reluctantly agreed to join Merlin while he served Arthur's dinner, as he'd claimed that we'd have a better chance at getting the key if we worked together than he did on his own.

"Y'know, I miss future food. You people have, like, three dishes," I grumbled as I followed my friend, who was carrying the Prince's food on a tray as we walked towards his room.

Merlin snorted, "So what would you eat, if you could have anything right now?"

"Well…" I pondered the question for a moment, "I've always been fond of Japanese cuisine… Or, Americanised Japanese cuisine, I guess. Like a veggie roll…"

My friend sent me a quizzical look, but he didn't get the chance to ask because we made it to the Prince's room and he promptly moved to serve Arthur, who also gave me a questioning glance – possibly because I don't usually play waitress with Merlin.

"Don't mind me, I was bored," I waved him off while leaning against a bedpost. He raised his eyebrows in response and soon diverted his attention towards the food that my friend placed before him.

I discreetly glanced around to try to figure out where he kept the keys that Merlin had mentioned. Then the sorcerer nudged my side and nodded towards the Prince's torso. I tilted my head and let my gaze travel there, finding that he had a belt with a keychain hanging from it.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked up at my friend again. How the heck are we supposed to get it?

Merlin sighed and then I saw his eyes glow golden for a second. I grinned when I saw the keys magically floating out of their hold while Arthur busied himself with his soup.

Suddenly, the Prince turned around and asked for bread, which caused my friend to have to quickly move the keys away from his line of sight, which provoked a loud jingle.

"What was that?" Arthur questioned with a frown as he turned around. The keys were now hovering behind his head.

"What?" my friend asked innocently, which made me have to hold back a snort.

"There was a sound…" Arthur noted as he glanced around.

"There are many sounds, Artie," I teased, "you're gonna have to be more specific." He glared at me for a second and then stood up, examining the room with narrowed eyes. Meanwhile, the keys continued to jingle as my friend worked hard to keep them away from the blond's view.

"What is that?!" Arthur asked again, looking more frustrated this time.

I exchanged an amused grin with Merlin when the Prince turned his back to us while he glanced around.

"Can not either of you hear it?!"

We shared a glance and shook our heads simultaneously. "I cannot hear anything," "Hear what?" we said at the same time.

"Are you both deaf?!" Arthur questioned in exasperation. "It is like… a jangling sound!"

"Y'know, you get hit 'round the head a lot with your knight stuff. Maybe there's a loose screw in there," I suggested with a smirk, earning a deadly glare.

My idiot best friend let out a chuckle (quickly covering it up with a cough), which apparently caused his concentration to break as the keys fell into the soup, causing Arthur to jolt.

Great.

"What was that?!" the Prince asked again, looking even more alarmed now.

"What now, Art?" I questioned, purposely making myself sound condescending.

"A different sound, like a… like a splash!"

"Do you have a fever? Should I get Gaius?" I questioned, feigning concern as I frowned.

The Prince huffed and moved past Merlin and I, heading towards another room – presumably his closet or bathroom. This gave my friend enough time to take the keys out of the soup, quickly shoving them into his pocket. Then he nodded at me.

"Well, I hope you get better, Artie!" I called out as Merlin and I rushed out of the room.

Gwen lent Morgana a dress – seeing as it wouldn't be smart for her to sneak around in her fancy Lady clothes, which ran more risk of drawing attention – and Merlin helped the boy to get his shirt, cloak, and boots on. Then the sorcerer thoroughly explained to the Lady how to get to the door in the armoury, as well as the steps they'd have to take to get out of the city. In the meantime, Gwen and I packed a bag with food, water, a change of clothes, and extra medical aid for their journey.

Morgana nodded at me in thanks as I handed her the bag, then she gently took the boy's hand and she led him towards the door of her room.

"Good luck, guys," I told them, biting down on my bottom lip.

"Thank you. The three of you," the Lady replied while eyeing Gwen, Merlin and I for a moment, then she and the boy quietly left the chamber.

I hopped to sit on the table and let out a shaky breath as I continued to nibble on my bottom lip while mentally praying that everything would turn out all right. I'd probably have a mental breakdown if Uther caught and killed the boy.

Merlin and Gwen sat on the bed where the boy had previously been laying, and the three of us stayed silent. After a few minutes, I stood up and began to pace, feeling too anxious to continue to sit still. How I wish we were able to communicate via text!

Suddenly, the loud sound of the warning bells shook the castle walls.

"Oh, fork," I muttered as I ran to the window, looking down at the courtyard. Soldiers rushed outside in all directions, carrying torches and weapons as freaking Arthur directed them. My stomach churned as I bit down even harder on my lip, ignoring the taste of blood as my heart-rate accelerated. Merlin and Gwen hurried to stand beside me.

Some few minutes later, we saw some guards return, dragging Morgana and the boy while the Prince followed them with a frustrated look on his features. Rage and disappointment pooled in my stomach. I guess I was wrong about him. He's nothing but his father's guard dog.

"I wanna break his stupid cowardly face!" I growled while clenching my jaw. Gwen looked startled while Merlin simply put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it.

We peeked out into the corridor when we heard voices, and saw the Lady being dragged towards Uther's room while she continued to fight the guards without success. I glared daggers at Arthur as he walked by us and Merlin quickly took a firm hold of my arm, restraining the impulse I got to truly punch the ass-butt in the face.

An hour later, Morgana was back in her room, looking absolutely mortified and drained after a long discussion with Uther. Merlin, Gwen and I joined forces in trying to comfort her while trying to come up with another plan.

"I promised that I would not let anything bad happen to him," the Lady lamented as she paced the room.

"You tried your best," Merlin offered with a sad look.

She scoffed and shook her head, "It was not enough."

"He is in jail now. There is nothing more we can do," the sorcerer replied with a grimace.

I frowned. Since when does he give up so easily?

"I will not let him die," Morgana said decisively as her pacing came to a stop and she turned to face us, standing square. "Can I count on your help?"

"Of course," "Heck yeah," Gwen and I said at the same time. Merlin only nodded and I tilted my head at his stoic appearance.

The Lady nodded and she took in a few deep breaths in an apparent attempt to calm herself down. "I am going to talk to Arthur," she suddenly stated, causing the rest of us to exchange stunned looks. She wants to, like, reprogram the mindless robot to get him to help?! "I know that he does not want to see the boy executed, and I believe he can be persuaded to help us."

"Are you sure about this?" Gwen asked warily.

"Yes," Morgana responded firmly, then she turned to me, "Astra, I will need your help."

I recoiled and raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"He holds you in high regard, he will listen to you," she very wrongfully claimed. The only reason why the Prince hasn't run me through with his sword is because I saved him from reenacting Mufasa's death that one time!

I had to avert my gaze as I felt a sudden warmth cover my face, then I forced out a chuckle, "Right."

"Come on, Astra," the Lady pressed.

I sighed, "I dunno, Morg. I don't have the same faith in him as you do."

"There is good in his heart, Astra. I am certain of it," she responded, a pleading look in her eyes.

I sighed heavily and turned to Merlin for guidance. He shrugged and said, "I have little faith that he will agree… But he did risk his life to get the Mortaeus flower when I was poisoned, so perhaps there is hope."

I hesitantly turned back to Morgana. "Please," she said softly.

"All right, fine," I relented with a huff.

She gave a little relieved smile and proceeded to kidnap my arm as she all but dragged me towards the Prince's room. The jerk wasn't there, so we made ourselves comfortable at his dining table while we waited for him to show up. Morgana took the chair and I sat on the table – as usual.

We didn't have to wait longer than maybe ten minutes before Prince Charming blessed us with his presence.

"Make yourselves at home," he said sarcastically as soon as he entered.

"You cannot let your father execute the boy," Morgana dived straight for the point, ignoring his remark.

"You are lucky he is not executing you," he responded with a scoff, then he glanced at me for a second before his head turned fully to face me, realisation seemingly dawning upon his punchable features. "You were a part of this, too," he noted.

"Duh," I replied curtly.

He huffed and shook his head before turning to Morgana again as he questioned in exasperation, "Are you telling me that he really was behind the screen when I came to search your chambers!?"

"Yup," I responded while the Lady simply averted her gaze and nodded.

Arthur ran a hand over his hair and turned away from us in frustration.

"I know you believe that your father is wrong to execute him," Morgana stated.

"What I believe does not matter," he responded, still not facing either of us. "My father has made up his mind. He will not be talked out of it. I tried."

Aww, he tried!

"Then the time for talking is over!" the Lady raised her voice as she sprung to her feet.

Arthur kept his back to us as he walked towards the window. "Whatever you are thinking, it is not going to happen," he asserted.

"We have to get the boy back to his people," Morgana pressed, following him.

"No, forget it."

"I cannot believe you would let an innocent child die!"

"It is too late!" he argued, finally turning to face the Lady. "He has been caught… I have no choice."

I scoffed and couldn't restrain myself any longer as I jumped into the conversation, "Well, then you're a freaking coward!" I hopped off the table and took a couple of steps towards the pair, my eyes fixed on Arthur. "D'ya think you'll earn your people's trust by following your father around like a mind-controlled sheep?" He seemed taken aback as he averted his gaze. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the people only obey your father outta fear! Do you wanna be like that?! Or do you want to eventually rule a kingdom that will follow you for the right reasons?"

Arthur refused to meet my gaze as he walked away from me and towards his desk, where he plopped down with a scowl on his features.

My fists clenched as I watched him. Morgana put a hand on my arm and gently nudged me towards the door, shaking her head sadly when I glanced up at her. She'd given up. I sighed and followed her; feeling disappointed, but not surprised.

As the Lady walked ahead, I paused at the threshold and turned back to the Prince again. I cleared my throat, which did the job in getting him to look at me. "Y'know," I said with a sigh, "when Morgana proposed coming to you for help, I told her not to bother 'cause you're too scared to challenge your father even if his intentions are purely cruel… I dare you to prove me wrong."

He visibly gulped as he averted his gaze once more. I bit down on my bottom lip and finally left the room.

"Astraea – you are absolutely brilliant!" Morgana praised when she showed up at my room an hour or so later.

"I know," I noted with a playful smirk, "but what made you say it?"

She snorted and shook her head before explaining, "Everything you said to Arthur swayed him!" My eyes widened in shock. "He is helping us get the boy out! Him and Merlin are working on a plan as we speak."

I'm sure that she's the one who swayed him, but I decided not to comment on that fact, knowing that there were more important things at hand.

"Let's get this show on the road, then!" I cheered. The Lady gave me a wide smile and I followed her to Arthur's room.

The Prince's head snapped up when we entered, and I offered him a reconciliatory grin as we made eye-contact. He returned it and I moved to stand next to Merlin, who stood opposite the blond.

"So, where do I have to go?" Morgana asked as she stood on another side of the table, looking down at the castle blueprint that was laid out upon it.

The sorcerer eyed her warily as he responded, "You have already been caught once, and if the King catches you a second time he will never forgive you."

I tilted my head, realising that he raised a great point.

"Merlin is right," Arthur told Morgana, causing her to huff. "When my father finds out the boy has escaped, he will suspect you being involved."

"What if you distract him?" I suggested to her.

"Yes," the Prince supported the idea as he turned to the Lady as well. "You must go to my father and apologise. Dine with him." She didn't seem at all pleased with the idea. "He cannot hold you responsible if you are with him when the boy escapes," he defended.

"You need me if the plan is to work," she argued.

"Astraea can take your place," the Prince replied.

"Sounds good," I said, giving the girl a reassuring smile. Then I turned to Arthur, "What's the plan?"

"I am going to take the boy out through the burial vaults. There is a tunnel that leads beyond the city walls. You will get my horse from the stables and meet me there." I nodded in understanding. "There is a grate that covers the entrance to the tunnel. Merlin will bring a rope and a grappling hook to pull it off."

Merlin's eyes widened, "No, I cannot–"

"Merlin, do you understand?" Arthur cut him off sternly. "If you are not there to meet us, we will surely be caught."

The sorcerer sighed, but finally nodded in agreement.

I looked at my friend with a frown, finding that he looked troubled. What the hell is up with him?!

Realising that no one had mentioned anything about supplies for Arthur's journey – which supposedly would take about a day or two – I grabbed my backpack from my closet and packed some food and water for him and the boy. I also tossed in two small blankets that I borrowed from Gaius's apartment. Once that was ready, I snuck out towards the stables.

"Hey, buddy," I greeted Bronze when I reached his stall. He instantly moved towards the door and I petted him for a second before grabbing a halter and leading him outside. I tied him to a post, gave him a quick brushing, cleaned his hooves, and tacked him up.

Once the horse was ready, I led him out of the stables and walked him towards the entrance to the castle, where I mounted him and trotted him into the woods that surround the walls, searching for the tunnel exit where the Prince and the boy should be waiting for us.

The warning bells began to ring a few moments later, making me nudge Bronze into a canter.

When I found the grate that Arthur had spoken of, I stopped the horse and hopped off, then I moved closer just in time to see the Prince and the child running my way.

"Hey!" I whispered, a smile forming on my lips at seeing that they had made it out of the dungeons.

"Astraea, thank heaven," Arthur whispered back, letting out a sigh of relief as he grinned. Then he frowned as he asked, "Where is Merlin?"

My smile fell, too, and I glanced around while biting on my bottom lip. "I have no idea, I haven't seen 'em," I replied.

"Damn it, Merlin!" Arthur muttered, running a hand through his hair. Then he glanced down at the boy, who looked awfully terrified. "Do not worry, he will be here," he assured him gently.

My dumb heart thought that this was a fine time to start acting up again.

Faint male shouts echoed through the tunnel as shadows danced in the light created by Arthur's torch, indicating that some guards were near. I backed up Bronze a few steps so that he wouldn't be seen and then crouched down along with the Prince.

"Shift, they're getting closer," I mumbled under my breath when the shouts got louder.

Arthur continuously looked behind him with distress in his eyes. "Where is he!?" he questioned no one in an exasperated whisper and we shared a frightened look.

An iron-y taste in my mouth told me that my teeth had broken through my lip and drawn blood.

The Prince drew his sword as he turned to face the entrance of the tunnel, placing the boy behind him as he prepared to defend him if needed.

Now there's the Arthur Pendragon that the movies and books speak of!

With moments to spare, Merlin finally appeared at my side as he whispered, "Hey!" I sighed in relief and instantly moved to help him with the hook and rope.

"What the heck took you so long?!" I questioned.

"I had trouble getting out of the castle," he replied with an apologetic look.

I patted his arm before moving to tie one end of the rope to Bronze's saddle while Merlin secured the other end – which had been tied to the hook – on the gate.

"Hurry, they are coming!" Arthur pressed.

I rolled my eyes, biting back a sarcastic comment, and used a carrot to lure the horse forwards so that he would pull on the grate. He followed me happily and, soon, the Prince and the boy were out.

I handed Arthur my backpack and he thanked me before quickly mounting his horse, and Merlin helped the kid to get on behind him.

"If my father asks where I am, I have gone on a hunting trip," the Prince instructed. Merlin and I nodded. "You had better make yourselves scarce, or they will suspect something," he added.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine," I assured him. He nodded. "Good luck, Art," I said with a small smile and I placed a kiss on Bronze's muzzle before stepping aside.

As soon as the trio were out of sight, I hurried to tell Morgana that the operation had been successful, which she was beyond elated to hear.

I rushed to Arthur's room when I heard that he was back a day-and-a-half later, wanting to thank him and apologise for being extra mean to him. I took the chair at his desk and moved it to face the window before I sat down. Granted, I could've waited at the entrance to the castle, or I could've visited him later, or whatever; but I wanted to be dramatic just for the fun of it… That's how people do it in the movies.

I spun around in the chair as soon as I heard the door creaking open. However, I stupidly forgot that medieval desk chairs don't spin and fell down face-first onto the floor as the darn thing tilted to the side instead. "Fork," I muttered in disappointment and rolled onto my back.

The Prince ran to help me up, not holding back a laugh. I hesitantly took his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet while I also laughed, wishing that someone had caught my stunt on camera.

"Are you all right?" Arthur asked, still chuckling softly, as his hands rested firmly on my shoulders while his eyes scanned my figure, presumably checking for injuries.

I suddenly had trouble breathing under his intense gaze and pulled away quickly, taking a few steps back.

"Always," I replied with a grin while trying to appear nonchalant despite the fact that my heart was about to jump out of my chest. "Anyways, I just wanted to thank you for helpin' us with y'know what," I told him, turning a bit serious. A small grin formed on his lips and I had to force my eyes not to linger on them. "Y-you're a good person," I affirmed in a slightly shaky voice, my confidence from a minute prior seemingly evaporating out of my body.

"I am glad you think so," he responded, still grinning.

I nodded and averted my gaze, my mismatched socks suddenly appearing very interesting. "And I'm sorry for being mean to you – but in my defence, it worked," I added.

Arthur let out a sigh. "Well, you were right, I do need to learn when to stand up to my father," he admitted.

"We're all works in progress," I quoted Peter Hale with a shrug, still not daring to look up at the Prince.

My eyes widened in shock when he suddenly threw an arm over my shoulders and gave me a momentary side-hug, which caused me to tense up and blush like a lunatic. His strong arm around me felt like a dream, despite the fact that I don't like physical contact. My Olympic gymnast of a heart seemed to agree.

No! Stop! I need an electric shock! I can't feel this way!

"All right, I need a bath, go annoy someone else," Arthur then said as he gently nudged me towards the door.

"Kay, see ya' 'round," I mumbled as I sprinted outside in what must've been a record time.