Camelot

July, 504 AD

One second I had an arrow fiercely aimed at Thanos's big purple head, and the next I'm being shaken awake by what felt like a violent earthquake. My eyes opened and I gasped when I found Merlin standing over me with a panicked expression.

"What's wrong with ya'? I was just 'bout to slay Thanos," I grumbled as I rolled onto my back and rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the sleepiness while being mindful to keep the bed covers over my arms, considering that my PJ top has short sleeves.

"The grain supply has gone bad, too," my friend informed me.

My stomach dropped and I gulped, "No, what? I thought Arthur had passed his first test!"

"Well, he was tested again and he failed," he responded while expelling a sad sigh.

I could feel my heart shattering at the news and I groaned and rolled onto my stomach again, burying my face in my pillow while wishing that I could ignore reality and have Sandman take me back to my dream, where I was fighting alongside the Avengers.

"Come on, Astra. Uther needs you," Merlin pressed and he moved to pry off my covers, but I clutched onto them tightly as my eyes widened.

"Fine, I'm goin', just gimme a moment and I'll catch up!"

My friend gave me a pointed look and I raised an eyebrow that silently dared him to try anything else. He puffed and nodded before exiting the room.

I sighed in relief and finally got out of bed. I hurried to change into my jeans, my grey base-layer, and my baby blue hoodie; then I slipped on my socks, brushed my teeth, and fixed my messed-up braid before rejoining Merlin outside.

We walked together towards the storage rooms, where the sorcerer had said that Uther was currently at along with Gaius.

"What did Arthur do?" I questioned in a low tone.

Merlin sighed, "Something happened in the forest, but I am not certain what. He would not speak to me about it. He seemed very upset."

"Darn," I muttered under my breath while feeling my heart churn again. I should've gone with them, and maybe things would've turned out differently.

We arrived at the storage rooms to find the King and the physician standing over a big barrel, both of them sporting grave expressions. I frowned and moved closer, instantly getting hit by a putrid smell that caused me to recoil. I pressed my arm over my nose and peeked inside again, finding that the container was full of mouldy grain.

I let out a shaky sigh and turned my attention to Gaius, who met my gaze with a sorrowful look.

Suddenly, a dishevelled Arthur rushed inside while asking, "What happened?" and he stopped between his father and I as he looked down at the barrel as well.

I looked up at him to find that his face was slightly reddened, his eyes were a bit teary, and he was breathing heavily; a sight that caused a lump to form in my throat.

"All our remaining supplies have rotted," Uther replied bitterly. "Every last grain." And with that, the man walked away with a clenched jaw and a scary look in his eyes.

Arthur followed him with his gaze, and then he glanced at me for a moment before sighing and storming out as well. I bit down on my bottom lip and made eye-contact with Merlin, wondering what we could do to fix the situation.

My leg bounced up and down while Merlin and I sat at the kitchen table in Gaius's apartment about a half-hour later, both of us waiting anxiously as the elderly man prepared something to eat, which he was keeping a mystery. I figured it couldn't be anything nice, given our very limited options, and I wondered if food is really necessary.

"I know Arthur is stubborn and pig-headed and annoying…" Merlin said in a soft tone, "but he cares about his people. More than he cares about himself. He will not forgive himself for making his people suffer."

"This whole curse thing is so messed up," I noted in a mumble. "I mean, I'd be all for it if the bad luck was aimed at the individual who killed the unicorn – but what's the point in targeting the whole kingdom? Or is it only targeting the entire kingdom 'cause the Prince was the culprit?"

"That is the way these things work, I am afraid," Gaius responded, making me puff. "You must make sure Arthur does not do anything rash," he then warned while glancing between Merlin and I.

My best friend sighed, "With the mood he is in… I do not know what he is going to do."

"We'll keep an eye on 'em," I assured the physician, who responded with a grateful nod.

The atmosphere fell silent after that and all sorts of thoughts swarmed my mind in the absence of a distraction. At the forefront – the fact that I still hadn't spoken to my former roomies about my impending departure from Camelot. It hurt too much to even think about. I was sure I would break down crying before I could even get a word out.

I glanced at Merlin out of the corner of my eye, seeing how troubled he looked. What would he say? What would he do? And a more intriguing question caused a pang in my chest – would he miss me as much as I would miss him? Or am I way more attached to him than he is to me?

"Ready?" Gaius suddenly asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I straightened up as I watched him approach the kitchen bench with a covered casserole in his arms. He gently placed it atop the table and he casted Merlin and I a wary look before taking off the lid.

"Oh, gross!" I recoiled at the sight of some black scorpions.

My best friend blinked rapidly while his gaze alternated between the physician and the casserole. "Are you sure they are not poisonous?" he questioned.

"Quite certain," Gaius assured him while picking up one of the arachnids with his bare hands. "They say they taste like chicken," he noted, causing Merlin and I to share a disgusted look. "Unless we are to starve, we must hope they are right."

The sorcerer sighed in defeat and also grabbed a scorpion, slowly bringing it up to his lips. "I bet ya' miss the rat stew now, huh?" I questioned while raising an eyebrow. He sent me a glare before hesitantly taking out a bite in synchronicity with Gaius.

"This tastes nothing like chicken," my friend instantly noted.

The physician nodded in agreement while giving him a remorseful look, and then he turned towards me with an expectant look. "Thanks, but I'd rather starve," I mumbled.

Once Merlin was done eating disgusting things, he claimed that he had to go upstairs to clean Arthur's room, so I followed him, resigned to the knowledge that I needed to talk to him about the inevitable fact that I'd be leaving soon, and figuring that that was as good a time as any. I mean, with everything going on, I doubted I would find a truly 'good' moment.

I plopped down at the dining table while he began to sweep the floor and I let out a long sigh, feeling my lungs getting slightly constrained and my heart getting squeezed by an invisible force. It wasn't long before my eyes were pooling with tears and I quickly reached up to wipe at them.

"Astra – what is wrong?" Merlin suddenly took a seat next to me, placing a gentle hand on my arm as he eyed me with worry. I gulped and looked up at him for a moment before a sob threatened to escape my lips, making me hide my face in my hands. "Astra…" he said softly as he pulled me into a hug. I let my head drop to his shoulder and returned the embrace, unable to keep myself from crying any longer.

"Mason and Leo are here, Merls," I told him in between sobs. I felt him tense up a little and he tightened his hold on me. "We're leaving in two days," I added, the words making my heart break completely.

The sorcerer let out a long sigh as he started to rub my back. "Everything will be fine, Astra," he assured me in a slightly shaky tone. "You knew this was only temporary, right?"

I nodded against his shoulder, then I pushed away and tried to compose myself as I wiped at my eyes once more. "It's funny… I couldn't wait for everything to be over at first… and now that it's ending…" my voice broke and I started to cry again. "I wish I didn't have to go, Merls."

He sighed and pulled me in for another hug, then he kissed the side of my head. "You have the time-machine, right? You can always visit, can you not?" he questioned gently.

"I doubt I'm gonna be allowed to go anywhere near it ever again," I replied with a humourless chuckle.

"When has that ever stopped you?" he asked.

"I guess you're right."

We hugged for another minute or two, until the door to the room abruptly opened and Arthur stormed inside, causing us to separate and share a concerned look. The Prince didn't say anything, nor did he spare us a glance, as he walked straight towards the window. I hurried to dry my face, not wanting him to know that I'd been crying, and then I stood up, taking a few cautious steps towards him.

"Artie? Are you okay?" I asked as gently as I could, which wasn't difficult since the lump in my throat made it difficult to speak at a normal volume.

The Prince took a deep breath, his shoulders broadening as he did so. "They do not yet know there is worse to come," he mumbled softly as he looked down at something in the courtyard. I slowly stepped up beside him and looked down, finding that there was a long line of people outside, waiting to get food.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked as he, too, moved closer.

"My father is going to stop distributing food to the people," Arthur responded, barely looking at us out of the corner of his eye, but that side-glance was enough for me to notice that he was teary and my heart churned. "They are to be left to starve."

I turned to look at my best friend and we shared a sad glance.

"I had a chance to lift the curse, and I failed them," Arthur added, his voice breaking a little towards the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling as if my soul were bleeding for him, and I tentatively reached up to place a hand on his shoulder, remaining still for a few moments, and when he didn't shrug it off, I ventured to rub soft circles with my thumb. He let out a shaky sigh.

"You were not to know you were being tested," Merlin offered in a gentle tone.

"My people are starving," Arthur said in a strained voice. "Camelot is on the verge of collapse… And it is all my doing…" I noticed his jaw clenching and I glanced over to Merlin, wondering what else I could do to help. He gave me another sad look before backing away. I guess we'll have to come up with a secret plan?

I turned to look back at the Prince and he met my eyes for a moment. I noticed a single tear rolling down his cheek, and I don't know what came over me, but I quickly wrapped my arms around his torso, praying that it would somehow be comforting. I felt his breath hitch for a moment before he gently returned the embrace, resting his chin on top of my head.

I couldn't help but think of how nice it felt to have his arms around me and my eyes welled up with tears again as I remembered that I'd be leaving soon. I gulped and slightly tightened my grip on Arthur as I whispered, "We'll work it out, Artie, you'll see."

Later in the day, I figured that Uther also needed to know that I'm leaving. Once again, I knew that the timing was terrible, but it certainly beats him just waking up one day to find that I'm gone… I think… Nah, he'd probably be happy to have me out of his thinning hair. But telling him is still the decent thing to do; so, with a sinking stomach, I went towards his room.

"Hey, buddyyy..." I dragged out as he opened the door with a puzzled look.

"Ah, Astraea," he acknowledged my existence. "Please tell me you have another idea."

The hole in my stomach grew bigger at his words and I dropped my head. "No, I don't," I mumbled.

He sighed in apparent disappointment, "Well, come on in. What do you need?"

I hesitantly entered the room while keeping my head low and I began to nibble on my bottom lip. Is he really counting on me to help him fix things? That makes me feel so much worse! If only I could fix things… I'd certainly feel better about leaving Camelot… maybe. But what can I do? Would the unicorn keeper be open to negotiation? Perhaps I could go and find him… have a little chat… One last quest for the long road ahead as a way to thank the sixth century for everything it gave me.

"Actually, I do have an idea. I'll be right back," I said before sprinting out of the room and going in search of Merlin.

I quite literally ran into him in the corridor and we grasped each other's arms to steady ourselves.

"I have to find Anhora," he said quickly.

"'S that the unicorn keeper? 'Cause I was just about to say that," I responded. He gave a little grin and nodded. "Okay, cool. Let's go!" I exclaimed, forcing a smile.

My best friend shook his head, "I will seek him out. You should stay here and keep an eye on Arthur."

I huffed. As much as I've grown to care for the Prince, I want to make the most out of the few hours I have left with my best friend… But I didn't argue, knowing that there are more important things at hand than my stupid feelings. "Yes, sir," I replied with a mock salute.

Obediently, I went towards Arthur's room and entered slowly after having knocked and obtained permission to do so. He sat on his bed while sharpening some arrows, a pouty look on his face. He straightened up a little at seeing me, but nothing changed otherwise.

I sighed, feeling my heart aching for him, and I moved to sit on his desk. I watched as my leg started to bounce up and down almost immediately and I bit down on my bottom lip as I tried to think about anything other than my approaching departure.

Everything would've been so much easier if I'd never met Merlin… Then again, I might not have survived… But would that really have been so bad? What do I matter in the grand scheme of things?

I shook my head, trying to get rid of that thought, and I forced myself to get out of my spiralling mind. My brain thought that the best way to do that was to cast my gaze towards Arthur. I gulped when my eyes connected with his enchanting blue ones and I looked back down, then I started to play with my spare hair-tie.

As much of a jerk as he can be sometimes, I can't help but wish that he could be happy all the time. I like seeing him happy… Perhaps he wouldn't be such a jerk, in the first place, if he was happier.

I glanced up at him again and felt slightly relieved to find that he'd gone back to working on his arrows. I allowed my eyes to examine his admittedly attractive features, a strange desire to engrave them into my memory rising within me. His vibrant and expressive blue eyes are a wonder to gaze into. His blond locks always seem so soft and they frame his face just right. And his lips? Well, I had to look away before my heart could, like, explode or something.

The lump in my throat became more prominent and I had to blink away some tears that formed in my eyes while closing my fists in an attempt to restrain the emotions that were threatening to spill out.

Maybe the yearning to stay in Camelot wouldn't be so overwhelming if Arthur truly was an arrogant prat. I wish I could hate him, but I can't.

"Are you all right?" the Prince suddenly asked, startling me a little. I frowned up at him. "Your leg keeps moving and your lip is bleeding," he noted while tilting his head in… concern? Nah, what does he care? He's just being nice.

I quickly ran my tongue over the small cut I'd unconsciously made on my lip and willed my leg to be still. "Yeah, I'm always okay," I replied while forcing a smile.

He didn't seem convinced as he discarded his arrows and stood up. My heart started to accelerate when he moved to sit next to me on the desk, not leaving much space between our bodies. I gulped and dropped my head.

"You have been uncharacteristically quiet," he stated in a gentle tone. "Are you still thinking about the battle of Ealdor?"

"Nah, I'm fine. I promise," I waved him off.

I didn't want to tell him yet. He might ask questions that I can't answer. And I seriously doubt he cares that much – but what if he gets sad? I mean, sadder than he already is, given the curse and all that. Or, who knows? Maybe he'll be less upset if he learns that he'll no longer have to tolerate having me around… But if that's the case, then I will get sad. Well, I'll get sad either way, I guess. Anyways – it's obviously best if I remain quiet for now. I still have a day-and-a-half left.

"Sing," Arthur suddenly commanded, making my eyes widen as I glanced up at him for a moment.

I snorted, "Why?"

He shrugged before replying, "You are not half bad, and it always makes you smile." My face instantly heated up at his words. Curse him! "Come on!" he pressed while gently nudging my side.

I let out a sigh and relented, going with the first song that popped into my head (while praying I wouldn't end up crying) – 'Dust In The Wind' by Kansas.

A gloomy me sat on Arthur's desk once more as Merlin helped him to prepare for his journey. Anhora had agreed to give him a final chance to make amends. He had to go through the 'Labyrinth of Gedref', where he would face a 'big challenge' of unknown nature.

The Prince had been incredibly grateful when my best friend had returned with the news, and he'd sprung into action immediately.

I watched with an aching soul as the two boys conversed between themselves. They pretend to dislike each other, and yet, they act as if they are the best of friends when they let themselves get over their egos. They'll be fine without me. Perhaps even better. I mean, I'm an annoying pain in the butt most of the time, after all, right? They'll be glad to be rid of me.

"You as well, Astraea," Arthur suddenly mentioned my name, making me turn to him with a frown.

"What?" I asked, not having paid attention to their conversation.

"You and Merlin are to stay here and help the people as best as you can," he ordered sternly.

I sighed in disappointment, wishing that I could join in this final quest. "Okay," I replied unenthusiastically.

Not long after, we left the room and Merlin and I teamed up to tack up Bronze ('cause, apparently, Arthur doesn't know how to do that). Then the Prince rode off towards the Labyrinth and I watched him disappear among the trees with a churning heart.

"Are you all right?" Merlin turned to me, throwing an arm over my shoulders.

"If he takes too long, I won't be able to say goodbye to him," I replied in a mumble. "I wasn't able to talk to him about it."

My best friend's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "He will be devastated!"

I scoffed, "That's a bit of an exaggeration."

"I actually thought it to be an understatement," Merlin argued while quirking an eyebrow, making me snort.

"You're mad," I accused with a snort.

"No, you are blind."

I frowned and stared at him in confusion. He simply huffed and shook his head. "Just forget it," he grumbled before returning inside the barn. I watched as he got a dark bay horse out of a stall and promptly began to groom him/her.

"What're you doing?" I questioned with a head-tilt.

"I am going to help Arthur," he replied.

A grin formed on my lips and I felt a bit less upset now that I could join the adventure, after all. "Fun, I'll come!" I chirped before running off to get Dallas.

"I was counting on it!" Merlin responded.

My beloved Thoroughbred and I galloped behind my best friend as he led the way towards the labyrinth. Apparently, he'd spotted a shortcut on a map and not told Arthur about it, as it had been his plan all along to beat the Prince there and scout the place to make sure it wasn't a trap of some sorts.

We travelled for some three hours until we finally found the location. My jaw dropped in an instant at the sight. The labyrinth was enormous. Like… the size of Manhattan, I dare say. It was built with carefully trimmed bushes in a valley that was surrounded by vibrant green hills, and a very faint mist rose up from it, giving it a mystical appearance.

I wondered how it could be so well kept, considering the work that likely goes into keeping the tall bushes looking neat. Then I remembered that magic exists and discarded that question.

"Think we'll come across a griever?" I asked in a whisper as I dismounted Dallas before the entrance to the maze. We'd decided to leave the horses outside, not wanting to somehow get them stuck in the tricky passages.

"A what?" Merlin questioned with a frown. Right – 'The Maze Runner' hasn't been published yet.

"Never mind," I mumbled while waving him off.

I followed my best friend into the labyrinth, feeling slightly nervous that we might get lost. It's not like there's a map for it, you know? And the immensity of it made me question whether we'd be able to return to the castle in time for my scheduled departure… though I obviously wouldn't mind postponing that… but… the longer I wait, the more painful it'll be.

"I hate mazes. There's no logic to them," I mumbled.

"That is part of the fun," Merlin stated.

I raised an eyebrow, "And are you havin' fun yet?"

He halted and stared at me with an unimpressed look. Then he waved me off and kept walking, which made me smirk.

My eyes widened and my feet skidded to a stop as I gripped the back of Merlin's jacket when we came across a figure dressed in a white cloak, whose back was to us.

"You said Arthur would face a test!" my best friend accused without hesitation, causing the figure to turn around and reveal an elderly man with a big nose… and he was holding up a sword. "And here you are, preparing a trap for him!"

"The trap is not for Arthur," the man responded calmly, not making any moves. "It is for you." He spoke a quick spell and, in a flash, my body was being wrapped in vines that emerged from the bushes around us; and the same thing happened to Merlin.

"Crap," I muttered as I struggled against the contraptions, my breathing growing laboured from the horrifying feeling of not being able to move. I turned to Merlin as I croaked out, "Next time, Arthur's on his own." He simply huffed in response.

Ignoring our protests, the elderly man magically dragged us all the way through the labyrinth, until we finally exited it and found ourselves in a beach, where he finally released us. I scrambled to get the vines off me and sat on the rocky surface of the ground as I focused on catching my breath.

The man commanded Merlin and I to sit at a small wooden table with three upright logs placed along it. I frowned and instantly rebelled, trying to go closer to the water instead as I found myself in need of some refreshment; only to be pulled towards one of the logs by an invisible force, which also made me sit down. "Great," I grumbled as I crossed my arms. What a fun way to spend my last day in Camelot! But at least I have Merlin…

I reached for his hand and gripped it tightly as I dropped my forehead to rest it atop the table.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Stop asking that, you know I'm not," I mumbled in reply as I squeezed my eyes shut. The sorcerer sighed and rubbed soft circles on the back of my hand while I fought to hold back tears once more. I've cried more in the past two days than I have in years!

"Merlin? Astraea?" My head snapped up at the sound of the Prince's voice and I quickly rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the evidence that I'd been close to crying.

"'Sup, Artie!" I greeted with a small wave of my hand while slapping on a smile.

He frowned at us, obviously upset that we'd followed him.

"I am sorry," Merlin said, though I knew he didn't really mean it.

"I'm not, this place is pretty," I piped in, taking a glance at the calm sea that lined the rocky shore.

"Let them go," the Prince demanded of the unicorn man, who'd been standing to the side the entire time. "I will take your test, but not until they are released."

The man remained stoic as he replied, "That is not possible. Merlin is part of the test… The girl is just a bycatch."

Charming!

Suddenly, the log I sat on slid across the ground, stopping some five metres away from the table, and the unicorn man gestured for Arthur to take the third log, "Please sit. If you refuse the test, you will have failed and Camelot will be destroyed."

The Prince begrudgingly obeyed the man while glancing between my friend and I, "I thought I told you both to stay at home."

"By now, you should know better than to try to boss us around," I responded with a nonchalant shrug, causing him to sigh in frustration.

The unicorn man revealed two goblets from behind his back and he placed them on the table. "There are two goblets before you," he noted the obvious. "One of the goblets contains a deadly poison; the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet."

I tilted my head and let my eyes fix on the two goblets while drowning out a further exchange between Arthur and the man. The answer to the test is obvious – they have to pour all the liquid into a single goblet to ensure they know where the poison is. The question of who would drink it, though… I looked between the two boys as the thought of having to watch either of them die caused my lungs to become strained.

"Let us think about this," Merlin brilliantly said. "What if I drink from my goblet first?"

I shook my head, "No, Merls, what ya' gotta do is–" I was cut off by… myself, it seemed, as I was unable to get the rest of my sentence out. I frowned and turned to the unicorn man while raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"You are not a part of this, therefore, you must not intervene," he told me. I glared at him.

My last quest with the boys, and I don't even get to help?! This sucks! I had to bite hard on my bottom lip to keep it from trembling as the dread I felt at having to leave struck at my chest again. I stood up from my seat (at least I can do that now!) and began to pace. I angrily kicked a small rock towards the unicorn man, ignoring the pain that the action sent up my foot as I continued to move restlessly while my breathing grew laboured once more.

I could feel the boys' concerned gazes on me, but I didn't acknowledge them.

"If you drink, and it is poisoned, you will die," Arthur told Merlin.

"And if it is not, then you will have to drink from yours, and you will die," my best friend mumbled in response. "There must be a way around it."

I huffed, feeling frustrated that they couldn't figure it out, and I walked towards them, figuring that, if I can't speak, then maybe I can show them the solution… and then drink the poison myself. I mean, we're talking about Arthur freaking Pendragon and the great Merlin here. I can't let either of them die!

However, just as I was about to reach the table, I bumped against something invisible and stumbled backwards, falling onto my butt. So… I can't approach them either. I flipped off the unicorn man while springing to my feet, my heart pounding strenuously against my ribcage. I could almost hear the time ticking away, drawing us closer to the death of one of the boys.

"It is perfectly simple – one of us has to die," Arthur stated. I bit down on my lip again and went back to pacing, not caring for the taste of blood that instantly filled my mouth. "We have to find a way to determine which goblet has the poison, then I will drink it."

I froze and turned to look at him with widening eyes, fear coursing through my veins.

"I will be the one to drink it," Merlin said sternly.

I shook my head and closed my fists, wishing I could just walk up to them and down both goblets myself. Two birds, one stone. I don't have to deal with going back to Texas, and they don't have to die.

"This is my doing," Arthur argued. "I am drinking it."

I pulled my hood over my head, wishing to drown out the conversation before I could have a breakdown.

"I have got it!" Merlin suddenly exclaimed, making me turn to look at him as my heart-beat accelerated even more. Arthur raised an eyebrow at him. "Right, we pour all the liquid into one goblet and then we can be sure it is poisoned. Then all the liquid can be drunk, and it will be from a single goblet," he explained.

A shaky sigh escaped me and I muttered under my breath, "Finally." Then my eyes widened at the realisation that I could speak again. Maybe I can approach them, too!

"You never cease to surprise me. You are a lot smarter than you look," the Prince… praised?

"Is that actually a compliment?" Merlin questioned.

"Look out!" Arthur suddenly pointed at something (nothing) in the distance, causing Merlin to turn around. He used the distraction to quickly snatch both cups and he dropped all the liquid into one.

"Gimme that," I lunged at the Prince before he could try to drink them. He gasped and quickly stood up, successfully dodging me and causing me to fall to the ground with a grunt.

"Astra!" I heard Merlin cry, but I ignored him as I glared at Arthur while scrambling to my feet.

However, I was too late as he quickly gulped down the poison.

"Art, no!" I screamed as I dashed to break his fall when he instantly lost consciousness. I managed to keep his head from hitting the ground and cradled it on my lap as I sat criss-cross on the ground, tears now freely streaming down my cheeks as my body trembled.

This can't be happening.

I wish I'd gone back to Texas as soon as Leo and Mason arrived.

My best friend was on his knees beside us in an instant as he shook the Prince's body, "Arthur, come on!"

I gulped and moved to check his pulse in a leap of faith. If there's a chance that the poison takes time to complete its work, Merlin could use magic to save him; or we could rush him to Camelot and perhaps Gaius could do something. I instantly frowned when I found that his pulse was steady. That did nothing to stop the tears, but I did manage to compose myself enough to send the unicorn man a questioning look.

"He is not dead," the man revealed. "He has merely consumed a sleeping draught. He will come around in a few hours."

A long exhale left me as relief filled my body, though it kept trembling as I tightened my hold on Arthur in search of something to ground me.

"What?" Merlin asked the man, looking puzzled.

"A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart," the unicorn man explained. "The curse will be lifted," he added before vanishing into thin air.

I shared a befuddled look with Merlin before letting out a sigh and dropping my head as I continued to work to stabilise my oxygen intake. "That was diabolical," I muttered.

Merlin moved to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder as he said softly, "Come on, let us get him home."

I sat on a chair at Arthur's bedside, curled up with my blanket. Sunrise was nearing as I desperately prayed that he would wake up before I had to leave. I didn't want to go without a proper goodbye, and Mason had sternly told me that we would be leaving at first thing in the morning.

Everything that had happened with the unicorn seemed so unfair to me, now. I really wanted to give the Prince a tight hug and feel his strong arms around me one last time… Maybe I'd even risk kissing his cheek and telling him that I truly care for him… I would also tease him about all the times I saved his life… Perhaps I'd be able to make him smile and keep that picture in my heart forever…

But, as the first strokes of sunlight filtered through his bedroom's window, I realised that none of that would happen, and it felt as if the Colosseum had been dropped on top of me.

"Anything?" Merlin asked as he suddenly entered the room.

I sighed sadly and mumbled, "Nope."

He moved to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder, rubbing it gently. "Your friends are outside… asking for you..." he informed me. My head snapped up to look at him and I noticed the tears pooling in his eyes. Not a second passed before my eyes had watered, too.

"Fork," I whispered and turned back to look at Arthur as my heart started to burn once again. I gulped to try to swallow the lump in my throat, and I figured that I could at least write a letter. I'd written one for Uther, too, since I hadn't had the strength to face him after returning from the labyrinth.

So I went towards the desk and pulled out a paper parchment and a quill pen, then I sat down to scribble a quick note… which took a bit longer than I'd anticipated because the stupid pen refused to cooperate.

I stared at Arthur for a moment once I was done and allowed the tears to fall freely.

How I wish I could hate him…

"I will walk you out," Merlin stated as he placed a hand on the small of my back. I sighed, feeling helpless, and relented.

We stopped by my room so that I could get my backpack, and we walked together towards the courtyard, where Leo and Mason stood impatiently next to Dallas. I assume my best friend had been kind enough to saddle him. My ex-classmates gave me expectant looks as soon as their eyes landed on me and I felt an overwhelming sense of dread fill me completely, but I knew that I had to go. As much as I would like to, I don't truly belong in Camelot.

"Finally! I thought we'd be stuck here forever!" Mason whined.

"Shut up," Leo scolded him in a mutter while I glared at him.

I rolled my eyes and stopped, turning to face Merlin. "I… uh… I said goodbye to Gaius yesterday 'cause I didn't wanna wake him early… And you know that I left letters for Uther and Art… but…" I trailed off as I looked down at my feet, unable to look into his reddened eyes any longer.

"I will do my best to explain everything, do not worry," he assured me. I nodded in thanks. "And I will let Arthur know that you waited for as long as you could," he added.

"Yeah… n' tell your mom I'm very grateful for everything she did for me…"

"Of course."

Not wanting to speak anymore – feeling that I was on the brink of crying – I simply lunged forwards and gave Merlin a tight hug, which he instantly returned, and I clung onto him while closing my eyes, never wanting the moment to end.

The waterworks got to me in no time and he tightened his grip on me while rubbing gentle circles on my back.

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy, Merls," I said in between sobs.

"I will miss you a lot, too," he replied shakily.

"You're the greatest, bestest, most amazing friend I've ever had. You're a great person. And you will do even greater things," I continued as my heart shattered into a million pieces. "I… I love you, Merls."

I don't think I've ever said that to a human outside of a screen before, but I needed to get it out.

He tensed up and separated from me a little, his eyes wide in what looked like horror as he stared at me.

"Y-y'know. As a friend…" I clarified.

"Right," he said with a little snort, grinning in relief. Then he hugged me again. "I love you, too, Astra."

The words felt like a warm, cosy fireplace in the middle of a savage winter and they made me cry harder. I can't believe that it took breaking physics for me to find a true friend. This is so unfair! But I don't think I'd change a thing about what happened. At least I got to know him and enjoy the time we spent together, right?

"Okay, we get it, you guys are close!" Mason interrupted in his annoying nasal voice. "Let's go now!"

Knowing that I couldn't put it off for much longer, I reluctantly pulled away from Merlin and kept my eyes on the ground, refusing to look up at him for fear that I'd break down completely. "Stay safe, buddy," I mumbled before going towards the two boys.