Camelot
January, 505 AD
Dallas and I set off as soon as the sun began to rise the next morning – not daring to waste a single second, for the Prince's minutes could be counted. In contrast with the peace I'd felt the day before, my heart now beat rapidly with anxiety. I might be the only one who knows about the assassins! And the dreadful feeling was only aggravated by the fact that I couldn't go too fast thanks to the stupid unsteady wagon.
A long sigh of relief escaped me as the castle rooftops appeared above the tree-line about an hour later and a small grin formed on my lips. "That's it, buddy, we're not far now," I whispered to my horse and gave his neck a gentle rub. All we have to do now is push on for a few more minutes.
I relished the cool wind blowing against my face and the faint strokes of sunlight caressing my skin. I smiled at the thought that it wouldn't be long before it regained the pink-ish colour that it had acquired during our time here, which had been lost during the six months I'd spent mostly locked inside my room.
We trotted into the lower town and the first thing I noticed were the big crowds. Just this once, I fought against the instinct to hide away from society and I slowed my horse into a walk so that we could navigate the sea of people without running anyone over.
A knight in purple rode by me, sending me a puzzled look that seemed to be laced with a tinge of contempt. I ignored that (I'm well used to people here thinking I dress strangely) in favour of glancing at the long lance he held. This must be a jousting tournament, then.
Dodging humans left and right, I kept an eye out for anyone familiar while I rode Dallas through the courtyard of the castle while heading towards the direct entrance to Gaius's apartment, my heart still racing anxiously.
Once there, I quickly hopped off my horse and untied the leadrope that pulled the wagon before dragging the annoying thing inside. I tucked it into a corner where I knew it would likely remain untouched until I could come back for it; and then I ran towards the armoury, where I stole a bow and a quiver before rushing back outside. If I can't find anyone to warn about the assassins, I'll just look for them myself and take them out.
I mounted my horse again and kept the bow loaded – ready to shoot it in case I happened to spot the men from the campsite – as I frantically searched around the tent setups for anyone who could help me.
My breath hitched in my throat when my eyes travelled towards the arena to find Bronze on one side of it. Which means that Arthur is competing! I urged Dallas to get closer and nibbled on my bottom lip as I watched the Prince get hit by his rival's lance.
I asked for more speed out of my Thoroughbred and manoeuvred him through the crowd. I was able to make out some splatters of blood in Arthur's armour as Merlin and Gwen helped him to get off his horse and my heart accelerated even more.
I wanted nothing more than to gallop the rest of the way towards my friends, but the fact that Arthur was bleeding made me think that his opponent had likely been connected to the assassin (considering that jousting lances are supposed to be blunt and, thus, unable to draw blood if someone is hit). So I refocused my eyes onto the man that was getting off his horse on the other end of the arena and rode towards him.
Sure enough, it was one of the men from the night before.
I let go of Dallas's neck-rope so that I could focus all my efforts on the bow and I aimed it at the dude's shoulder.
"Do not miss this time," I heard the second man from the camp sternly tell his friend as he handed him a lance.
"Well, I won't!" I quipped before releasing my arrow, which didn't miss its target and caused the first man to screech in pain.
The crowd gasped in surprise as I smirked at the bastard.
"Astraea!" I heard Uther exclaim. I glanced around for a moment until I spotted him atop the grandstands.
I couldn't help but smile and I moved Dallas closer to him. "Hey, Sire!" I greeted. "Uh. That guy's an assassin. Ya' might wanna arrest him," I added while motioning towards the still screeching man.
"Astraea!" he replied with a horrified yell, his widening eyes fixed on something past me.
I turned my head just in time to see a dagger fly past me, narrowly missing me as Dallas moved out of the way. Crap, I forgot to shoot the second man! My jaw dropped as I looked down at my horse. That's the second time he's saved my life in this way! He's seriously something special!
"Good boy, Dal," I praised as I loaded the bow again and I quickly shot the assassin's friend in the leg. "You, bad!" I scolded him and grinned in satisfaction when he also fell to the ground in agony.
"Arrest them!" the King ordered a pair of guards, who promptly obeyed. Then he hurried towards a staircase and descended the grandstands as he approached me. I dismounted my horse and met him at the bottom, giving him a small grin – I actually felt happy to see him!
I had a short conversation with Uther in which I gave him a brief, tweaked explanation of why I'd had to leave and why I'd chosen to return. However, he wasn't allowed to comment because a knight informed him that the court was demanding his presence so that they could sort out the issue with the assassin, so he promptly left after giving my shoulder a light squeeze.
I was grateful that the conversation was over, because I was dying to run off and find Merlin, Gwen and Arthur. I tapped Dallas's shoulder to get him to follow me and I hurried off in the direction where I'd seen my friends go after the Prince had been pulled off Bronze.
The quest didn't take too long, for I ran into my best friend – literally! – after rounding a tent.
His jaw dropped as we made eye-contact. "Astra!" he exclaimed a moment later as he quickly wrapped his arms around me. I eagerly returned the embrace and expelled a relieved sigh as I took in his distinct, peace-inducing earthly scent. "You are really here!" he added as he squeezed me tighter.
"I'm here, Merls," I replied in a slightly strained whisper and also tightened my hold on him, wanting to ascertain that he was real and not just part of a cruel dream that would leave me in tears as soon as it ended. "I'm really here."
"I have missed you like crazy," he kept speaking as he tucked my head under his chin.
"Well, crazy doesn't even begin to describe how much I've missed you," I mumbled in response and I felt a single happy tear cascade down my cheek. (I quickly wiped it away though. I did just shoot two assassins – I need to preserve my badass image.)
After a minute or so, we finally pulled apart in a somewhat reluctant manner.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, still smiling as he tilted his head.
I let out a heavy exhale, not feeling quite ready to recount the big nightmare that the past six months were. "Long story, I'll explain later," I answered, getting a curious look in return.
Then I remembered that there are other people I care about around here and anxiety struck at my chest again. "How's Art doing?" I rapidly asked. "I saw he was bleeding."
"He will be fine, it is just a small wound," Merlin assured me as he threw an arm over my shoulders and began to lead me somewhere.
I whistled to get Dallas – who had dropped his head to graze in the meantime – to follow, and he did so happily.
"He was competing undercover – how did you know it was him?" Merlin asked as we walked past several tents.
"Bronzey," I replied with a shrug, earning an amused snort from my friend. My best friend! I glanced up at him and grinned to myself.
My best friend stopped outside a red and yellow tent – which I quickly deduced was where the Prince dwelled – and went to enter, but I halted his actions by grabbing his arm as I whispered, "Wait, I wanna make a grand entrance."
He dropped his head as he chuckled under his breath. Then he looked back up at me. "Oh, it is great to have you back," he whispered in response before agreeing to set me up, and he went inside.
"How are you doing?" I heard him ask.
"I will be fine," Arthur replied in a tone that was almost nonchalant.
My heart began to race again at the sound of his gut-melting voice and I let my gaze travel towards Dallas – who was grazing again – in search of some reassurance.
"Why was the match called off?" the Prince then questioned and I smirked a little at the thought that I'd saved his life yet again.
"You were jousting against the assassin," Merlin informed, earning a hum from Arthur and a gasp from someone else – I assume Gwen. "Someone stopped him and reported it to the King…" my friend continued, trailing off presumably for dramatic effect. "In fine fashion."
"Whom?" the Prince asked.
"Guess!" I chirped as I pushed past the flaps a nanosecond before my boot got caught in one of the ropes that held the tent together and I fell face-first with a yelp, barely able to catch myself on my hands and knees. So much for a grand entrance.
I heard several gasps and quickly scrambled to my feet, giving a sheepish smile when I noticed a stunned Gwen standing next to my smiley best friend. Then I turned towards Arthur and cowered slightly under his intense gaze.
"Astraea?!" the Prince asked in apparent shock.
"No, I'm her evil twin," I joked.
He ignored my quip in favour of attacking me with a hug. A hug so warm that I feared I would die from suffocation, but I didn't dare to complain. It felt almost heavenly after everything that happened since the last time I was in his arms. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his waist while resting the side of my head against his chest. The tingling in my skin made its usual presence known, my stomach buzzed as if a whole zoo had been set loose inside, and my heart blasted off like a rocket fuelled by sugar and caffeine. This time, I welcomed all of it with a smile.
I gasped when Arthur picked me off the ground for a moment, only to set me back down with a groan. I might've made a joke on how I'm not that heavy if my mind hadn't been so quick to remind me of something–
"You're hurt, you dodo-brain!" I exclaimed and pushed away from his chest so that I could look at the wound on his shoulder, instantly gulping at the sight of the blood.
"I am fine," he claimed, using a gentle hand to lift my chin so that my eyes would look at his instead of the cut. Smart move, considering that I was starting to get a little dizzy.
"No, you're not!" I argued and quickly turned towards Merlin… only to find that the tent was empty except for the Prince and I. I frowned and moved towards the flaps, recoiling when the sorcerer suddenly entered with Gwen and a random guy in tow.
"The people are waiting for their champion," my best friend told Arthur. "It is time to reveal yourself."
The Prince turned to the random man and gestured towards the outside of the tent as he said, "You must go and collect the trophy."
"I thought this was going to be your moment of glory?" Gwen asked him with a frown.
My eyes widened when Arthur suddenly threw an arm over my shoulders and pulled me close to his side again. "I have it right here," he stated.
If my heart had been going crazy before, I don't know what to call it now. It did flips, and cartwheels, and somersaults at the implications of the Prince's comment; and my face warmed up to a million degrees. I didn't know how to respond, so I decided to play dumb and glance around the room while pretending to look for an actual trophy.
Arthur was patched up by Gaius (who had had to endure several shocks in between me being back and the fact that Merlin had lied to him regarding the Prince's whereabouts) and then we all made our way towards the council chamber so that Uther could be informed that his son was 'back' and relatively unharmed.
The boys played it off as if the assassin had tried to kill William thinking it was Arthur, since he'd spotted the latter's servant helping him. The story made sense… if you're dealing with amateur assassins who half-ass their job. However, the King isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so he didn't question it.
Additionally, Arthur stated that the wound on his shoulder was due to the 'wild beast that he had been tracking'. I couldn't help but silently chuckle at his ridiculously vague explanation. Especially when Uther, once again, didn't ask any further questions.
"Odin must be made to pay for his actions. We must strike back at him," the King stated in a bitter tone.
"Surely you understand the grief he feels for the loss of his son?" Arthur countered and Uther looked down pensively. "We should try to make peace with him. There has been enough bloodshed."
His words made me smile and I stole a glance at him. He's definitely starting to become the man that the legends speak of. I can't wait to see what he does in the future! He's gonna be a great King!
After agreeing to that, Uther briefly informed his son of how they have a new champion, 'William of Deira' (Merlin and I shared an amused look at the mention); before turning to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "But tonight, we celebrate the return of our Lady Astraea!" he announced to the court, a small grin forming on his usually stoic face.
"Oh, please don't," I whined as I grimaced, not wanting anyone to make a big deal out of things. They'll ask questions, and I'll have to lie, and I don't like it. But the people in the room cheered at the King's words, rendering my protests useless, and I huffed.
It's still better than being in Texas, though…
I scurried out of the grand hall as soon as I was able to do so discreetly following a dinner party that the King threw 'for me' (I'm pretty sure he just wanted an excuse to get drunk) and I went to my room, where I busied myself by organising my things.
I'd been very surprised when I'd returned to it earlier – so that I could bathe prior to the stupid celebration – to find that it looked exactly how I'd left it. Gwen had told me, in a hushed whisper, how the Pendragon men had strictly told the servants not to take things down and to leave it untouched even when they'd hosted some noble guests in November. I'm seriously puzzled by the fact that these people seem to care about me so much. I mean, my aunt and uncle care for me, but that's 'cause we were family, y'know?
Then again, as a very wise man named Bobby Singer once said: family doesn't end in blood.
I did feel a little guilty for having left Texas the way I did – without saying goodbye – but I couldn't find it within myself to feel remorseful or regretful. Being back in Camelot just feels right.
Shrugging aside all thoughts of guilt, I put in one of my earbuds and let the music play as I began to unpack my suitcases. Boy, does it feel good to have more of my stuff with me! The room actually began to feel mine as I exchanged the dull white duvet on the bed for a pale blue one that I'd taken from my room at the farmhouse while softly singing along to 'Legendary' by Bon Jovi.
I danced around like a lame idiot as I began to arrange my 'Funko Pop' toys on a shelf. I'm sure they'll raise some questions when someone inevitably comes into my room, but I know that I can come up with a reasonable story for their existence. I'm smart that way.
A knock on the door echoed through the room almost as if my thoughts had summoned a presence and the startle that the sound caused made me accidentally drop my 'Night Monkey' figurine.
"Gimme a sec!" I called out as I scrambled to pause the music and pull out my earbud, then I hurried to hide my phone in a desk drawer. "What?!" I asked loudly, not feeling at all amused that I'd been interrupted.
"It is Arthur!" came a reply and a smile instantly forced itself upon my lips. Darn him.
I pushed the stupid smile off and forced myself to sound neutral as I responded, "Oh. Come in."
The door promptly opened and a chill ran down my spine when our eyes connected, my mind deciding that this was an appropriate time to remember his earlier comment about his 'moment of glory'; but I fought to restrain the troubling emotions and painted on a little grin as he slowly closed the door behind him.
His jaw dropped as his eyes travelled to the huge mess that was scattered around the floor and I giggled.
All of my suitcases were wide open, with the ridiculous amount of items I'd packed cascading out of them.
I ignored his befuddled expression as I willed myself to tear my eyes off him and I moved to pick up 'Night Monkey'.
"So… what's up?" I asked the Prince and bit down on my bottom lip as I carefully placed the toy next to my 'Iron Spider'.
"What is all this?" he questioned, now frowning at the chaos that surrounded us.
I swallowed the urge to replicate the sarcastic answer I'd given Leo when he'd asked the same thing. "Just some stuff I brought from home," I instead replied with a nonchalant shrug as I retrieved the newest addition to my collection – No Way Home!Spider-Man!
Getting to watch that awesome movie was probably the highlight of my trip home.
A frown formed on my face when I realised that I couldn't reach higher up the shelf. I puffed and moved to get a chair, but Arthur stopped me by gently taking the boxed toy from me. I shivered a little when his fingers brushed mine. "Allow me to help," he stated kindly as he promptly placed Spider-Man on the shelf.
"Thanks," I mumbled shyly and went to grab more Funkos from the suitcase.
"How long are you planning to stay?" the Prince continued making conversation as I got my 'Supernatural' figurines out.
"For as long as you guys will have me," I responded, momentarily glancing up at him in question before handing him my Sam Winchester so that he could put it on the shelf as well.
"Forever, then?" he asked as he looked down at me, raising an eyebrow.
I snorted, knowing that they'd probably get sick of me within a year. "Sure," I responded and shot him a little grin.
He took Castiel and Dean from me and placed them next to Sam. I glanced up again and took a step back when I realised how close we suddenly were. I returned to my suitcase and got the remaining Funkos out.
Thanks to the Prince, it wasn't long before all the collectibles were in place, and I let out a sigh as I looked down at all the books that remained inside the suitcase where the Funkos had been packed. I bit down on my bottom lip as I thought (again) about the insane amount of things that I'd thought reasonable to bring. Perhaps I had gone a bit overboard in 'packing my entire life', as Leo had put it. The stupid Walmart wagon certainly seemed to have thought so.
"You know, Astraea," Arthur spoke again, instantly gaining my attention. I found that he was now sitting at the foot of my bed. "I am very… happy that you are back."
I grinned at his words. "I'm happy to be back, too," I responded while slowly moving to sit next to him. Leaving about a metre and a half between us 'cause I like being able to breathe. "These past months were hell," I added in a mumble as I looked down at my hands, which had started to fiddle with one of my faux leather bracelets.
"How so?" the Prince asked.
I froze for a moment, realising that I shouldn't have revealed the fact that I'd been having a rough time. It could lead to questions. And, well, I don't really want him to know how messed up my mind is. I glanced up at him to find an expectant look on his features and sighed before responding, "Just… y'know… life n' stuff." He quirked an eyebrow. "I missed Camelot too much," I confessed.
I only blinked once before Arthur was sitting much closer to me, one of his warm hands grabbing one of mine and making me feel really small. My heart sped up as I glanced up at him, my brain gears throwing sparks as they struggled to figure out a proper way to react to the developments.
He tilted his head slightly and slowly lifted his other hand to rest it against the side of my face, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over my cheek. My body suddenly seemed to be on autopilot as I instinctively leant into his touch while my breath hitched in my throat.
What the hell is he doing to me?!
"Why did you have to leave, Astra?" Arthur asked, his voice almost as low as a whisper. I averted my gaze as I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. "I-I was very… disheartened… that you were gone," he kept speaking softly.
I kept my gaze on the bed beneath us, not having the courage to look into his eyes as a lump formed in my throat. Nevertheless, his words made my lips turn upright into a sad smile.
How do I explain how I felt while I was away?
"Although, something good came out of it," he continued a few moments later. I quickly pulled back from our extreme closeness, causing his hand to fall from my face, and frowned up at him, feeling confused by his words.
What good could possibly have come from those six awful months? (Other than getting to watch 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', as we've established…)
"It made me realise how much I care about you… and how much you have impacted my life," the Prince stated as his bright blue eyes stared deep into mine. I gulped and averted my gaze once more as my heart pounded hard against my ribs.
How do I respond to that?! This is entirely new territory for me! I mean, I kinda had one emotionally-packed conversation with Merlin before I left… but I'm not gonna try to lie and say that I see Arthur in the same light I see him. So… I guess we're resorting to humour.
"Well, yeah, I'm pretty awesome," I said with a nervous snort.
"I am being serious, Astraea," he said, a hint of sternness in his tone.
I cringed a bit and forced myself to look him in the eyes while I offered a little grin. Only for a moment before the intensity in his gaze made me return my attention to the duvet, my free hand tracing patterns on the soft surface. "S-sorry," I breathed out, "I-I care a lot about you, too."
He remained silent at that and I could feel his eyes burning holes into my face, which caused my skin to feel like it was melting.
Arthur suddenly moved his free hand under my chin and he gently lifted my head up, forcing me to meet his eyes again. My lungs stopped working when his face inched closer to mine – to the point where I could feel his soft exhales on my skin. Then his eyes closed.
One nanosecond later, I felt something soft and slightly moist tenderly touching my lips, almost hesitantly, and my entire body froze.
What is happening?!
Wait.
Oh, dear.
I think he's kissing me!
Prince Arthur freaking Pendragon of Camelot is fudging kissing me and I'm frozen like an idiot!
I mean, it's not like I know what to do!
I thought back to the movies, only to realise that I always look away during kissing scenes because I feel like I'm intruding if I keep staring at the screen. I should've taken some notes, but I never thought that anyone would be willing to kiss me.
It didn't last long, though, as he quickly moved away and started to blurt out multiple apologies in a row. I was further stunned when I instantly found that I missed the feeling – although it was nice to be able to breathe again.
"I am so sorry, Astraea, I crossed a line. I do not know what I was thinking," Arthur spoke rapidly as he stood up and started to pace, his face flushed.
My heart sank in my chest as I watched him move towards the door and my body acted automatically as it dashed to block his path. "Arthur, wait!" I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, my lungs working in a disorderly manner as I forced myself to look him in the eyes. He gulped. "Y-you did nothing wrong," I assured him. "I-I was just surprised… that's all…"
He let out a shaky breath and gently shook my hand off his shirt before taking it in his with the utmost caution, seeming hesitant as his eyes scanned my face. Does he actually like me?! This is insane! Only a month ago, I was in freaking twenty-first century Texas waking up in the hospital after almost dying from hypothermia! And now I just kinda had my first kiss with Arthur ducking Pendragon?!
No, he can't really like me, can he? Why would he? He just got caught up in the moment, right?
Well, I guess I better find out before my heart gives out…
"N-not bad for a first kiss," I timidly offered with a nervous breathy chuckle, instantly feeling an increased amount of blood swarming my cheeks.
Arthur smiled down at me for a few seconds and I got the urge to look away again, but I forced my eyes to remain on his. Then he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before resting his own against it.
I once again felt myself freeze at the renewed proximity. I don't think I could ever get used to it, if this is a real thing, but I'm certainly not gonna protest against it. Not if this might be the only taste I get.
"So…" he said in a whisper, his breath fanning my lips in a way that caused a chill to travel up my spine, "would it be wrong of me to do it again?"
I gulped. Do I want him to do it again?! Well… I think so… I kinda liked it the first time. I nodded after a few silent seconds, "O-okay."
Arthur began to close the remaining distance between us at a very slow pace. As if giving me the chance to back away. And my instinct told me to, but I pushed back against it and remained in place, my heart racing in anticipation. His soft lips finally touched mine again with a gentle brush and I let out a shaky exhale as I willed myself to relax and close my eyes. He brushed his lips against mine again, this time a bit more firmly before pressing them together in a decisive manner, but without losing tenderness. He moved his arms to wrap them around my waist and I hesitantly lifted my hands up to his shoulders, feeling a rush of contentment spread through every single one of my cells as his lips continued to caress mine in the gentlest way possible.
Time felt like it had stopped as all other senses dissipated, leaving only Arthur and I in the moment.
I'll gladly put myself through hell again if this is what the cataclysmic road leads to…
