Camelot
July, 505 AD
Keratin crushed flakes of grass with thunderous pounds as Dallas blazed across an enchanting green field; his lungs synchronised to the rhythm of his powerful strides as he blew out oxygen with every stretch of his body. I remained as out of the way as possible while standing on my stirrups, my legs gently pressed against each side of his ribcage to maintain a steady speed and my fingers tangled in his mane while my arms followed the movement of his neck.
Riding him is a spiritual experience, revitalising in every aspect. Our hearts beat as one, pumping out adrenaline and endorphins. The epitome of being alive.
The whistling of the wind followed us, trying to keep up with the Thoroughbred's mighty speed as we galloped past farmhouses, crop fields, and cattle. I could see the towers of the castle in the distance, peeking out in between treetops; the stone shining in an almost metallic manner under the drizzling sky and the faint sun rays that illuminated it.
As the open valley began to transform into forest, I slowed my horse down to a trot so that it would be easier to navigate the maze of trees, and I loosened my grip on his neck-rope even more, allowing him to stretch down his neck and relax as we both worked to regulate our vital signs again.
"Good boy, Dal," I praised in between pants while rubbing his neck.
I used the sleeve of my hoodie to wipe at my face, trying to get rid of the mix of sweat, raindrops, and splashes of dirt that stained it. Then I tilted my head towards the sky, figuring that the rain could help me get rid of the grime.
We trotted all the way back to the castle and I finished cooling off Dallas around the paddocks before dismounting, untacking him, and returning him to his herd with a kiss to the muzzle.
As the adrenaline began to wear off, I started to feel the after-effects of a ride in the rain and I grimaced as I remembered what had happened the last time I was in this state – I got sick. What are the odds of that occurring two times in a row, though? Especially considering that I was incredibly stressed that time; whilst I'm perfectly content right now.
Actually, on second thought, I wouldn't mind getting sick so that I won't have to hang out around the intruders. Visitors. Whatever. Though it would also mean having to keep my distance from Merlin and Arthur… Y'know what? I'll leave it to the big man upstairs.
I pulled on my hood and kept my head low as I made my way towards my room, wanting to get by unnoticed. The corridors were agonisingly crowded with strangers and it made me momentarily miss my Uncle's farm; where I was usually alone, save for the horses and Juan.
I sighed in relief when I reached my room without any unpleasant encounters and I rapidly entered. My plan was to head straight for my bathroom, start heating the tub (which I'd filled up before my ride), and get a change of clothes from my closet. However, that idea was forced to be cast aside when I noticed something unusual atop my desk: a bouquet of pretty light blue flowers.
Tilting my head in confusion, I stepped closer and inspected the bouquet. I quickly noticed that there was a note attached to it.
'You have made me the most fortunate man alive. - Arthur'
My eyes widened and I felt a surge of blood rush to my cheeks. I never would've pegged him for the kind of guy to give flowers, nevermind leave a note! That sounds a lot more like Merlin… So, I guess he must've had something (if not a lot) to do with this. Still, a smile formed on my face as butterflies filled my stomach, and I decided that my bath could wait long enough for me to find the Prince and thank him for the gesture.
I silently ventured back outside and rushed towards Arthur's room. I noticed that the door was cracked open, and I could faintly hear an argument going on between him and my best friend. Judging from experience, I'm sure it's something trivial. I knocked to make my presence known, ending the discussion as both their heads turned my way.
The Prince frowned a little as I dashed towards him, "Astraea?"
"Thank you so much, you're the best," I said rapidly and, before I could chicken out, I placed my hands on his shoulders and stood on my toes so that I could kiss him.
A wave of confusion struck me when I felt him tense up as soon as our lips made contact and I quickly pulled away with a gulp. Did I do something wrong? Maybe he only likes kissing me when he's the one to initiate it… His widened eyes indicated that something was, indeed, not right; and my stomach fell while my heart began to race. What did I do wrong?!
Oh, maybe it's 'cause I'm all wet, cold and dirty from my ride.
He swiftly wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me closer once more, pressing his lips against mine again, only way more decisively than I had; expertly using tender caresses to cause my internal organs to melt like ice in a microwave.
I guess he was only surprised that I finally had the guts to initiate a kiss.
Arthur pulled away before long and he turned to look at Merlin with a mortified expression, which caused me to frown. Then he turned back to me and swallowed thickly before wrapping me in his arms once more, holding me safely against his body as he tucked my head under his chin. I could feel his accelerated heart-rate and concern filled me once more.
"What have I done?" he suddenly muttered.
I pushed away from him so that I could look at his face and raised an eyebrow, "What d'ya mean?"
"I am so, so sorry," he responded and he pulled me into a hug once more as his body trembled slightly.
I sent my best friend a questioning look and noticed that his jaw was clenched and his body tense as he glared daggers at Arthur. "Care to catch me up?" I asked.
Merlin huffed and he addressed the Prince, "You have to tell her the truth."
Arthur tightened his grip on me as he shook his head. I could feel my heart starting to race again. Is he sick? Is he dying? Does he not want to be with me anymore?! Why would he be holding me so tightly if that was the case, though?… Am I the one who's sick and dying?!
"Tell her or I will," my best friend pressed in a commanding voice that might've made me flinch were I its target.
"Merlin, you do not understand. Something strange is happening," Arthur responded in a shaky tone.
I struggled to push away from him once more, since his grip was so tight, and I let my eyes jump between the two boys, taking note of Merlin's enraged expression and Arthur's terrified one. I gulped and asked, "Guys, what the heck is going on!?"
The Prince casted a wary look towards my best friend before taking my hands in his and pressing a kiss to the back of each one, which made me sigh shakily as tingles toured my nervous system.
"Before I tell you what happened, you have to understand that I do not feel that way anymore," he began, his eyes staring deep into mine. I noticed that they were reddened. Almost as if he were close to crying. "It was ephemeral… Like… some sort of trance. But that went away as soon as you kissed me."
I nodded in understanding, though I really felt entirely confused at the lack of context.
He casted another glance towards Merlin, whose eyes were still glaring at him, before continuing, "I woke up this morning, feeling strangely fond of the Lady Vivian." He paused to gulp and I looked away, feeling a lump forming in my throat.
I knew it was only a matter of time before he found someone better than me. It's my fault for thinking that this could really be something.
"So I asked Merlin to deliver some flowers, but I did not give any names and he obviously assumed I was talking about you," he continued and I felt my heart shrink. I never should've agreed to get into a relationship! Arthur placed a gentle hand on the side of my face, making me look at him again. "But, like I said, as soon as you kissed me, those feelings disappeared completely," he claimed.
My eyes filled with tears and I lowered my head again while blinking them away. I'm not sure what kind of game he's playing. Maybe this other girl rejected him and that's why he's trying to do damage control by telling me this? As much as I like him, I don't want anyone to settle for me.
"S'all right," I said in a whisper while trying not to cry. "You can be with whomever ya' wanna be."
"Astraea, no!" he responded rapidly and he wrapped me in his arms once more. I couldn't quite breathe while trying to decide if I wanted to stay there or push away. "I cannot understand what happened," he said in a low tone, his voice shaking once more. "You are the only one I have ever wanted to be with."
I glanced towards Merlin, feeling unsure of what to believe. It's very easy to say things and not mean them. He seemed pensive as he stared at something, or nothing, on the floor.
"I am so sorry, Astraea," Arthur continued and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head – which was still covered by my hood. "I would do anything to earn your forgiveness."
I hesitantly rounded his waist with my arms and he let out a shaky sigh while tightening his grip on me.
Considering that the flowers were put in my room, it's unlikely that the Lady Vivian had a chance to reject Arthur… And, only yesterday, he was escorting me to the feast, and holding my hand under the table, and kissing me good night. Also, people don't usually develop feelings overnight. Unless you're Uther and you're under a troll love spell.
Oh, crap!
My eyes widened when I remembered how I'd seen King Alined's jester exiting Arthur's room at night. He's most likely a sorcerer, right?! Did he cast a spell on the Prince to make him fall in love with Lady Vivian?! It fits, right?!
"Astra, breathe!" Arthur's panicked voice snapped me out of my mind palace and I jolted, finding that he was now holding me by the shoulders and searching my eyes frantically. Merlin stood beside him, looking equally as alarmed. I gave them a smirk.
"Are you all right?!" my best friend asked.
"Not since I was three," I joked (kinda), causing their eyes to widen simultaneously. "But what I am is a genius!" I chirped.
"Why? What are you thinking?" Merlin questioned.
I smirked again and jumped to explain at a quick pace, "Last night, I went down to get some water, n' when I returned I saw the jester leaving this room. I checked on Art, and didn't see anything wrong, so I went back to sleep. Then I guess I forgot about that when I woke up and didn't investigate further…" I paused to catch my breath. "But he's a sorcerer, right? So what if he conjured some weird love spell?!"
"But why would he want me and Vivian to fall in love?" Arthur questioned.
"As a prank? I dunno," I responded with a shrug. "Maybe he just wants to cause trouble for the sake of it. Like Loki."
"Well, King Olaf would probably be furious if Arthur were courting his daughter behind his back," Merlin noted.
"Which would probably turn out badly…" I pointed out.
"And might jeopardise the treaty…" Merlin continued.
My eyes widened and I turned to address Arthur again, "Was Alined in any way unhappy or displeased with the peace treaty?"
"He was somewhat reluctant to join," he responded.
"Would he benefit from a war?" I questioned.
"His kingdom is small and not very wealthy…" he noted pensively. "He would benefit from the opportunity to win lands and riches."
"There's your answer, then," I stated, smirking once more as I shared a high-five with Merlin.
The Prince wasn't so quick to celebrate as he wondered, "So now what? How do we prove this?"
I shared a look with Merlin. If magic's involved, we might need magic to fix it, and we can't have Arthur around for that…
"Merls n' I will take care of it. We're good at that," I decided, waving off the Prince when he produced a frown. "You keep up the act so that Alined doesn't know we're onto 'em."
"Keep up the act?" he questioned.
"Yeah, pretend the spell worked," I responded with a shrug.
"I cannot pretend like I am in love with someone else!" he protested.
My heart began to race again at the implication of what 'with someone else' could mean. He could've said 'with her', but he chose to say that instead… Y'know what? I'll pretend like I didn't notice, or my brain will start throwing fumes…
"Then think about Astra while Vivian is in the room," Merlin proposed with a teasing grin. "Your face will take care of the rest."
I slapped his arm as my cheeks warmed up, "Dude."
While Arthur was off doing princely stuff related to the treaty things, Merlin and I remained in his room and searched it for any clues that might point to what sort of spell was used so that we could start building a case we could present to Uther.
Saying 'Alined wants a war and he enchanted your son to create it,' is unlikely to do the trick; especially when we need to be extra careful considering that Arthur and I's relationship could become exposed.
Merlin searched under the bed and I searched the covers for any sort of poultice, amulet, or magic herb (while trying not to think too much about the way in which my lungs were flooded by Arthur's natural scent). I picked up a pillow and froze when I found a lock of blond hair, which was too light in colour to belong to him; but a perfect match to Lady Vivian's hair.
"Merls?" I called out to my friend. He sprang to his feet and dashed to my side. "Could that be it?"
"It is possible. Let us take it to Gaius," he responded. I nodded and kept staring at the lock of hair, not making a move. "Astra?"
I turned to look at him, raising an expectant eyebrow, "Okay, so pick it up."
"Why me?"
"We don't know how it works," I replied. "What if it enchants me?"
"Well, what if it enchants me?" he argued.
"Then you'll be in love with a pretty girl," I shot back with a shrug, earning an unimpressed look. "I don't wanna be in love with a pretty girl, I don't swing that way."
He huffed, but relented and grabbed the lock of hair. We searched the rest of the room, in case there was something else; and, when we came up empty, we went downstairs to Gaius's apartment so that we could catch him up and ask for his help.
"Ah. I have read of this," he stated as he analysed the hair with a magnifying glass. I'm not sure why. It's just hair. Maybe he's checking it for lice? "It is a simple, yet potent love spell. It takes over the victim's heart and mind," he explained.
I snorted. "Well, clearly the jester did somethin' wrong, 'cause it didn't last too long," I pointed out and giggled at the guy's stupidity. If you're gonna try to enchant pretty princes, do it properly!
Gaius hummed, "A spell like this can only be broken by a strong manifestation of the victim's heart's true desires…"
I stopped giggling as a scorching heat took over my face at the implications of the words and I turned around to shield my obvious blush from my former roomies as my heart started to pound on my ribs like a hungry gorilla trapped in a cage.
"Really?" Merlin questioned in a teasing tone that caused me to clench my jaw. I am sure I'm as red as freaking Clifford! "Did you hear that, Astra?"
"He must've really loved his breakfast," I replied in a mumble.
"Well, he certainly loves you," my best friend chirped.
"No, he doesn't!" I protested, turning around to give him a pointed look. How could someone like Arthur ever honestly love someone like me? That sort of stuff only happens in the movies! He'll get bored and move on soon enough. I know it. "We're barely just gettin' to know each other!" I added.
"I must get going," Gaius spoke up, ending the argument, as he headed towards the door. He stopped by me and patted my shoulder, giving me a smug smile. I glared at him. "Be careful, children. You do not want to bring this before Uther without enough evidence," he cautioned before leaving.
He's right. We know how the spell was cast, but we don't have anything to connect the jester to it, other than my word, and I'm not sure that will be enough if we consider that King Alined will likely jump to the defence of his employee.
"C'mon, let's search his room," I proposed to my friend.
Our search of the jester and Alined's rooms didn't produce any fruits, so we resorted to doing a bit of research so that we could get a clearer picture of what else the spell that was cast on Arthur might have required. If we can connect the jester, or any of Alined's people, to any sketchy purchases in the lower town, we might be able to get more proof for our case.
So I sat at Arthur's desk, rifling through a spell book, while my best friend tended to his chores.
"Dude, there are, like, a gazillion love spells on here," I grumbled. "And most of 'em involve a lock of hair. How on Earth are we gonna narrow this down?"
Merlin looked up from the floor he was sweeping and hummed, "Are there any other recurrent items?"
"A lotta Latin names…" I noted. "Plants?"
"Make a list, we can start with those."
"Sir, yes sir."
I took out my phone, placing it on my lap in case I needed to hide it quickly and discreetly, and I used the Notes App to write down the ingredients that many of the love spells share.
A knock on the door made me share a frown with Merlin and he put down the broom before he moved to open it. I shoved my phone back in the pocket of my leggings.
"I wish to see Arthur," came a squeaky female voice, which made me recoil. "Your master… My Lord!"
I don't sound like that when I talk about him, do I?!
"Your what?" Merlin questioned.
"My heart's delight!" the female exclaimed and she pushed past my friend to enter the room. I realised that the intruder was the Lady Vivian, who sported a big dumbass smile on her face.
I don't look like that when I think about Arthur, do I?!
I suppose she must have been enchanted, too.
"Where is he?" she demanded as she walked further inside – seemingly heading towards the forking bed, of all places. She halted when she saw me at the desk and I gave her an awkward wave.
"Hi, I'm Astra."
"Where is Arthur?" Vivian pressed, her eyes glaring daggers at me.
"He's not here," Merlin responded as he rushed to block her from advancing further. "Which is a very good thing, I believe."
"Then I shall wait," she stated as she stepped around him.
"I do not think that is a good idea, you are not even dressed," my brother argued.
I raised an eyebrow. She was wearing a perfectly fine white dress. Which is sleeveless… I guess that counts as nakedness in this time and place.
"My love does not care what I wear, only that I am near," she replied with a dreamy sigh. I snorted and raised my hands in mock surrender when she glared at me. "Now fetch him," she ordered Merlin.
"I cannot," he responded, looking slightly concerned.
"You will," she pressed.
"Shall not."
"As he commands you, I command you," she spat.
"But he doesn't work for you," I pointed out nonchalantly, earning another glare, which only made me chuckle.
"Stop enjoying this, Astra," Merlin grumbled, making me wink at him. Then he turned towards Vivian again, "I am asking you to leave."
I stood up from the desk chair with a sigh and moved towards the blonde. "C'mon, friend, time to go," I said while linking my arm with hers and trying to tug her towards the door, but she wouldn't budge.
"I want my love," she cried as sorrow took over her features. I shared an annoyed look with Merlin. "I need my love." She shrugged me off and started walking towards the bed again. I followed, trying to stop her, but she just kept pushing past. "I want to see him now."
I felt slightly nauseated as she climbed onto Arthur's bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest as she buried her face in it. Then she giggled and moved to tangle herself in the covers. I clenched my jaw.
"I don't like this, this isn't right," I said through gritted teeth under my breath, anger flaring in my chest. "Make her stop, Merls."
"Not so funny anymore, is it?" he quipped while raising an eyebrow at me.
"Can't you magic her into leavin'?" I asked, ignoring his comment.
He sighed in frustration and shook his head before saying, "Help me get her up."
We started to move towards the Lady, my hands itching to drag her out of the room by her hair if necessary; but an angry male voice in the distance halted our movements, "Where is she?!"
Merlin turned to me with widened eyes and he rushed to check the corridor. I continued walking towards Vivian, who now laid on Arthur's bed while stroking his pillows, and I grabbed her by the arm again, forcing her to sit up.
"What are you doing?!" she cried.
"Believe it or not, preventin' a war," I mumbled in response. "Leave, now," I growled.
"But I want to see Arthur!" she protested.
"Well, he doesn't wanna see you!" I spat back, still trying to drag her out while she scratched at my arms as she tried to free herself, and I had to bite back complaints of pain. Why is this so hard?! She can't be more than five kilograms heavier than me!
Out of context, we probably would've looked ridiculous fighting over a guy's bed.
"Oh, no!" Merlin suddenly exclaimed and he ran back towards us. "All right, you need to go!" he commanded the blonde.
"You cannot keep us apart!" she claimed passionately. "It is written in the stars! Vivian and Arthur, a love for all time!"
"I'm gonna punch you," I threatened as I kept struggling with her, feeling something burning through my gut that I'd never felt before – like acid! – and it was making me increasingly uneasy and angry.
"A love stronger than time!" she continued. "A love–"
Suddenly, Merlin spoke a spell and she instantly went completely still and fell on top of me, unconscious, causing the both of us to topple to the floor and I yelped.
I pushed her off me and sat up, glaring at my best friend as I grumbled, "Ya' couldn't have done that earlier?"
"Help me hide her," he responded with an eye-roll and I sighed before helping him to lift her up.
The angry footsteps in the corridor got louder; so, in a panic, we shoved her into a wardrobe, not really caring for her comfort as we slammed the doors shut and pressed our backs against them.
Arthur suddenly entered his room with an air of nonchalance about him as he snacked on an apple. The acid feeling in my gut dissipated and I sighed, dropping some tension.
He halted when he saw us and raised an eyebrow, "What are you two up to?"
"Well, that's kind of a funny story–" I began, only to be cut off by the angry male voice from earlier.
"Where is she?!"
I started when King Olaf entered the room with an enraged look on his face; followed by some of his men and the stupid jester. I shared a concerned look with Merlin.
"I know she is in here, Arthur!" the man roared. "Hand her over, or feel my wrath!"
"Are you lookin' for me, sir?" I played dumb as I stepped up beside Arthur, putting on an innocent grin. Obviously, there's no possible reason why King Olaf would be looking for me, but I need to pretend like I'm the only 'she' in the room.
"I am looking for Vivian!" the man spat, making me flinch slightly.
Arthur frowned as he looked down at me, "What is he talking about?"
I pressed my lips. I very well can't tell him about the new developments with all these people here!
"She was not even dressed!" the jester piped in.
Oh, I see. He must've orchestrated this whole ordeal. Of course he did! Why didn't we think of it earlier?! Obviously, he enchanted Vivian to speed up his scheme! Now we're gonna have to find out if she has a secret boyfriend who can break the curse for her!
"If I have dishonoured you in some way then, by all means, provide me with proof and I will face the consequences," Arthur diplomatically told the foreign King.
Olaf pointed backwards at the jester as he replied, "Trickler here has told me that the Lady Vivian is in your chambers."
"Merlin n' I have been here for a while and we haven't seen 'er, sir," I assured him.
"Yes. We were the only ones here," Merlin supported.
The man seemed a bit weirded out as he looked down at me with a sceptical look. I simply shrugged in response. Yes – I hang out with my best friend, who's a servant, in the pretty prince's room. What's he gonna do? Sue me? Uther doesn't seem to mind.
"Search the room!" Olaf ordered his men. Then he pointed a menacing finger at Arthur as he growled, "You had better hope I do not find her."
The Prince seemed entirely confused as the foreign knights and the jester began to go around his room in search of Lady Vivian, and he looked down at me again with a frown.
"Later," I whispered.
I gulped when the jester began to make a beeline towards the wardrobe – against which Merlin was still leaning – while humming some indistinct tune and giving him a mischievous look. My best friend promptly stepped away and my eyes widened. We're toast!
However, when the evil man pulled on the doors, they didn't budge, causing him to frown. Merlin must've magicked them!
"That hasn't opened in years," Merlin stated nonchalantly. Yep, he magicked them.
The jester tried harder and I grinned a little at his failure. Then I watched as Olaf strode up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "Buffoon!" he snarled. "You made an idiot out of me!"
The Trickler scurried out of the room and I smirked to myself. Merlin is a genius!
Olaf turned to Arthur again, his face flushed as he kept his head low, "I am… so terribly sorry, Arthur, to have disturbed you. I do hope that you will forgive me."
"There was no harm done," the Prince gallantly responded.
The foreign King nodded at him, then he regarded me with a raised eyebrow for a moment, then he walked out of the room while ordering his men to check on the Lady Vivian and to keep her under guard at all times.
Arthur threw an arm over my shoulders. Then he leaned down and said in a low tone, "You are the only lady I want in my room."
My heart began to race as my face warmed up. How the heck am I supposed to respond to that!? I decided not to and I turned to Merlin once the men were out of sight as I whispered, "We need to get 'er back!"
"What?!" the Prince asked in alarm.
"We'll explain later," I promised while my best friend reopened the wardrobe. The still-unconscious Vivian fell out and toppled to the ground before we could try to catch her. I snorted, "Oops." Serves her well. Arthur's eyes widened in bewilderment and I gave him a momentary sheepish look before helping Merlin to lift the girl again. "We gotta run!"
"Let us use the servants' passage!" my best friend instructed.
"There are servants' passages?!" I asked in astonishment as he led me towards a very discreet door at the back of the room.
"You did not know?!"
"I'm not a servant!"
Unable to sleep because… Well, who would be able to, in my place? Considering that there's an evil sorcerer plotting against Arthur… I decided to re-watch 'Teen Wolf' on my tablet and forget about the horrors of real life for a while.
I've always loved the relationship between Scott and Stiles, and I used to yearn for something similar when I was younger. Now I believe I've found something a lot like it with Merlin – he's the noble guy with superpowers, and I'm the sarcastic side-kick with anxiety – and the mere thought of that caused a wave of contentment to flood through me.
I jolted when a stampede raged past my room, accompanied by unintelligible shouts, and stopped nearby. My heart began to race as I paused the series, and I turned off my tablet before hurrying to get out of bed and rushing outside.
I gulped when I found a large crowd gathered outside Arthur's room. I instantly feared the worst – that the evil men had killed him, or something – and I pushed past the sea of people so that I could find out what happened.
"I knew it!" King Olaf screamed in anger.
I finally got to the front of the pack and I instantly wished that I hadn't when I saw a distressed looking Arthur half-sitting-half-lying on his bed, looking pale as his widened and teary eyes glanced between the growing crowd and the Lady Vivian, against whom he was struggling while she hovered above him, kissing his neck.
I felt a big hole forming in my stomach and I immediately averted my gaze towards the ground.
"Arthur!" Uther roared from beside me, causing me to flinch.
"Father! We have something to tell you!" Vivian chirped as she finally acknowledged the crowd. I glanced up to find her smiling widely.
The distraction allowed Arthur to finally free himself and he protested, "No! We do not!" while scrambling to get away from the bed, panting heavily. "She came into my room and jumped on me!" he defended as his eyes found mine. "I did not want this, I swear!"
Obviously, I believe him – even if the massive tornado that was tearing through my chest would suggest otherwise. But I know that the scene doesn't favour his claim at all, and that it'll be hard to convince everyone else of the truth without the solid proof that we still lack.
"You said yesterday that if you ever offended my honour, then you would happily pay the price," Olaf snarled. "What say you now, Prince Arthur?"
"King Olaf, I promise, this is not what it looks like," Arthur pleaded in a shaky voice. I hate seeing him so upset – especially when I can't try to comfort him!
"You are taking advantage of an innocent girl!" the foreign King accused before taking off one of his gloves and throwing on the floor. I winced at the sudden motion and my eyes widened as I remembered what that means. "I demand recompense," he growled.
Uther sighed in exasperation. "And you shall have it," he grumbled in response while glaring at his son.
Apparently, that brief exchange settled the matter and Olaf forcibly dragged his daughter away without another glance. The crowd soon dispersed, leaving only Arthur, Uther and myself in the room.
"U-utah, we think that Vivian's enchanted," I revealed shakily. Perhaps it's not the wisest thing to do, but maybe I can at least convince him that Arthur did nothing wrong.
The King turned towards me, seeming a bit surprised.
"T-the other night, I saw the Trickler leavin' Arthur's room when I went downstairs to get water…" I continued, causing Uther's eyes to widen. "Merls says that he woke up the next morning babbling about Vivian… but then it seemed to wear off… He found a lock of her hair under his pillow… Gaius said that it's a common way to induce a love spell… It must not have been powerful enough with Arthur, but I guess the Trickler fixed it this time around."
"Astraea, this is a very serious accusation you are making," Uther stated.
"I-I know," I acknowledged. "That's why we didn't tell you before. We wanted to get more proof… But, after tonight…"
"And you are sure that the Trickler is responsible?" he questioned.
"It makes sense that he has magic, if you think back to his show the other night…" I noted. Uther nodded pensively. "And Art says that Alined was hesitant to join the peace conference," I dared to throw in.
"Are you suggesting that King Alined is trying to sabotage the treaty?" the King asked in a displeased tone that made me flinch.
"I'm just layin' out the facts," I responded. "Make of 'em what you will."
"Even if this is true, Olaf will not back down from the fight," he stated gravely.
"So be it," Arthur responded with a sniffle as he squared up.
Uther looked down and nodded, "Very well. But we have to ensure this does not happen again."
"I can stay in here for the night n' make sure she doesn't try anything else," I suggested with a shrug, then I froze and blushed when I realised what I'd said as both Pendragons turned to me with widened eyes. "O-or, y'know, Merls can do it."
"Yes, that sounds much better," Uther agreed, then he left the room to find someone who could fetch the sorcerer. 'Cause apparently he's too mighty to go down a single flight of stairs and find him himself.
With Uther out of the way, I cautiously moved closer to Arthur, wanting to make sure that he was all right. He was sort of assaulted, after all. He was quick to close the remaining distance between us and he hugged me tightly while tucking his face on my shoulder. I could feel his body trembling and I began to rub gentle circles on his back.
"I am so sorry, Astra," he whispered and he sniffled. "She would not stop."
"You have nothing to apologise for, Artie," I assured him and tightened my hold on him. I felt him nod. "Are you okay?"
"I despise that I was unfaithful to you," he mumbled and sniffled again.
Something indecipherable struck at my chest and I turned slightly to kiss the side of his head, "You weren't, Artie. You did nothing wrong."
"I do not want to kiss anyone who is not you ever again," he stated with another sniffle.
I felt a bit of wetness seeping through my PJ top and my heart froze at the realisation that he was crying. I lifted a hand to the back of his neck and started to gently run my fingers through his hair. He released a shaky sigh and I felt some tension dropping off his body, which made me grin a little, feeling glad that I was somehow helping him feel better.
I want revenge. I want to put an arrow between the Trickler's eyes. And Alined's. I don't care if it's gruesome. I've never hated anyone as much as I hate them right now!
"Is the idea of sleeping in my room really so terrifying to you?" Arthur suddenly asked and he lifted his head to look at my face, a hint of amusement in his bewitching gaze.
I froze once again as my eyes widened. "Yes!" I blurted out. Then I instantly felt bad when he looked sad again. "I-I mean, no," I changed my answer and frowned. That doesn't sound right. "Trick question. Maybe?" He tilted his head while raising an eyebrow, looking amused once more. "Uhm. If we were married, y'know…" I continued to tangle myself into a web and I squeezed my eyes shut. There's no way I'm ever recovering from this.
"That can be arranged," Arthur noted in a whisper.
My eyes widened as a circus on meth broke out inside me, pumping a rush of blood into my cheeks. I nervously laughed it off.
Lucky for me, Merlin entered the room and saved me from making a fool out of myself any further. He looked dishevelled and slightly disoriented. "What happened?" he asked in a tired mumble. "Leon said I was needed immediately."
Arthur instantly seemed deflated again as he dropped his head and I grabbed his hand, giving him what I hoped was a reassuring squeeze, before I responded to my best friend, "Vivian happened. She snuck in here n'… yeah."
Merlin's eyes widened as he turned to Arthur, "Are you all right?!" The Prince simply nodded, keeping his head low.
I shared a sad look with my best friend and then I pressed a kiss to the back of Arthur's hand, "You should try to get some sleep, Artie."
"Yeah," he breathed out.
I gave his hand another gentle squeeze before letting go, and I stopped to give Merlin a quick hug before leaving the room and going back to my own. I decided to remain awake, in case anything else happened, and I continued to watch 'Teen Wolf' with only one earbud in.
Just like Uther had predicted, Olaf had refused to back out of his challenge to Arthur. He would hear nothing of enchantments, and he only grew angrier at the Pendragon King's attempts to diffuse the situation. So the tournament grounds were prepared for the match.
A shiver ran down my spine as I watched Merlin 'suit up' Arthur as the memory of his fight with Morgause crossed my mind; but I kept a stoic face. I need to stay level-headed for him. He needs all the support he can get and I can't fail him by becoming an anxious wreck.
He shouldn't be in this situation! If only we'd been able to find more proof to incriminate the Trickler… I hate this!
"Astra, breathe," my best friend suddenly commanded, startling me. I drew in a deep breath in obedience and then puffed. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, just thinkin'," I waved him off, earning a sceptical look. "Remind me to add this to the growing list of things I never thought I'd experience," I tried a joke to get him to worry a little bit less about me and a little more about Arthur. After all, I'm not the one who was assaulted and then forced into a fight with the father of the perpetrator. Granted, Vivian is as much of a victim as the Prince is…
My eyes strayed towards Arthur and I found that he was looking down with a clenched jaw and a storm in his pretty eyes. I wish I could fight in his place, but I doubt anyone would allow it and I'd get killed within a minute.
A thought crossed my mind and I moved my attention towards my right wrist, where I keep my three faux-leather horse nameplate bracelets. I unbuckled the one that says 'Skylo' and hopped off the desk, approaching the Prince. He looked up and I gave him a little grin as I reached for his hand. He instantly placed it in mine and I carefully secured the bracelet around his wrist.
"For good luck," I said in a shy whisper, feeling my cheeks get red.
He pulled me into a hug and kissed the side of my head, "Thank you, Astra."
"Awww," Merlin crapped all over the moment.
"Shut up," Arthur and I grumbled at the same time.
A few minutes later, my best friend and I were standing right outside the arena, our arms linked together as we watched Arthur and Olaf circle each other; the latter glaring daggers while the former appeared entirely reluctant.
I hate this!
"We did what we could, Astra," Merlin said gently while throwing his arm over my shoulders.
"It wasn't enough," I muttered.
"King Olaf has demanded recompense," Uther's booming voice stated from atop the grandstands. "And by the ancient laws of Camelot, the matter will be settled by a tourney with three stages. The weapons chosen are quarterstaff, mace, and sword. The fight will be by the Knights' Rules, and to the death."
My head felt as if it were being held underwater and my body began to tremble as I tightened my grip on Merlin. No one told me this is to the death!
Arthur and Olaf nodded at each other and pulled down their helmets.
"It's all right, Astra. I will not let him get hurt," Merlin assured me in a whisper. I let out a shaky breath and nodded.
The fight got off to a pretty even start. Both fighters seemed equally skilled, which was surprising considering that Olaf is sixty-something? and Arthur is… y'know, Arthur. Although, I guess he's likely holding back out of reluctance to truly kill the man.
Olaf soon began to get more aggressive, beating down on the Prince with all his might as if he were a piñata. Arthur didn't return the same energy, but simply held off the attacks almost lazily. It's clear, now, that he's holding back and simply fighting for lack of a way out; while the King is truly fighting with the intent to kill.
Arthur barely escaped getting pinned against the edge of the arena and, as he moved around Olaf, the latter swung the quarterstaff at his ribs, striking him just below where the armour ended. I flinched, almost feeling the impact myself as I covered my own ribs with my free hand.
A trumpet sounded, indicating the end of the first match, and I released a shaky sigh.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I rushed to Arthur as soon as he left the arena, my eyes scanning him for any visible damage as he clutched his side while limping slightly.
"Yes," he very clearly lied through gritted teeth.
I grabbed the sleeve of his free arm as I mumbled, "C'mon, let's get you to the tent," while Merlin ran off to get Gaius.
"One of your ribs is broken, Sire," the physician informed the Prince after a thorough inspection.
My eyes widened as my heart-beat accelerated with rage, "Is that even legal?!"
"Unfortunately," Gaius replied with a sorrowful look.
I let out a puff and dropped my head as a lump formed in my throat. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Can Arthur beat the foreign King's wrath with a broken rib?!
"I will be alright. He will not kill me," Arthur affirmed.
I bit down on my bottom lip.
The trumpet sounded again, indicating that it was time for the second match, and Arthur cautiously stood from the chair he was sitting on, moving to get his helmet from a table. My breath hitched and I moved to stop him by grabbing his arm.
"If you die, I swear I'll bring you back and kill you again myself," I told him sternly. He gave a small smile as he lifted his free hand to brush a rebellious lock of hair away from my face. "And then I'll bring you back again," I added.
"I will hold you to that," he responded while his captivating eyes ran up and down my face.
"Promise me you'll be okay," I begged in a whisper, feeling very aware of Merlin and Gaius' presence in the tent.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead, "I promise I will come back to you in one piece."
"And alive! The 'alive' part is important!" I pressed.
"I will come back to you alive and in one piece," he stated.
I let out a shaky sigh, "Ya' better."
Arthur pecked my lips before finally grabbing his helmet and he returned to the battle arena with a determined look in his eyes, seemingly ready to finish what someone else had started for him.
Merlin held me gently against his side as we watched the two fighters get into position again. Uther was barely done announcing the second match when Olaf charged at Arthur like a pissed off rhinoceros and I was surprised at how steadily the Prince responded to the attacks, considering his injury.
Olaf roared loudly as he charged once more, and a violent dance ensued as the pair took turns dealing strikes and blocking attacks. Arthur seemed to stumble for a few moments and I turned my head to shield my eyes against Merlin's shirt. He gave me a gentle squeeze.
I heard the clanging of swords again and turned to keep watching.
Arthur seemed to get a burst of energy as he began to back up Olaf, and I slightly feared that he was actually fighting to kill this time. No one should have to die from this, other than the Trickler and Alined!
Olaf returned the enthusiasm and he threw his body against the Prince, knocking him to the ground. I gasped and turned my head again as my heart jumped to my throat.
The clanging of swords continued, and then I heard another loud thud, which made me return my gaze to the arena once more. My eyes widened when I found Olaf lying on his back, Arthur standing over him with his sword pointed at his throat.
I clutched the front of Merlin's shirt and held my breath as the Prince held his stance. After some seconds he lowered his sword to the side and visibly sighed before lifting his head to address the crowd, "This is no way to achieve peace!" Then he offered a hand to Olaf and gallantly helped him to his feet. They shared what appeared to be a reconciliatory handshake.
I couldn't help the proud smile that broke onto my lips as the crowd began to cheer. Isn't he just amazing?!
The tension between Camelot and Olaf died down after Arthur's admirable actions to end the fight, and the foreign King finally agreed to listen to our side of the story. So Uther brought me into the council chambers, in front of all the 'important' guests, and – after a momentary inner panic – I was able to sort of explain everything that had truly happened with the Lady Vivian and the love spell. Gaius, Merlin and Arthur were kind enough to back up the slightly tweaked story.
Uther and Olaf were, surprisingly, very convinced by our arguments and they quickly turned against Alined, deciding that all forms of economic exchange with his kingdom were to be cut off, and that they would issue warnings to other ally kingdoms so that they would beware of any interaction with the dude.
Speaking of Olaf, he verbally forgave Arthur for 'his trespasses' and apologised for not giving him a chance to explain prior to the fight.
I was very grateful when the guests left for their homes the next morning – with a bunch of Camelot's knights escorting Alined and his jester back to their lands, lest they try anything else.
I wasn't so grateful when Uther made me join the send-off (claiming that Olaf was very impressed with the role I'd played in setting things straight); especially because Arthur decided not to join, seeing as Vivian was still enchanted (given that there is really no one who can break it for her) and he feared that she would cause another problem if he was present. Obviously, it was the most sensible choice, but I still hated having to suffer through long parting speeches without him or Merlin. But at least I had Morgana to share bored looks with.
Once all the intruders were gone, I began to make my way towards my room, feeling dirty from all the hands I'd been forced to shake and desperately wanting to take a bath, put on PJs, and cuddle in bed to watch something on my tablet.
I halted just past my door and tilted my head when I found more flowers on my desk – only these were planted in a pot, rather than cut off the Earth.
"I thought I should deliver them myself, this time." I jumped at the unexpected sound of Arthur's voice, spinning around to find him leaning with his back against the door, a smirk on his lips.
"Dude! You can't do that!" I scolded. He frowned. "I-I mean the scaring me half-to-death part," I clarified quickly. "The flowers are very thoughtful, thanks."
I felt my face get warm and I dropped my head. I'll never get used to this kind of attention.
Arthur chuckled and took a few steps towards me, opening his arms in what I understood to be a silent gesture for me to hug him. I grinned and rushed to comply, being mindful of his injured rib as I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. He let out a sigh and kissed the top of my head.
"Thank you for standing beside me, Astra," he said in a low tone.
"I dunno what else I'd be doing," I responded and reached up to kiss the side of his jaw. "Y'know, what you did after beating Olaf was awesome," I told him, giving him a little smile.
"It is what you would have done," he responded while leaning his forehead against mine.
"No, 'cause I would've been too dead to do anything," I joked.
"Cheeky woman," he mumbled before giving me a quick kiss, which caused my heart to melt. "I mean that you always search for a better way to do things, and you have inspired me to try to do the same."
"Oh," was all I could say in response, feeling my vocal chords freeze. I mean, it's common sense, really… I think. But something tells me that saying that could seem rude. So I simply gave him a little shy grin.
He lifted a hand to cup the side of my face and I instinctively leaned into his touch. "I am incredibly grateful to have you in my life, Astra," he added tenderly.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record – my face warmed up and my heart skipped a few beats. How the hell did I get so lucky after the train wreck that was my life in the twenty-first century?!
"S-same," was the best reply that my brain could come up with.
A breath-taking smile graced his lips and he kissed me again.