Camelot
October, 505 AD
Merlin and I stood at the kitchen bench in Gaius's apartment while packing a bag of food supplies for our journey. I'd been quick to pack my duffel bag with PJs, a change of clothes, my bow, and a towel earlier; and I'd decided to help my best friend with any preparations that were still needed, not wanting to be alone with my chaotic thoughts.
"Who were the dragonlords?" Merlin asked Gaius.
"And how do I become one?" I threw in with a little grin.
No response came for a few moments and I gazed towards the elderly man to find him standing with his back to us, his shoulders tense.
"Gaius?" Merlin pressed.
The physician finally turned around with a troubled look on his face and explained, "There were once men who could talk to the dragons… tame them."
A full smile formed on my lips as I chirped, "Cool!"
"What happened to them?" my best friend wondered with a slight frown forming on his face.
"Uther believed that the art of the dragonlord was too close to magic," Gaius responded in a sorrowful tone, his words causing me to scoff in disbelief. "So he had them all rounded up… and slaughtered."
"Why am I not surprised?" I muttered under my breath.
Merlin and I shared a sad look. "But one survived – how did you know?" he then asked the physician.
"I helped him escape," Gaius revealed, making my eyes widen as a smile formed on my lips again.
My best friend grinned proudly as he said, "Gaius!"
"Attaboy," I praised while offering a high-five to the man. He snorted before softly completing the gesture.
Gaius turned serious again moments later as he moved closer to the kitchen bench and he rested his hands on it before addressing the sorcerer, "Merlin – you have never heard the name Balinor?"
"No," Merlin responded with a shake of his head.
"Your mother never mentioned him?"
"My mother?"
The physician sighed and walked away, starting to pace a little. "She took him in," he said.
"She likes takin' in strays, huh?" I noted.
Merlin removed his attention completely from our task as he asked in astonishment, "She stood up against Uther?"
"Yes," Gaius responded. I raised my eyebrows. Hunith is awesome!
"She was brave," Merlin stated.
"Yes," Gaius repeated as he moved closer to Merlin again. I tilted my head, wondering what else there is to the story. "When Uther discovered where Balinor was," he continued, "he sent knights to Ealdor to hunt him down. He was forced to flee."
I scoffed again and clenched my jaw. I mean, I'm not surprised, but it still sucks to hear, y'know?
"Why didn't my mother tell me any of this?" Merlin questioned as his frown intensified.
Gaius's eyes darted between us before they fixated on the boy again, "Merlin – I promised her I would never speak of these things…"
"Of what?" my best friend asked.
The physician stepped closer to him with a tender look in his eyes, "I have always treated you as my son… but that is not what you are."
"Oh, fork!" I blurted out accidentally and slapped a hand over my mouth as my eyes widened. Balinor did husband-and-wife things with Hunith, didn't he?! And Merlin is the product of that?!
"The man you are going to look for is your father," Gaius confirmed my thoughts while watching Merlin carefully.
I gulped and looked up at my friend, wanting to assess his emotions. It can't be easy to finally learn who's your dad after two decades of living without knowing! Merlin seemed stunned, his eyes teary and his mouth agape.
He started to breathe a bit heavily as he stepped away from Gaius. "My father?!" he questioned.
"Yes," the physician breathed out.
"He was a dragonlord?" he asked in disbelief. Gaius dropped his head, looking remorseful. "Why did no one ever tell me?!"
My heart churned at the obvious pain in his voice and I bit down on my bottom lip as I lowered my gaze to the table.
"I wanted to," the elderly man responded. "Your mother feared it would be too dangerous."
"I had a right to know!"
"She wanted to protect you," Gaius said, almost whispering.
"No!" Merlin shook his head. "I had a right to know." And with that, he stormed upstairs and into his room.
"Darn," I breathed out and plopped down at the bench, feeling a mix of confusion, exhaustion, and sympathy.
"I am sorry you got caught up in the middle of this conversation," Gaius told me, "but he needed to know before you left."
"No, it's fine," I waved him off. "This way, I'll be able to support him… I hope."
"I know you will," the physician replied kindly. "You are a wonderful friend to him."
"I try," I responded with a shrug. Then I let out a sigh and moved to finish packing what was missing.
I got to the stables a half-hour later to find that my beloved best friend had already readied both Falcon and Bronze. We shared a small grin as I placed down my duffel bag and the food supply bag atop a hay bale, and then I stepped closer to him, scanning his face for any signs of how he felt.
"You okay?" I asked as softly as I could.
Merlin nodded, then he gestured towards the horses, "I would have gotten Dallas, too; but I know you are very particular about handling him."
I guess he doesn't wanna talk about what happened yet.
"That's no excuse for your laziness, sir," I teased while playfully narrowing my eyes, earning a faint chuckle. I grinned, satisfied that I'd turned his frown upside down – if only for a moment – and went to get my horse from his paddock.
Arthur caught up with us not much later, a frown clouding his face as well. He looked awfully exhausted, with big bags under his eyes, pale skin, and chapped lips. Even with all that, though, I still think he's the most gorgeous human on the planet.
What the fork has he done to you, brain?
"How's the shoulder, Artie?" I asked, offering a grin.
He didn't respond and moved to hug me instead (only using one arm), interrupting my task of grooming Dallas. I'm not complaining, just observing. I returned the embrace and closed my eyes for a moment, feeling like I would be able to finally sleep if I were in his arms. Not that I should. I pushed away at that thought and reached up to kiss the side of his jaw before returning to my horse.
Once Dallas was comfortably tacked up, I secured my duffel bag behind his saddle and put on my helmet and safety vest before tapping his shoulder so that he would follow me outside, where I planned to mount. Merlin and Arthur followed with their own horses.
Just as my best friend was adjusting his stirrups, Gaius showed up, sporting a sorrowful look as he walked straight towards him.
"Have you got everything you need?" he asked in a soft tone.
Merlin kept his eyes on the saddle as he nodded. Then his head snapped towards the elderly man as he began, "I am sorry. I did not mean to–"
Gaius cut him off with a reassuring grin, "I know that." They shared a reconciliatory nod and I smiled a little. Camelot may be on the brink of crumbling to ashes – but at least the iconic surrogate father-son duo is still kicking!
"Come on, Merlin," Arthur interrupted as he mounted Bronze. He winced and made a pained face as he gathered his reins, which caused dread to strike at my chest as I frowned.
"Artie, you're still hurting," I stated the obvious.
He waved me off, "It is just a scratch."
"'Tis but a scratch, says the Black Knight, who's just lost an arm," I grumbled under my breath while climbing onto Dallas.
Arthur trotted off on Bronze while I hung back to wait for Merlin, who was only just getting on Falcon.
"Children–" Gaius called our attention in a whisper, "whatever happens, you must not let Arthur know who this man is. Uther would view the son of a dragonlord with the deepest suspicion."
I sighed, knowing that he was right. It really sucks that Merlin can't be free around Arthur…
My best friend simply nodded in response before the two of us rode off.
Not many words were exchanged while we spent the entire day riding through the forest at a fast pace. Arthur was, as I said before, completely exhausted; and Merlin seemed to be somewhere else mentally (obviously pondering recent revelations); which left me trapped with my own thoughts.
The last few weeks have really put a lot of things into perspective. Above anything, the harsh reality that none of us are immortal. Out of everyone I could've met when I accidentally ended up in the sixth century, I just had to become ridiculously attached to the two people who are always caught smack in the middle of every danger that gets flung at Camelot! We've come out victorious every time, so far. Or relatively victorious, I guess, considering that we did lose Morgana. But what happens when something goes wrong?! I'm not sure that I would survive watching Merlin or Arthur die…
I must've dropped forwards onto Dallas's withers and closed my eyes at some point, because the next thing I know is that a sudden splurge of water startled me awake while my horse surged forwards with a burst of speed; keeping up with Bronze and Falcon while Arthur somehow continued to lead the way to 'Engerd' in the dark.
Not even the tall, thick trees could provide relief from the blasting rain. It wasn't long before I found myself completely damp, shivering, and having a hard time keeping my grip on Dallas' neck-rope. It became hard to keep my butt off the seat as my feet continuously slipped out of the stirrups and my legs battled to stick to the saddle.
I didn't dare to make my struggles known, however, lest I inconvenience my companions. Doing so would've been nearly impossible, anyways, thanks to the roaring wind, the thunder, and the falling sky that filled the atmosphere with enough noise to rival a Queen concert. So I simply tangled my fingers in my horse's mane and focused all of my strength on remaining in the saddle, trusting that Dallas would follow the other two horses wherever they went.
I can't say how much time went by – it could have been a minute or an hour – before warm lights appeared in the distance. Strokes of artificial illumination danced among the trees as the three horses galloped towards a clearing.
Arthur led us straight to a wooden barn that stood next to a stone building. A man aided us in untacking our horses before assigning a stall to each, for the night. He assured us that he would ensure they were well-fed and watered; and I slipped him an extra gold coin to make certain that he would give them the best care. I hate leaving Dallas in unknown hands!
The adrenaline began to wear off as we exited the barn and I had a hard time jogging after the boys thanks to how stiff my limbs had suddenly become as I shivered uncontrollably under my dripping clothes.
I felt Merlin's eyes on me and I glanced at him to find an alarmed expression on his face. "Astra – you are freezing!" he exclaimed.
"W-what was your first clue, D-dr. Watson?" I replied through clattering teeth.
"You will get sick!" Arthur cried a second before he unexpectedly lifted me into his arms bridal-style and took off sprinting towards the stone building. An Inn, I realised.
"A-art, d-don't be stupid, y-you're hurt," I protested weakly as I started to feel a bit sleepy.
"We can deal with that later," he dismissed my concerns. "We need to warm you up as soon as possible."
I glared up at him, but the drowsiness that was taking over me kept me from arguing further as I let my head drop to his uninjured shoulder.
As soon as we entered the building, a wave of warmth brushed over me and a shaky, strained sigh escaped my half-frozen lungs; though the shivering did not rescind and neither did the icy sensation in my entire body.
Arthur refused to put me down while Merlin hurried to pay for a room, and they rushed towards it as soon as he got the keys.
"I-I'm fine, I-I promise," I kept protesting as the Prince carried me up a staircase.
"You are not fine, Astraea," he responded through gritted teeth.
He finally set me down when we reached a two-bed chamber. Merlin closed the door behind the three of us and he placed my duffel bag – which he'd graciously carried – down on the floor.
"T-thanks," I told him "C-can y'all g-get out n-now?" The two boys shared a puzzled look and I huffed. "I-I need t-to dry n' change."
I grinned a little as their faces turned beet-red and they hastened to get out of the room while Arthur mumbled an apology.
With the boys out of the way, I hurried to open my bag and I quickly stripped down to nothing before getting the towel I'd brought and wrapping it around myself as I continued to shiver mercilessly. While everything in the bag had remained dry, thanks to the impermeable layer, the contents were still cold and the feeling of the towel against my skin didn't make me feel better at all.
I dried myself off as rapidly as possible and then I rushed to change into the cotton panda-themed PJ set I'd brought. Then I wrapped my Avengers blanket around my body and finally started to feel a bit warmer.
I am definitely gonna die from hypothermia one of these days…
I had wanted to go to sleep as soon as I'd been allowed back in the room after Arthur and Merlin had had their turn to get chanced; but, as my best friend had stated, none of us had had anything to eat since breakfast (I actually didn't even eat that) and, given the exertion from the long trip, it wasn't considered wise to go to bed on an empty stomach. So I'd been persuaded to join the two boys for dinner at the tavern down the stairs.
The atmosphere was loud and rowdy as village men drank and talked in roars. In contrast to how kind and amiable the people are in Ealdor, I found that this bunch were much rougher and unwelcoming to strangers – if I'm to judge by the constant looks of displeasure that we kept getting, which caused shivers to run down my spine each time. The realisation that I was the only female in the building didn't help to ease me up, but I know that Merlin and Arthur wouldn't let anyone hurt me.
We sat at a table towards the back of the room, next to a window. The rain had not stopped – in fact, it seemed to have gotten heavier as thunder boomed in the skies and lightning illuminated the landscape; and I felt extremely grateful to be indoors.
A big, grumpy-looking man took our order. None of the only three options in the menu seemed particularly enticing, and the guy was extremely weirded out when I asked him to make my sandwich without any sort of meat. Is there such a thing as a vegetarian person in this era?
I leaned against Merlin with my head on his shoulder while we waited for our food; struggling to keep my eyes open as my body still trembled slightly. I didn't miss the glares that Arthur kept casting towards my human pillow and I frowned after the fifth time.
"S-something wrong, Art?" I asked, my words still shaky from the cold.
"I believe he is jealous," Merlin responded before the Prince could. I tilted my head in confusion as I looked up at him. "He wants you in his arms," he whispered.
My eyes widened in realisation and they snapped back towards Arthur, who now sported what I can only describe as a pout as his eyes remained glaring at my friend. "A-artie, you're hurt," I reminded him. "O-one wrong move n' y-you'll end u-up like B-bucky Barnes."
"What?" Arthur questioned as he frowned.
"W-without an arm," I dead-panned, causing Merlin to snort.
The waiter returned with our food and my stomach churned at the sight of it. It didn't look pleasant at all, as it was greasy and the spinach was a bit too dark to be fresh. I think I would've preferred a plant-based hamburger from freaking McDonald's. But I didn't complain and took small bites from my sandwich until the queasy feeling in my gut became too prominent and forced me to stop. My peppermint tea was much better.
I stumbled a little when I stood up once I was done. "'M gonna hit the sack, guys," I informed my friends. "I'm beat."
Arthur stopped me by grabbing my hand and I frowned as I turned to him, watching as he scanned the room with narrowed eyes. "Allow me to escort you," he said after a few seconds as he stood up.
A fluffy feeling settled in my stomach as my cheeks warmed up. "Ever the gentleman," I said as he intertwined our fingers and I gave Merlin a quick side-hug before allowing the Prince to lead me upstairs.
I'm not sure how much time passed between me finally drifting off to sleep and me being startled awake by the door creaking. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was only the boys and I dropped back down.
"Sorry, Astra," Merlin said with a small grin.
"S'all right," I said while waving him off and pulling my blanket more tightly around me.
I remained awake and watched with a growing grin as the two boys took off their shoes and took turns brushing their teeth in the 'bathroom'. I noticed that they didn't bring PJs, but didn't say anything. If they wanna be uncomfortable, that's their problem.
Some minutes later, they were both standing over the spare bed, not meeting each other's gaze as they shifted awkwardly.
Being full-sized, it was big enough to fit both of them comfortably; but, obviously, neither liked the idea of sharing. I'm not sure what other choice they have, other than getting an extra room. One of them could sleep on the floor but, knowing Arthur, Merlin would be the one to end up there and I don't want that.
"I trust that you're both mature enough to be able to share a bed 'n not cry 'bout it?" I quipped, my words slightly slurred as my body begged me to go back to sleep.
Arthur started and his head snapped towards me. I raised an eyebrow.
Merlin turned to face me slowly as a smirk formed on his lips. "I think that Arthur was hoping for slightly different arrangements," he stated.
"Merlin!" the Prince protested, slapping the boy's arm as his face turned red.
My eyes widened and I gulped. I know very well what my best friend is implying; but I don't wanna face the awkwardness that would come with acknowledging it. So I decided to play dumb and prayed that the lighting in the room was dim enough to hide my blushing cheeks as I responded, "Don't be selfish, Art. Ya' get a gigantic bed all to yourself every night. Put on your big boy pants for once and don't make Merls sleep on the floor."
Merlin narrowed his eyes at me, but he didn't say anything. Arthur only sighed in what I think was resignation and he finally got on the bed with a slight groan that caused dread to strike at my chest again at the thought that his shoulder must be hurting.
I wish I could be like the werewolves in 'Teen Wolf' and absorb pain with a single touch.
My best friend eyed the Prince warily for a few seconds before also sighing and getting on the bed.
I couldn't stop myself as I teased them, "Well, don't ya' look cute?" I ignored the well-earned looks of annoyance that followed as I blew out the candle and curled up again, more than happy to let Morpheus to cradle me into his arms.