Camelot

August, 506 AD

"Right… left… left… right… roll!"

The wooden sword barely missed my stomach as I rolled over the grass with a squeak. Instead, it got stuck on the dirt right next to me, causing me to blow out some air in relief. I quickly jumped back to my feet and used my own wooden weapon to fling it away from me as if it were a golf ball, leaving my opponent without a defence. I raised my sword to his throat and grinned.

"Your reflexes are improving, my lady," Sir Gareth complimented with a smile, making me mirror his gesture as I panted slightly.

I went towards my backpack, which lay at the base of a tree along with Dallas's equipment, and I pulled out my thermos to take a long drag of water. Then I returned to my friend and picked up my weapon.

"One more round?" I asked with a challenging smirk, feeling an energetic buzz coursing through my veins.

Gareth sighed. "One more," he said sternly while pointing a finger, which made me smile fully.

We got into position and I dashed to attack him first, but he was quick to shove me back with his shield. I stumbled backwards for a moment before I regained my balance.

"Weight on the back," he reminded me, then he shoved me again. This time, I remained steady as I shifted my weight to my left leg, which supported my body as my right one moved me around.

Our swords clashed over and over with cracking sounds, neither of us gaining the upper hand as the fight progressed evenly.

Suddenly, Gareth swiped at my feet, making me fall face-first onto the ground with a yelp. My sword flew out of my hand as I hurried to use my arm to avoid taking a bad hit, and the knight let his weapon hover above the back of my neck.

"Darn it," I mumbled as I rolled onto my back.

"You did well, Astra," Gareth assured me with a kind smile and he dropped his sword before offering a hand.

"Not good enough," I argued as he helped me to my feet.

"You are getting better with each try. You beat me twice today."

"Yeah, out of eight. I'd be dead if this was a war or an ambush."

Gareth chuckled and gently brushed some dirt and leaves off my shoulders. "My Lady, you forget I am a knight of Camelot. Trained under the very best. The fact that you can beat me at all speaks a lot."

He's not being cocky – just stating facts. And he makes an excellent point.

I let myself smile again and let out a long exhale. "You're right. I should be a bit more proud of myself," I said, earning a wink. I winked back and whistled Dallas over so that I could tack him up again.

Gareth went to untie Santo from a tree and also readied him. Then we began riding back to the castle.

"Race ya'!" I suddenly exclaimed and I asked my horse for a gallop. He delivered eagerly and blasted off down the dirt path ahead.

"You cheat, Lady Astraea!" Gareth screeched as he helplessly tried to get his dapple grey Iberian horse to keep up with my mighty Thoroughbred.

I giggled and asked for more speed out of Dallas as we blazed through the forest, enjoying the fresh wind brought by a clear August afternoon.

"You are here!" Louis exclaimed when I reached the second floor of the castle after leaving Dallas in his paddock, and he sighed in relief while visibly dropping tension off his body and features.

I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head. "Here I am… Is everything okay?"

He squeezed my shoulder and turned his attention towards something in the corridor as he called out, "My Lord! She is here!"

"Lou, what's going on?" I questioned, starting to feel uneasy as I shifted my weight.

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Arthur and Uther rushing towards us, both seeming incredibly tense.

The Prince's body collided with mine and his arms wrapped protectively around me while he dropped his chin to rest on top of my head. I could feel his accelerated heartbeat against my temple, and his whole body trembled slightly.

Did someone die?!

I casted a cautious glance towards Uther and, when I saw that he didn't seem murderous or suspicious about his son's actions, I slowly returned the hug by wrapping my arms around his waist. He tightened his grip on me and I felt him sigh.

"Guys, you're freaking me out – what's wrong?" I asked again.

"I will inform the men," Louis said before walking down the stairs.

I frowned as I watched the guard go for a moment before tilting my head upwards so that I could look at Arthur's face. His hair was dishevelled, his eyes were stormy and red, and he was at least a shade paler than he should be.

"Art?" I pressed. He only gulped.

"The patrol we sent out yesterday was killed by Cenred's men," Uther responded instead. "No one had seen you in a while, and your horse was not in his paddock, so we feared you might have gone with them."

"W-we were just assembling a search party," Arthur threw in.

My heart dropped to my stomach and started to twist painfully as my legs began to tremble. Lucky for me, Arthur had a steady grip on me that kept me upright.

"A-all of them?" I questioned. "Alfred? Osric? Ty?... L-leon?"

"Yes, all of them," Uther confirmed as he looked down sadly.

My eyes filled with tears and I squeezed them shut in an attempt to get them to stay in while dropping my head to Arthur's chest and tightening my hold on him. He started to softly run a hand up and down my back.

"Where were you?" Uther demanded. I flinched at his tone.

I turned my head to look at him, not stepping away from Arthur's grounding embrace, as I responded, "O-out training w-with Sir Gareth."

The King sighed in clear frustration. "You are never going to let that matter go, are you?"

"No, I don't think I will," I answered with a small, forced smirk.

He shook his head. "Well, now that we know you are all right, I can start writing letters to the families of the fallen, so if you will excuse me..." He trailed off and walked away towards the council chambers.

I watched him go for a moment before nuzzling into Arthur's chest once more, letting his scent fill my lungs and clear my airways, effectively averting the need to cry.

A thought crossed my mind and I frowned while pushing away from him just enough to look at his handsome face. "Where's Merls? He knew I was goin' out with Gareth."

"Huh… I did not think to ask him…"

"You thought I was dead and didn't care to inform my best friend!?" I questioned. Arthur gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Unbelievable," I mumbled with a slight shake of my head. Then I removed myself from his embrace so that I could go to my room.

A bath, PJs, and a few episodes from 'Big Time Rush' sound really good right about now.

Arthur caught up with me quickly and he slipped his hand into mine. I gave him a little wary look. I don't feel like ending up in jail again because Uther misinterpreted things. But if he understood my silent comment, he didn't acknowledge it as he gave me a little grin and a gentle squeeze. I puffed and used my free hand to remove the lock from my door.

My heart jumped to my throat and my eyes widened when he rapidly closed the door behind us and he pushed me against it. Before I could react, his lips were silencing me in a rough and desperate demand for contact that made me inhale sharply. His hands fisted the back of my hoodie and his body pressed against mine.

I pushed him back and quickly moved around him to avoid getting trapped again. I'm not sure what that was, but I don't think I would classify it as a kiss.

"What's up with you?!" I asked in alarm.

"I am sorry," he blurted out, his eyes widening as they fixed on mine. "I was terrified that you might be gone. I do not know what came over me."

He took a few steps towards me again and I let him wrap me in his arms once more. He leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. I sighed and lifted a hand to the side of his face, gently caressing his check.

"I'm fine, Artie," I assured him in a soft tone. "You're not gettin' rid of me so easily."

"Good," he whispered before closing the little distance between us once more, only much more gently as his lips tentatively brushed against mine. One of his hands came up to cup my cheek while his other arm wrapped fully around my waist, drawing me closer to his chest. He tenderly asked to deepen the kiss and I grinned a little as I parted my lips for him while moving my free hand to his hair and starting to run my fingers through it, which earned me a hum.

I pushed him away again after a minute or so. "'Kay. Now get out. I wanna take a bath."

Arthur groaned, "Fine."

Then he went back to kissing me.

"Artieee," I whined as I pushed him off for the third time.

"Just a little longer," he whispered before uniting our lips once more. I sighed and returned a hand to his hair while I rounded his neck with my other arm, bringing him closer.

A miracle took place that night when none other than Sir Leon returned to the castle alive and relatively healthy, which was a significant shock considering that he'd reportedly sustained some lethal injuries.

Uther being Uther had him taken into the council chamber for an interrogation before the poor guy could even have a sip of water or a granola bar. Leon explained that he was rescued and healed by druids, who apparently used a magic cup of some sort to heal his wounds. You can imagine how ecstatic the King was to hear that.

Afterwards, the knight was taken to his room so that Gaius could look him over, and I tagged along 'cause… I'm curious. Lucky for me, I'm not a cat.

"Do you see now, Astraea? This is why I do not like you running around outside the walls whenever you please," Uther told me in a low tone as he, Arthur and I watched the physician and Merlin work.

I snorted. "Utah, the worst injuries I've had since coming to Camelot have happened inside the castle," I argued in a similar tone. "Remember that time you broke my arm?"

"That was your own fault!"

I flinched back at the change in tone, but I quickly recovered my composure and retorted, "I thought we agreed to share the blame!"

Uther was not given a chance to respond because Leon asked in a weak manner, "Is that it?"

"That is it," Gaius concluded and he left the knight's bedside as he turned to address Arthur. "He is exhausted, Sire, and severely dehydrated; but give him time and he will make a full recovery."

"Thank you, Gaius," the Prince responded with a cute grin.

Merlin began to pack up Gaius's equipment, so I moved to help him. Then we exited the room behind the King and the physician, giving Arthur space to talk to Leon and catch up, or whatever.

"Well?" Uther questioned.

"It is remarkable, Sire," Gaius stated. "He bears no sign of any kind of wound. He is in perfect health."

"And the cup he spoke of?" Uther inquired in a whisper.

"From his description, I would say… it was the Cup of Life."

I frowned and looked up at Merlin, who appeared slightly worried.

"You are aware of its power, Gaius," the King said gravely and the physician nodded.

"I am, indeed, Sire. But the druids are a peaceful people. They would only ever use the Cup for good. Sir Leon is surely proof of that."

"Be that as it may; according to Sir Leon's description, the druids' cave lies within Cenred's kingdom," Uther said. "It is imperative that we get to the cup before he does."

Poor druids can't catch a break!

"My Lord, druids are secretive by nature. They will have the cup well hidden," Gaius pointed out gently. "Might it not be wise to leave it where it is?"

"I am not prepared to take that risk," Uther stated before walking away. A convenient way to avoid listening to reasonable arguments against his dumb ideas.

An involuntary scoff left me, so I masked it with a cough.

"Are you hungry, children?" Gaius asked as he turned towards Merlin and I.

The three of us promptly made our way to the physician's chambers and we prepared some simple sandwiches before sitting down to eat.

"I thought the cup was destroyed with Nimueh when I defeated her on the Isle of the Blessed," Merlin commented in a whisper.

I tilted my head. I remember him telling me that story. It happened when she tried to kill Arthur while I was in Texas the first time I went back.

"The cup cannot be destroyed," Gaius revealed. "Its magic is eternal, unbound by time or place."

I wonder if it's still around in the twenty-first century. And if it is, where could it be? Is this the infamous Holy Grail?!

"But why does Uther fear it so much?" Merlin inquired.

"The cup can be used for evil as well as good," Gaius replied cryptically.

"That clears it up," I mumbled under my breath.

"I do not understand," Merlin said.

"Many centuries ago, it fell into the possession of a great warlord," Gaius began. "One night, he gathered his army before him. He took a drop of blood from each and every man and collected it in the cup. Such was the vessel's power that the soldiers were made immortal where they stood."

"So they could not be killed," Merlin noted.

"That's what 'immortal' means, pal," I pointed out in a whisper, earning a brief glare that made me shrug.

"The carnage they wrought was beyond all imagining," Gaius continued. "The King is no fool. He knows that the forces of the Old Religion are rising against him once more. Heaven forbid that the Cup should fall into the hands of Morgause."

"Or Morgana," Merlin added and I accidentally gasped.

"If he brings the cup here, he'll be handing 'er the keys to the kingdom!" I exclaimed.

Gaius nodded. "With such a weapon at their disposal, Camelot would be all but lost."

"So… what do we do?" I wondered. "S-should we… like… run and warn the druids? Get the cup and ship it to the Americas? Throw it into the Mariana Trench? Bury it on an island in the Caribbean?"

"Let us wait and see what Uther decides to do before trying anything rash," Gaius cautioned.

"Right, 'cause he's known for making smart decisions," I quipped.

Arthur showed up at the physician's chambers while Merlin and I were washing the plates that we used for dinner.

"Merlin, I need you to pack me a bag," he demanded.

My friend and I shared an annoyed look.

"Oh, golly, Merls!" I exclaimed in fake joy. "I wonder where we're goin' this time!"

"I cannot think where!" he responded in a similar tone.

We should've ran ahead when we had the chance! Now Uther's probably gonna have the druids slaughtered!

"You are not going anywhere, Astraea," Arthur grunted.

"Don't ya' wanna skip all the theatrics, Art?" I questioned. "You know how this argument ends."

"Astra–"

"Unless you're willing to chain me up, there's nothing you can do to make me stay," I stood my ground, earning a glare. I shot him a sweet smile in response.

Merlin and I finished doing the dishes and we linked arms as we followed Arthur up to his room.

"So, we're goin' to Cenred's kingdom?" I asked. That's where Uther said the cup must be hidden…

"You are not coming, Astra," Arthur repeated sternly, making me roll my eyes. "And I am not telling you where Merlin and I are going. It is a secret."

"Oh, secret," I echoed while turning towards my best friend with a mock look of excitement.

Merlin began packing a bag for Arthur and I helped him fold some shirts 'cause I'm a great friend. At least until I noticed the Prince analysing something on his desk, which piqued my curiosity and prompted me to creep closer while making sure to remain out of his field of vision.

I looked over his arm and sent Merlin a discreet nod to confirm that we're indeed going to Cenred's kingdom.

I wonder if we're gonna be somewhat close to Ealdor… It'd be nice to pay a visit to Hunith, wouldn't it?

Arthur started when I accidentally stumbled while trying to get a closer look and I grabbed his arm to steady myself. He gazed down at me with a displeased frown, then he huffed in frustration and flipped the map upside down. I gave him an innocent look and a shrug.

His attention then moved towards Merlin as he inquired, "You will be ready by sunrise, will you not, Merlin?"

"If I do not know where we are going, how do I know what to pack?" Merlin questioned. "Will it be hot? Will it be cold? Will it be wet? Will it be dry?"

I giggled a little.

"Do not be such a girl, Merlin," Arthur whined. "We are not going on holiday."

"Holiday? What is a holiday?" Merlin grumbled as he returned his attention to packing.

I puffed and went to help him again. He pulled a red Pendragon cape out of the closet and we started to fold it, only to be stopped by Arthur.

"Not that. Nothing bearing the crest of Camelot. We are going undercover."

"Oh, fun! Do we get to pick aliases?" I asked.

"You are not going!" Arthur raised his voice, making me flinch slightly, though I covered it with a grin.

"Whatever gets ya' through the night," I responded.

"This is ridiculous!" Merlin exclaimed. "Are you going to tell us where we are going or not?"

I nodded in agreement. Why the heck isn't Arthur telling us what we already know? Does he not trust us, or something?

"Well, I can tell you it will be dangerous," Arthur revealed.

"Great," "As usual," Merlin and I sassed at the same time.

"And I can tell you we will be travelling through bandit infested lands."

That made my stomach feel a bit uneasy. It's one thing to be able to best Gareth one out of every four tries when he's coaching me… It's a whole other thing to go up against fierce bandits with nothing to lose. I'm not backing out, though.

"Terrific. Then where?" Merlin pressed.

"I cannot tell you that."

"You don't know where we are going," Merlin taunted and he made a 'tsk' sound.

"No, Merlin. I know where we are going. It is just that I cannot tell you, that is all," Arthur responded.

"Merls –" I said in a loud whisper as I nudged his side while smirking, "it's a secret mission and you and I are notoriously bad at keeping secrets."

"Right," he snorted, "so if he told us, he would have to kill us, I suppose."

"Immediately and without hesitation," Arthur dead-panned with a bit of a pout forming on his pretty lips. He's so cute.

Merlin and I shared an amused look. "Great," he said again. The Prince gave us a forced tight-lipped smile and returned his attention to his map. "It will be a surprise. I love surprises! Who doesn't love a good surprise?"

Is there anyone on this Earth who genuinely likes surprises?

"Here ya' go, you big toddler," I said with a sarcastic grin as I let Arthur's bag fall on his desk, causing him to startle. "Does your majesty need anything else, or can we get to packing our own stuff?"

"Astraea – you are not coming!"

"Chain me up, then," I challenged as I raised an eyebrow, earning another glare. "C'mon, I dare you."

"Merlin, leave us," Arthur grunted.

My friend didn't need to be told twice as he scurried out of the room.

I crossed my arms and stared down the Prince as he moved around the table to stand in front of me. He let out a long exhale and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Astra – Cenred's kingdom is dangerous. I do not want you to get hurt, or worse."

"I don't want you to be hurt either!" I argued. "But you're gonna go anyway, so I'm going, too."

"It is different, Astra! I am a knight!"

"So were all the guys that we lost yesterday!"

He recoiled at that and averted his gaze for a moment. Then he grabbed my face and looked me straight in the eyes. "Astra, I do not know what I would do with myself if something happened to you. You…" His voice broke a little and his eyes glazed over. "You mean the world to me. Please, just let me keep you safe."

"I feel the same way about you, Artie," I said while bringing a hand up to his right wrist, and I turned my head to kiss the inside of it. "So why do you get to keep me safe while I have to wait here and go insane worrying about you? Do your feelings matter more than mine?"

"Of course not," he whispered.

"I told you, Art – I wanted to learn how to fight so that I could stand beside you. So that I'd never again have to go through what I did when you went off to fight the dragon. And I'm gettin' good at it. So please don't make me stay behind."

He breathed out a shaky sigh and then he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "All right."

"All right?"

"All right."

I sighed in relief and wrapped my arms around his waist in a tight hug, my body dropping a world of tension. "Thank you."

My body buzzed with energy as we blazed out of the castle early in the morning and I think that Dallas could feel it, for he was being unusually difficult to keep at a working canter that matched the rhythm of Tequila and Falcon as he kept protesting my gentle grip on the neck-rope, wanting to sprint ahead.

Under different circumstances, I definitely would've allowed it – but this is not the time to play racehorse. Especially not when I have to be mindful of ensuring that Arthur won't regret agreeing to let me come. I mean, I would've snuck out and followed him anyway, but this way is better 'cause he's not mad at me.

The six of us galloped across the forest, and past some farmland, and through another forest.

Eventually, Arthur thought it fair to give the horses a break and we slowed them down to a walk. Dallas instantly relaxed his powerful muscles by stretching out his neck and I gave him a half carrot as a way to thank him for his efforts.

"We are going to Cenred's kingdom, are we not?" Merlin questioned.

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked.

My best friend and I shared an amused eye-roll. How naive does he think we are?

"Well, we are in the Forest of Ascetir and we're not stopping," Merlin responded.

"You can think what you like, Merlin," Arthur brilliantly replied.

"Oh, come on! You might as well tell us," my friend kept insisting.

"Then I would have to kill you, I told you that," Arthur said, making me snort. I'd pay to see him try.

"Go ahead. I mean, we are probably going to die anyway," Merlin grumbled. "Look at what happened to the patrol that came here! Dead – the lot of them!"

I winced at his words as my heart twisted again.

"Sir Leon survived," Arthur pointed out while reaching towards me. I instantly took his hand and he gave me a gentle squeeze.

"Right, so that gives us… what? A one in forty chance of making it?" Merlin questioned.

"More like one in… a hundred n' twenty, considerin' that there's only three of us," I cut in with a sheepish smile.

Merlin huffed. "So I am not probably going to die, I'm definitely going to die!"

I raised an eyebrow. He's one to talk! He's got superpowers! He can easily save himself by turning people's swords into flowers! Arthur and I are the ones in real danger, and neither one of us is whining!

"Always the pessimist, Merlin!" Arthur scolded with a teasing look. "Who knows? Maybe just this once we will have no trouble."

I jolted at a swooshing sound and gasped when Arthur suddenly fell off Tequila. "What the f–" a sharp, throbbing pain in my neck cut me off and the world went dark.