Somewhere in medieval Britain
August, 506 AD
My eyes opened and they instantly widened at the same time as my heart began to race when I found a chubby elderly woman standing above me.
"Welcome back, darling!" she chirped, showing off her disgusting teeth (or lack thereof, as most of them were missing; whereas the remaining ones were dark yellow in colour with bits of brown and black).
I scrunched up my nose at the rotten egg smell coming from her mouth and tried to scoot away from her, only for my back to hit a solid surface. A headboard, I realised.
"Who the f*ck are you?!" I asked, not bothering to filter out the curse word as I sat up on the hard mattress. My breath hitched when I saw that my left hand was tied tightly to the bedpost with a rough manila rope.
My body shivered from the low temperature in the room.
"Sorry, darling, that is just a precaution," the woman said with a mischievous grin as she poked at my restrained limb, making me clench my jaw. A wave of nausea came over me at the sound of the pet name. Only Arthur calls me that!
Oh, heck!
Arthur and Merlin!
Dallas!
"We cannot have you running away, now!" she added and she skipped along the cracked wooden floorboards as she headed towards a wardrobe that seemed to be close to breaking apart.
I gazed at my surroundings and found that I was in a fairly large room with dark stone walls covered in cobwebs. The wardrobe, sheetless bed, and a beige carpet (I couldn't tell if it was really beige, or just that dirty) were the only pieces of furniture in it, and the window was barred with wooden poles.
"Where the hell am I?" I questioned. I honestly doubt I'll get a straight answer, though.
"This is your new home!" the woman exclaimed. She retrieved a puffy mustard-yellow dress with black trimmings from the wardrobe.
"Sure it is," I scoffed as my eyes started to scan the room for a way to escape.
"Consider yourself one of the lucky ones, darling," she stated while smiling widely. I really wish she'd stop doing that! "My Jarl is an enchanting man, and he will make you very happy!"
I gulped as my heart-rate accelerated even more. "Who the f*ck is Jarl?"
And who the f*ck names their kid 'Jarl'.
"He is my son, and an incredible merchant! He owns this place!" she replied proudly as she dropped the dress onto my lap.
I clenched my jaw to hold back a sneeze that threatened to emerge due to the dust that flew off the garment.
I looked down at my body and recoiled when I realised that my riding helmet, vest and boots were missing; and so were my dark green hoodie and my denim jacket; leaving me only in a black base-layer, dark grey riding leggings, and mismatched polka dot socks. In between my reduced clothing and the state of the room, it's no wonder I'm so cold!
"What do you think? Is it not the perfect wedding dress?" the woman asked as she looked at the ugly yellow thing she calls a 'dress' lying on top of me.
The air was suddenly knocked out of my lungs and I choked on saliva. "Wedding?!"
"I told you! You and Jarl!" she responded with a raspy giggle that made my intestines twist. "My, you must have hit your head hard when you fell off your horse!"
Her words caused lava to pool in my stomach. "Where's my horse?!" I asked while lunging forwards – fruitlessly because my arm was yanked back by the rope, the pull sending a wave of pain up my limb all the way to my shoulder, where a slight throbbing sensation settled in.
The woman took a dagger out of a pocket on her skirt and she pointed it at my ribcage.
"Oh, it ran away! The men could not catch any of them!" she answered, still keeping her repulsive smile despite her menacing body language.
I let out a shaky exhale. At least Dallas is relatively safe, and so are Tequila and Falcon.
"Where are my friends?" I questioned next while narrowing my eyes.
"Now, darling. You should get dressed. Jarl has a surprise for you waiting downstairs!" she said.
A chill ran through my bones. If she's avoiding the question, it's because the answer isn't pleasant. However, I can't fixate on that right now. I need to escape first, and then I can figure out a way to find them – or maybe run back to Camelot and get help.
Maybe I can get the woman to free me. I know that I can outrun her.
"How the heck am I supposed to get dressed!?" I questioned while gently tugging on the rope for emphasis while ignoring the raw pain around my wrist.
"Oh! My mistake! I will help you!" she said and took a step closer, reaching to retrieve the dress while she continued to clench the dagger in one of her hands.
I took that opportunity to grab the back of her head with my free hand and I slammed it against my knee, grunting from the pain that the impact brought on. That move always seems so effortless in the movies! Thankfully, the pain was not caused in vain because the woman was instantly knocked out cold.
I felt my lips curve upwards. Natasha Romanoff would be proud of me!
Swallowing the disgust I felt as her unconscious body landed on top of my legs, I reached for her hand and pried her hairy fingers off the dagger, then I kicked her off me and quickly cut the rope. It had been tied so tightly that angry red burn marks covered my wrist. I gently went to touch them with my thumb, instantly flinching at the sensitivity. Whatever, it'll heal. I stood up and slowly walked towards the door, suddenly feeling glad that I'm not wearing shoes as I noticed the decayed floorboards that surely would've made some noise if I were.
I stood on my toes and peeked out of the small barred window on the door. There were two guards outside the room.
I can only imagine what kind of man 'Jarl' is if the only way he can get a wife is by kidnapping a small girl barely out of her teenage years and tying her up in a guarded room.
With a sigh, I tried the doorknob and I grinned when I found that it wasn't locked. I pushed out and immediately raised my arms to defend myself against the guards, whose jaws dropped. One of them reacted quickly and charged at me. I kicked him backwards and then stabbed him in the neck. Pushing down the light-headedness caused by the sight of blood and the nauseated feeling that hit me at the instant realisation that I just killed someone without hesitation, I turned to the other guard and stabbed him in the stomach just as he was reaching for his sword.
Both men fell to the ground and I took off running in a random direction, knowing that their screams of agony were bound to alert someone that something went wrong.
Soon, I came across a dimly lit staircase and stumbled my way down them as I struggled to fully make out the steps. I suddenly tripped over an uneven step and fell to my butt with a groan, sliding down the last four steps. I inhaled sharply and bit down on my bottom lip to restrain a cry when the dagger I stole slipped out of my right hand and cut the palm. I looked down and my stomach churned at the sight of a dizzying gash.
Whatever. I can deal with cuts.
I pushed myself to my feet and winced at the pain that throbbed in my seat-bones.
The sounds of men cheering echoed through the corridors, startling me. Oh, Merlin and Arthur! I decided to ignore the different sources of pain that now plagued my body and I used the dagger to cut a strip off the bottom of my base-layer. I tied that to my bleeding hand and prayed that it would hold long enough for me to get some sort of medical care before I drop dead from blood loss, or something.
All of my instincts screamed for me to run in the opposite direction, but I know that I need to at least get a glimpse of what is going on with the men cheering. For all I know, my boys could be involved. I remember when Gwen was kidnapped and the guy in charge held gladiator fights against Wilddeorens.
I pressed my back against the wall and slowly began creeping towards the sound.
I could see an archway with an open barred door, and past that was a large crowd of men. Fortunately, their backs were turned towards me as they gathered in a semi circle around the centre of the room while they shouted and clapped in exhilaration.
I held my breath and quickly hid behind a column.
I know that if they spot me, I'll be dead before I can even think about running. Or worse. There's no telling what sorts of evil things they could do to me.
Pushing on would be like jumping into a volcano. The only way to ensure my survival would be to run away right now and never look back. However, I can't leave my boys. I'll blindly risk my life for them any day of the week.
So I started to creep closer again while still sticking to the wall.
My eyes widened when I saw none other than freaking Merlin being tightly restrained by a man, just past the archway. It's hard to miss him, given his larger-than-average ears and the beige jacket and red neckerchief he always wears.
Relief flooded my veins. I'm safe now. All I have to do is let him know I'm here. Somehow.
Oh, fork, and if he's being restrained, it can only mean one thing! The men must be doing something to Arthur!
The thought of a single perfect blond lock on his head being harmed was enough to fill me with the courage I needed to keep moving.
With a shaky inhale, I hurried the last few steps towards Merlin and I used my stolen dagger to stab the man that was holding him hostage in the back of his neck. He dropped to the ground with a gurgling sound and my best friend turned around with widened eyes.
His jaw dropped when our eyes connected, then his lips curved upwards. He grabbed my elbow firmly and pulled me back some metres into the corridor. "You're all right!" he exclaimed in a whisper.
"Yeah," I breathed out. "Where's Art?"
"In there… Fighting Gwaine…"
I couldn't help the grin that formed on my lips at the thought of getting to see my great friend again. Then I frowned when I processed the 'fighting' part of his statement.
He gave me a wink and then turned his attention back to the room. He whispered what was likely an enchantment and his eyes glowed gold.
A candle in the room suddenly exploded and the fire rose until it reached some ropes that hung from the ceiling. It soon began spreading throughout the entire room. The men began to scream in panic and many hastened to get out.
Merlin pushed me against the wall, keeping me shielded from view, and he peeked inside the room.
It wasn't long before Gwaine and Arthur reached us and I felt like I could breathe again, despite the chaos surrounding me.
"Astra!" the Prince exclaimed and he rapidly reached to grab my right hand as the four of us took off running.
I winced when the pain in my palm intensified from the contact and pulled it out of his grasp before jumping to his other side and offering him my left hand. He shot me a questioning look, but didn't say anything as he gripped my limb firmly.
We followed the stampede of men towards an exit, and then broke away and ran in the other direction, heading towards the forest.
I struggled to keep up with Arthur even more so than usual, considering that my knee still throbbed, and that my butt still hurt, and that my hand still bled, and that my shoulder hurt, and that my wrist burned, and that I don't have any shoes on… But I swallowed any verbal complaints and pushed my legs to move faster until we finally stopped to breathe some minutes later.
Arthur let go of my hand only to wrap me tightly in his arms and pick me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms over his shoulders to keep myself from falling. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck and he did the same to me. I could feel his chest heaving against mine, and his laboured exhales hit my skin and sent a tingling warmth down my spine. Something that was very welcome in the chilly weather.
About a minute of stillness must've gone by as we both tried to regulate our oxygen intake while clinging to each other.
"Are you all right?" he asked in a whisper.
"Mostly," I responded truthfully.
He gently set me down on my feet and kept an arm around my waist while his other hand cupped the side of my face as his eyes scanned it. I leaned into his touch and took in a deep breath.
"You are pale," he noted.
I averted my gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed to reveal all of the injuries that I sustained. It would be one thing if they were battle wounds, but they're all the product of my own stupidity.
"Astra – what happened? What did they do to you?" he pressed.
"Nothing, really," I replied. "I woke up tied to a bed, n' a yucky lady told me that I was gonna marry her son… I didn't stay to ask for more deets."
His hand slid off my face and skimmed my right arm all the way to my hand. He gently lifted it and analysed the improvised bandage on it.
"I'm fine," I promised. "'Tis but a flesh wound."
"You're bleeding," Merlin noted, suddenly appearing beside us as he also scanned my hand.
Arthur carefully unwrapped the strip of cloth and I averted my gaze when the gash came into view. It's uglier than I remember it being. And I think that the boys agreed that it's not a pretty sight as they gasped.
Gwaine gasped, too! Because he's here!
I turned towards him with a grin, "Hi, Gwainester."
"It is great to see you, Trae," he responded with a gentle smile.
"Astraea – what happened?!" Arthur questioned once more.
I sighed before responding, "I lost my grip on the dagger I stole…" Which I left buried in a man's neck. Oops.
What a psychopath I have become.
"And your wrist?" Merlin asked while nodding towards my left hand, which was lazily resting on Arthur's bicep, which unknowingly supported the weight of my arm that my shoulder was too sore to carry.
"That's from the rope they used to tie me…"
"And the rest of your clothes?" Arthur inquired. I simply shrugged in response. He sighed and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Then he turned to Merlin and commanded, "Give her your jacket."
"No, it's fine," I protested, not wanting to inconvenience my friend. "I'm fine."
"You are shivering," Merlin pointed out as he obediently shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I gave him a little grateful grin.
Arthur gently wrapped the strip of cloth around my hand again, then he rounded my waist with one arm once more and he kept me anchored to his side while I rested my head against his chest.
"Well, that is somewhere I will not be in a hurry to see again," Gwaine commented once Merlin and Arthur were done playing doctor.
"You can say that again," I said with a little forced chuckle.
"Best stay out of trouble, then," Arthur replied – aimed at Gwaine.
"I could say the same to you," Gwaine shot back with a smirk.
"You could do, but I would not have any idea what you are talking about," Arthur responded, a bit dryly for my taste.
"Oh, come on. You must have done something to end up in a hole like that," Gwaine stated.
Arthur looked our friend up and down, then he rolled his eyes. "Actually, we are on a quest."
"Again," I added under my breath.
"We are looking for the Cup of Life," Merlin revealed. Arthur turned towards him with a look of shock, then he smacked the back of his head. "Ow! What!?"
"Hey, behave," I scolded the Prince while grabbing free arm and pushing it down. My shoulder protested the movement and I winced slightly. Luckily, I don't think he noticed as his gaze remained on Merlin.
"What part of the word 'secret' did you not understand!?" he spat.
"It's Gwaine!" Merlin argued.
Arthur seemed to be about to retort, but Gwaine cut in before any more injuries could occur. "Gentlemen, dear Lady; it seems whatever it is that you are after, you could use a little help."
"Yes we could!" I chirped and raised my left hand to offer a high-five, only for my shoulder to protest once again, only more loudly and causing me to flinch and grunt.
There's no way that went unnoticed…
"What was that?!" Arthur asked in alarm not a second later.
"I accidentally pulled too hard on the rope. I'm fine."
"Any other injuries I should know about?" he demanded while raising an eyebrow.
I puffed and looked down. Might as well reveal the only thing missing. He's bound to notice my limp, anyway. "I kneed the yucky lady in the face and it hurts a little… But it's fine!"
"You kneed her in the face?!" an amused Gwaine asked with a chuckle.
"To knock her out and steal her dagger…" I responded sheepishly.
"Astra," Arthur breathed out as he regarded me with a soft gaze. "You are unbelievable."
My face warmed up and I simply shrugged a little in response. Which was a mistake because my shoulder protested again, but I managed to not let it show.
Finally, I was allowed to get out of the spotlight as the trek to get the cup resumed. My energetic mood faded soon as the uncomfortableness of being nearly barefooted and the pain in my knee became more prominent. I tried to dodge twigs and rocks on the ground, but there's only so much I can do to avoid stepping on pokey things. Still, I refused to complain. This quest has been hard enough. The last thing I need is to make it worse by whining like a baby. So I swallowed the pain and did my best to focus my attention on Arthur. Being beside him makes all of this worth it.
"Where is the cup, anyway?" Gwaine asked, breaking a long bout of silence.
"It's a secret. Artie will have to kill you if he tells you," I responded in a loud whisper and shot him a playful grin.
"That is correct," Arthur said.
"You may as well tell me, then," Gwaine replied as he smirked at the Prince. "I mean, let us be honest, you could not kill me even if you wanted to."
"Yeah? Try me," Arthur challenged while nudging our friend's side.
"I already did. Back in the arena," Gwaine stated. "I had you banged to rights, did I not?"
Merlin and I exchanged an entertained look as the Prince clenched his jaw.
"That was just a game," Arthur pointed out.
"Oh, a game, right… I won that game, did I not?"
Arthur stopped walking and turned towards Gwaine. "No you did not! One more minute and–"
"One more minute and you both would have been dead," Merlin interjected in a dead-pan. "Neither of you won. Your plan was a half-baked disaster, and if it was not for that fire we would all be pushing up daisies."
I tilted my head as he suddenly pushed past the pair with a grumpy look. What's he so upset about?
Arthur, Gwaine and I exchanged puzzled looks. Then the Prince sighed and continued walking, prompting us to do the same.
By the time we reached the location of the stupid cup – a cave of all places – half-a-day later, I was half-asleep, half-freezing, and wholly in pain. The leg that compensated for my aching knee started to hurt, too; I had a killer headache, my injured hand was numb, my feet endured several stabbings from twigs and the like, causing small cuts and some blisters; and, to top it all off, my brain was swimming in dread for what could've happened to Dallas.
"Well, do not tell me, we are actually here," Merlin said, sounding slightly surprised, as the four of us looked down at the rock-littered entrance to the natural underground shelter.
"Easy, Merlin. You would not want to rile the Prince," Gwaine quipped, earning an eye-roll from Arthur.
Arthur gently slipped his hand out of mine and he climbed down a metre-high rock. Then he turned around and reached up to me with his arms.
"S'all right. I can do it," I waved him off. I already feel like a child with how much I've hindered the journey by not being able to walk faster. The last thing I need is to embarrass myself by failing to climb down some rocks.
"You are hurt, Astra. Stop being so stubborn and let me help you," he responded with a pointed look.
I let out a puff, but complied and stepped closer to the edge, allowing him to lift me over a couple of uneven rocky steps. He set me gently on the ground, descended a bit further, and lifted me up again. The process was repeated until we reached the mouth of the cave.
"Thanks, Artie," I mumbled shyly. He kissed the top of my head before starting to walk into the cave, then he gently nudged me behind him.
"Keep her between you," he told Gwaine and Merlin.
"I'm not made of porcelain, y'know?" I grumbled.
"I do not know what that is," Arthur replied.
I huffed, but waved him off, not having the energy to explain what I meant. I just hate feeling so small and useless, y'know? I thought that that would go away with learning how to fight, but I guess it's just something that comes with being a girl.
I kind of felt like we'd stepped into C.S Lewis's 'The Silver Chair' as we moved through the cave. Its interior was full of lit candles, which provided a decent amount of illumination considering the setting. Clothes hung from lines tied to rocks, there were wooden crates with food and other items, ladders leading up to smaller chambers within, and rocks arranged to serve as tables and seats… But not a single person was in sight.
"It has to be here somewhere," Arthur whispered as he looked around.
"This feels wrong," I whispered to Merlin, who nodded in agreement.
Maybe we won't find anything and Arthur will give up! Although, if we don't get the cup, I'm sure that Cenred's people will. I doubt that Morgana has kept her mouth shut about what Leon told the court. If we do get it, though, it might end up in her hands anyway. I don't think there's a truly safe place for it other than the bottom of the ocean.
Arthur suddenly dashed towards a makeshift piece of furniture. My breath hitched when he pulled out a little boy from underneath and he gripped his shoulders. The boy seemed rightfully terrified, which caused my heart to drop to my stomach.
"Where is it? Huh? Where is the cup?" Arthur demanded as he shook the boy. "Tell me!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?! He's a child!" I protested and I ignored the pain in my right hand as I clutched his sleeve and tugged his arm away from the boy.
"Astra–"
"Just let me," I said sternly. He gave me a look of disapproval, but relented and stepped away. I kneeled down in front of the boy and gave him the best amicable grin I could paint on as I said, "Hi. I'm Astra."
I was unsurprisingly met with silence.
"Sorry about my friend. He's just overwhelmed. We're not gonna hurt you, I promise."
The boy gulped and nodded.
"Are there any adults we could speak to?" I inquired.
The boy nodded again, causing my grin to turn genuine.
Arthur suddenly gasped and he grabbed the back of Merlin's jacket (which I was still wearing) as he pulled me up and moved me behind him again.
My eyes widened when I realised that we were surrounded by adult druids. The boy ran towards one of them, a middle-aged woman, and hid behind her.
An elderly man, who I suppose must be the leader, stepped towards Arthur, who suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at his throat.
"Dude, what are you doing?!" I questioned and moved to try to get him to lower the sword, but he effortlessly pushed me behind him again.
"There is no need for violence, Arthur Pendragon," the elderly man said. "Put your sword down."
"Not without what I came for," Arthur stated.
He does know that these people have magic, right? They could set his hair on fire if they wanted to. Or turn his sword into a big lollipop… Wouldn't that be a neat trick?
"You seek the Cup of Life, do you not?" the man asked.
"I do."
The man pulled something from behind him – a chalice – and offered it to him. "It is yours."
Arthur seemed puzzled.
"Please, now. Put your sword down."
The Prince slowly lowered his sword, then he grabbed the cup. The man held onto it. "You meddle with a power you do not understand, Arthur Pendragon," he warned. "By taking the Cup of Life you risk more than you know."
Arthur forcefully pulled the cup out of the man's hold. "I will take my chances, thanks," he said dryly. "Let us go," he then commanded Merlin, Gwaine and I as he started backing away, not losing sight of the elderly man.
If he wanted to harm us, he would've done it already…
"Do yourself a favour and fill the cup with some water for the girl before she faints," the elderly man called out to us.
Arthur froze for a moment and he glanced back at me, gulping a little. I averted my gaze. He returned his attention to the man and nodded before continuing to walk.