Camelot

February, 506 AD

Merlin and I reluctantly agreed to create a fake story to tell Arthur regarding why we were gone for two nights. I accompanied my best friend to the Prince's room so that we could appease him, or whatever. According to the physician, he's been extra moody thinking that we were goofing off and skipping work. It's great to know that I can count on him if I ever get kidnapped again!

That's a bizarre sentence…

I hung by the door while Merlin creeped inside the darkened room and went to open the curtains, letting the light in. "What happened?!" he asked in alarm as he glanced around the room. My eyes widened at the sight of all the random objects and clothes that were scattered about. You'd think a troop of chimpanzees broke in!

"What happened?" a groggy Arthur echoed in a grumpy tone. "I have had to make do without a servant – that is what has happened."

Merlin and I shared a puzzled look. "We were not gone for that long!" he responded.

"Without my permission?" Arthur inquired with a bit of a cute pout that caused a smile to tug at my lips.

Ugh, it sucks that Gaius made us promise we wouldn't tell the truth!

"What if I was dying?!" Merlin questioned as he began to pick up the mess. See, if I had his job, I'd make the Prince pick it up himself. And I'd probably get fired. Which would be great, 'cause I'd hate to have his job.

"I would not be complaining!" Arthur whined. "But you are not, so where have you been?"

My best friend and I connected gazes again and I gestured for him to talk. He shook his head and gestured for me to do so. I narrowed my eyes at him and returned the motion. He copied my actions, I repeated them–

"Well?" the Prince pressed.

I sighed and explained, "We were trackin' down a doctor that specialises on mental problems to help your dad," while trying to appear nonchalant as my stomach churned from the guilt of being deceptive.

Arthur sat up on his bed and the covers slid down to reveal his shirtless torso. I instantly averted my gaze towards the floor and began to play with the strings of my blue camo hoodie as my face warmed up.

"Were you successful?" he questioned, his voice now soft.

"We think so," I answered. I mean, we did burn that thing that Morgana had hung under Uther's bed, right?

"He gave us a remedy and Gaius is optimistic that it may work," Merlin added.

Arthur let out a long sigh, "That is great news. Thank you."

"Of course," "Anything for you," Merlin and I replied at the same time.

My best friend shuffled around and I watched from the corner of my eye as he got something from the wardrobe and flung it at the Prince. A shirt! Arthur was quick to pull it on and I grinned to myself, finally returning my gaze fully towards him.

"Merlin, get me my breakfast," he commanded while waving my friend off.

The sorcerer snorted before responding, "Yes, Sire," and he promptly left the room, giving my side a gentle nudge as he walked past me.

"And you," Arthur continued, now addressing me, "come here."

I didn't need to be told twice as I dashed towards him and threw myself into his waiting embrace, hugging him tightly. The heavenly feeling of being in his arms was amplified by the lingering feeling of almost dying and I nestled my face on his shoulder while letting out a long sigh that got rid of a mountain of tension in my body.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you, too," he responded as he ran a hand up and down my back, causing me to melt further into his hold. "Would you have breakfast with me?"

"Heck yeah."

I went in search of Merlin after I was done working with the horses for the day – and, oh, how I'd missed Dallas! – so that I could ask him something that had been burning in the back of my mind ever since I heard it being said.

I found him in Arthur's room, sitting at the dining table while folding some laundry. I casually strode inside and scanned the space to make sure that we were alone. Then I asked bluntly, "What the heck did Morgause mean when she said that you poisoned one of her own?"

Merlin instantly paused all movements and he dropped his head. I frowned and stepped closer to him, moving to sit on the table next to the laundry basket.

I gave him a few seconds, then I pressed when he didn't reply, "Merls?" He sighed. "What did you do?"

"It is best if you do not know, Astra. I do not want you to get involved," he mumbled.

"I'm already involved!" I argued.

"Astra–"

"Merls…"

He sighed again, "Remember when Morgause caused everyone in the castle to fall asleep?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, Kilgharrah said that spells of such strength require a vessel from which to draw power…"

"Uh-huh…"

"The vessel was Morgana, and I had to poison her to stop the spell…" he continued in a whisper.

"How?! That's insane!" I exclaimed, earning a bewildered look that instantly made me lower my voice. "Does this mean that Morgause got to her earlier? Could she be under some sort of mind-control?"

"I do not believe so, Astra," he responded remorsefully. "I think they have been allies since before she went missing."

I gulped, feeling some sort of weird pain spreading through my chest, and I bit down on my bottom lip. Morgana was all right with Morgause killing everyone? Arthur? Merlin? Gaius? Even Gwen?!

"Wait, so why didn't the spell affect me?" I asked. "I never made any deals with that witch."

"We believe that she wanted to protect you," Merlin answered.

I scoffed, "That's cute."

"I am sorry, Astra," he said while placing a hand on my knee. "I know that you had faith in her."

"S'all right," I waved him off, the painful feeling in my chest only intensifying. "She can't deceive us anymore… what she can do is kill us…"

"I would never let that happen, Astra," he promised.

I let out a shaky breath and nodded.

An emergency council meeting was called and I reluctantly made my way towards the council chambers. I still had a hole in my heart from the sting of a harsh reality and there was a lump stuck in my throat, a mix that had me feeling very deflated. As you may imagine, the enigmatic 'emergency' didn't make things at all better.

Given that Uther was still recovering, Arthur was the one to take charge of the meeting and he did so with great authority, which was slightly heart-warming to see.

I hung back by a column with Merlin, not really having the energy or mental clarity to engage with the council at the moment. Especially at the sight of Morgana in the room, which caused my stomach to churn.

Sir Leon stepped forwards and explained that he and his team of scouts had seen something troubling – an army making its way towards Camelot. Obviously, I wasn't surprised, since I already knew that Morgause was orchestrating an attack. The news simply caused a huge knot of guilt to form in my gut. Gaius should've let Merlin and I warn Arthur earlier!

"I estimate they will reach the city within two days," the knight concluded in a grave tone.

"Under whose banner do they march?" Arthur questioned, looking absolutely troubled as he paced the room slowly.

"Cenred, Sire," Leon responded. "We knew he was amassing an army–"

"How many men?"

I sent a hopefully discreet glare towards Morgana. How can she be so okay with this?! Does she know how many innocent lives could be lost?! Lives that might not agree with Uther's views of magic?! Lives that might possess magic in secret?! She's no better than him if she's willing to sacrifice so many people to get to one person!

I stepped closer to Merlin in search of comfort and he gently took my hand.

"Twenty-thousand, maybe more," Leon responded.

My eyes widened and my heart began to race. That's way too many people! I mean, I'm not sure how big Camelot's army is, but I doubt we can match them…

"I fear that news of the King's illness has spread beyond our borders," Gaius commented. "Cenred sees an opportunity."

"Then we must find a way to appease him," Leon suggested.

I bit down on my bottom lip and dropped my head. He can't be appeased. Not if he's operating as Morgause's lapdog. And, well, we all know that the only way to appease her is if we were to kill both Pendragons. I'd rather be thrown into a boxing ring with Hulk than see Arthur harmed in any way.

"That is not what my father would do, he would not bow to our enemies," Arthur responded with a slight shake of his head.

"Forgive me, Sire," Gaius cut in, gaining the Prince's attention, "we are outnumbered two-to-one."

So is he gonna get in the ring with Morgause and try to knock some sense into her? That's gonna end well…

"What concessions will Cenred insist on? What territories will he demand?" Arthur inquired.

"We do not have to give him anything," Gaius noted, "but opening the room for negotiation could buy us valuable time."

I raised my eyebrows. That's not a terrible idea. We can stall him for a day or two and bring in reinforcements… Do we have reinforcements? Can Arthur ask allied kingdoms for help? How does this crap work? War is stupid.

"It shows weakness, Gaius," Arthur argued a bit snappily. I can't imagine the stress he must be under, and the thought caused my stomach to churn again. I wish I had a way to make things easier for him. "There is only one course of action open to us," he concluded as he moved to sit on the kingly chair at the head of the table. "We must prepare the city for siege."

That sounds jolly… I wouldn't mind being stuck in a maths exam right about now, rather than here… Nope. Bad brain. You wanted to be here. Suck it up and find a way to support Arthur.

"Are you sure that is wise?" Leon questioned, looking slightly spooked.

"The castle is our strongest weapon," Arthur responded firmly. "No army has ever taken Camelot."

No one had ever conquered the Aztecs until the Spanish came along… No one had ever conquered the Greeks until the Romans happened… The same could apply to countless historical events, but you get the point. What do I know, though? It could work.

"But what about the people in the outlying villages?" the knight pushed back. I pursed my lips. That's a great point.

"We will give them refuge within the city walls," Arthur responded.

"And what of their houses? Their livelihoods? Cenred will destroy everything in his path!" Leon argued. Y'know what? He's pretty cool. The image of a knight. I wonder why there aren't any movies about him? He's not even mentioned in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'!

"But they will have their lives," Arthur countered, the weight of the decision clouding the enchanting colour of his eyes. "Go. Ready the army."

I lay on my bed with the upper half of my body hanging upside down as I tried to come up with a way to protect the horses – to protect Dallas! – from the impending attack. They are totally exposed out in the paddocks, and I'd be a clown to harbour hope that Cenred's men might leave them alone. They could hurt them! Kill them! Kidnap them!

Perhaps they could be moved into the grand hall… But the castle's already gonna be taking in refugees from around the kingdom and the building will be crowded as it is. We could empty the hay shed and put as many as we can inside, but that structure isn't very sturdy and could fall easily or, heaven forbid, be ignited!

What if I could find a farmer to give them sanctuary until everything is over? I could use Dallas to herd them all towards the place, and I'll return on foot… Oh, do you know what I wish we had? Bicycles! Why did it take people until the 1800s to come up with those?! They're so practical and don't require a lot of brain power to think up!… Anyways. Cenred's army marches from the east so, if I find a farm that's west of the castle…

I don't really know any farmers outside of the names I've read when going over petty land and money disputes with Uther…

You might think that my priorities are a bit confused. I'm here thinking about the horses when people are about to lose their homes. But someone has to think about the animals, y'know? Especially when Dallas means so much to me. He has saved my life in more ways than one, so the least I can do is try my best to protect him.

With my mind made up, I pulled on my socks – which I'd taken off when I'd returned to my room – and went in search of Arthur.

Not unexpectedly, I found him in his room, standing over his desk while going over some papers. I tapped the door to make my presence known and he raised his head, a small grin appearing on his lips when our eyes connected.

"Hey, Artie. Is this a bad moment?"

"There is never a bad moment with you," he responded tenderly while motioning for me to come closer; so closer I went, a blush forming on my face at his sweet words.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

He let out a sigh and grabbed my arm once I was close enough, pulling me into a hug. I rested my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I am not sure if I made the right decision," he responded in a low tone.

"I'm not sure that there's a right decision," I said. He pushed away slightly to connect our gazes and I bit down on my lip for a moment while arranging the ideas in my mind before explaining, "There's nothing right about war, so there aren't any 'right' decisions. Only smart or dumb, and I think that your plan is smart. Certainly smarter than facin' 'em out in the open…"

Arthur's hand brushed my cheek and I instinctively leaned into his touch as he left it resting there. "There will still be casualties, though," he whispered.

"I know," I sighed, "but, this way, you're minimising the numbers."

He gave a little nod. I lifted my hand to cover his and pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist.

"Believe in yourself, Artie," I continued. "You're doing the best you can in a very complicated situation. I can't imagine the stress you're under, but know that the people believe in you… I believe in you, for whatever that's worth…"

Arthur leaned down to kiss me when I trailed off and I happily allowed myself to get lost in the heavenly feeling of his soft lips against mine and the warmth radiating off his body as he pulled me closer to his chest.

"That is worth everything to me, Astra," he said in a low tone when we separated to get some oxygen in.

I felt myself blush again and I kissed his cheek. "You're a great leader, Artie. If anyone can get us through this, you're it."

"Thank you," he whispered and he rested his forehead against mine. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He pressed his lips against mine again and I promptly melted like caramel, especially when he deepened the kiss by gently running his tongue over my bottom lip. I still can't get fully used to the feeling of that strange invasion, but the sparks that it sends through my spinal cord every time let me know that it's not unpleasant; simply foreign.

I pulled away when I remembered what I'd really come here for. I mean, I obviously had also wanted to check on him; but the horse thing is important, too!

"There's somethin' else I need to talk to ya' about…" I revealed.

Arthur gave me another quick kiss, "Anything."

"Well… I'm worried that the horses might get hurt… so I kinda came up with a plan to maybe protect them? If you're okay with it…" I mean, I'll find a way to do it anyway if he doesn't agree. Dallas means the world to me. But it'd still be nice to get his seal of approval, y'know?

Arthur stared at me for longer than is probably considered normal, and I started to get a little antsy. He suddenly smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Well?" I pressed shyly.

"Leave it to you to worry about the horses," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Someone has to…" I mumbled while averting my gaze. I'm not being ridiculous, am I?

"And the way you care about everyone is one of the many things I love about you," he responded with a sweet smile that caused my heart to skip like five beats, and then do a cartwheel, and then maybe drool a little.

"So you're okay with me doing this?" I asked, a hopeful smile quickly forming on my face.

"Of course," he responded before giving me another quick kiss. "I think I know of someone who would be perfect for the task. Allow me to fetch a map."

He released his hold on me – I had to restrain a whine at the loss of warmth – and he went to get something from a drawer in his desk. He retrieved a large paper parchment, and he extended it upon the table.

"There is a man named Paul Potter, who is one of the breeders who supply us with horses," Arthur explained. "He lives somewhere around here..." he circled a spot on the map. "His property is large and a big white stone house sits in the middle. You cannot miss it."

If I ever doubt why I ever fell for him, please refer me back to this moment. He's incredible!

"Thank you, Artie. This means a lot," I told him softly and moved to hug him from the side as he remained standing over his desk.

He wrapped an arm over my shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of my head before resting his chin on it. "I would join you, but I have a lot of preparations to take care of," he mumbled.

"It's all right, I can take it from here," I assured him.

"Please take someone with you," he asked. "Gareth, Merrick, Louis…"

"Of course," I agreed with a nod.