Camelot

January, 509 AD

My dreams of exploring space with the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ended when a smoky smell filled my nostrils and transported me to a world of darkness. I became aware of a padded hard surface beneath my back, and of a cool breeze blowing over me, and of an ache around my throat.

I forced my eyes to open and was surprised to find a relieved-looking Gwaine sitting beside me.

"'Sup?" I greeted him, the sound coming out raspy, as I pushed myself into a sitting position.

My gaze found Merlin on my other side and we exchanged small smiles. Next I found Gaius kneeling beside him, also sporting a relieved look. Then I let my focus dart around my surroundings and I immediately remembered what happened. My chest was instantly flooded by dread.

"Where's Art?" I asked.

"They rode ahead," the physician replied while giving my brother and I an almost apologetic look.

"Crap!" I exclaimed while scrambling to my feet. Merlin followed suit. "That crafty b*tch figured out how to take the only knowing players off the board!"

"But she didn't count on the sorcery of Gaius's power," my brother said as he smirked at our guardian.

"You mean Hilda?" Gwaine questioned us, looking confused.

"Hilda is Morgana. Mithian confirmed it," Merlin told our companions, then we shared a wide-eyed look and sprinted over to our horses, hastening to start tacking them up.

Gwaine followed us with a dropped jaw. "What?!"

"Pops didn't tell ya'?" I asked.

"No!"

"Long story. We will tell you on the way," Merlin assured him.

I slightly raised my voice at Gwaine when he remained standing in place, looking slightly dumbfounded –"Hurry! Art's walkin' into a trap!" That seemed to wake him up and he rushed to ready Fallyn.

"Be careful, children," Gaius implored us as we mounted.

"Always," I responded and winked at him. Then I nudged Dallas onwards; with Merlin and Gwaine following on their respective horses as we took off galloping towards the border.


When we reached the border, Gwaine was able to determine that the party was travelling east thanks to some tracks that were left on the ground. I was slightly concerned to find that they weren't hoof-prints, but boot-prints. Isn't it kinda stupid to go on foot when time is of the essence to get to King Rodor?

"Guys... Dal n' I can run ahead... catch up with 'em faster," I proposed in between heavy breaths as the six of us continued to blaze through the woods.

"No!" Merlin instantly opposed.

"Absolutely not," Gwaine piled on.

"Are you insane?!" my brother asked in alarm.

"Yes," I promptly responded with a grin. Then I turned serious as I added, "We need to warn Arthur before it's too late!"

"And then what?" Gwaine questioned. "How do you propose to face Morgana without Merlin?"

"Well... she's weak because of the ageing spell... Isn't she?"

"And she still almost killed the two of you," the knight countered.

"Only 'cause she caught us off-guard..."

"Astra – you cannot go in alone," Merlin stated sharply. "Think of all the ways Odin and Morgana could use you to hurt Arthur." I gulped, remembering what she said to me when we were in Ismere. Although, to be fair, I totally prompted that all on my own. "Do you want that?"

I clenched my jaw and conceded, "No..."

"We'll get there on time, I promise," my brother continued. "But you have got to stick with us."

"Fine, let's go faster then," I grumbled and asked Dallas to speed up.


Half-an-hour later, we were able to make out a stoney structure in the distance, nestled among the wilderness; and, considering that the tracks led towards it, we figured that it was fair to assume that it must be the ancient tomb that Mithian mentioned – where her father is supposedly hiding.

Once we got decently close to the structure, we left the horses in a reasonably secure location and continued on foot; with Gwaine's sword and my bow ready to be used as we rapidly creeped along the woods.

Suddenly, Merlin's feet skidded to a stop, his eyes fixing on some trees in the distance.

"What's up?" I asked in a whisper. "Is the Merlin-tingle tingling?"

As if on cue, a bunch of armed men – presumably Odin's minions – emerged from the tree-line. My eyes widened as my brother grabbed my arm and pulled me into hiding against the lower half of an uneven stretch of land. The men sauntered along the path none-the-wiser while my friends and I shared wary looks.

"Odin's men," Gwaine whispered.

"Really? I thought they were ewoks," I quipped as my heart-rate accelerated against the sands of time.

"Not the time for sarcasm, sweetheart," the knight shot back while grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the hiding spot so that we could continue on our way.

I sighed. "Sorry, it just happens."

We pretty much crawled the rest of the way to the structure – sticking as closely as possible to the ground, lest someone sees us – and we peeked above a dip in the ground to find Odin's men apprehending some of Camelot's knights and dragging them inside the building.

"We are too late," Gwaine lamented.

The air was knocked out of my lungs by an invisible force and I almost collapsed to the dirt below, but Merlin was quick to steady me and he held my arm firmly.

"Not if we even out the numbers," he then proposed while stealing a glance at the knight.

"Sounds good to me," Gwaine nodded.

"Astra and I will look for Arthur," Merlin added.

I gulped and looked at Gwaine as I asked, "Will you be fine on your own?"

"Of course," he assured me. "We will all get back home in time for supper."

A small grin broke on my lips and I nodded, then I followed Merlin as he began to walk towards the structure.

"Hey!" Gwaine called to us again in a whisper. "Good luck!"

"You, too, buddy! Give 'em hell!" I responded and we shared a smirk.

The area was flooded with enemy soldiers and Merlin and I had to continue sticking close to the ground while rushing from tree to tree as we sought to remain undetected. I handed him my sword for protection. I prefer my bow anyway. Still, our best bet is for him to use his superpowers to cause distractions that might allow us to sneak past the guards without having to engage them.

Miraculously, we made it inside without a single incident. However, the place was almost like a maze and we shared a puzzled look. How will we ever find Arthur?! We just picked a random direction and prayed for the best.

It took us about five minutes to finally come across the dancing shadows created by torches, indicating human presence, and we followed the light towards a chamber.

Towards the centre of the room was Mithian, encased in the arms of who I guess is her father. Morgana, now looking like her normal self, stood to the side with Thanata close behind her. I almost died from pure horror when I spotted a tall, dark-haired man about to swing a sword at Arthur's neck while two other men restrained him. Merlin covered my mouth in time to silence a gasp while he whispered a spell.

Suddenly, a magical earthquake shook the ground and caused the enemies to stumble to the floor, giving my King the chance to break free and gain the upper hand with the help of Percival.

My brother and I shared a nod and promptly joined the fight.

"Honey, I'm home!" I chirped with a smirk as I slid over to Arthur and I shot a man who was creeping up behind him.

"Astra!" he exclaimed in surprise while glancing at me and he kicked the man he was battling in the nether-regions before impaling him with a sword.

"And Merlin!" my brother threw in.

The building continued to shake and chunks of roof started collapsing inside the room.

"Hurry, this way!" Merlin called out to Mithian and King Rodor. They dashed towards the archway and got out of the crumbling nightmare. Percival followed.

I grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him after them, only momentarily halting by my brother to whisper, "Get the witches."

I assume he got the witches before catching up with us, and we all sprinted out of the structure as it continued to break down.

Arthur took the front of the pack when we reached the woods, with me still in tow, and the running didn't stop. After glancing behind – I presume to make sure no one was being left behind – he lifted our joined hands and placed a kiss to the back of mine.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Never better," I replied with a grin. "You?"

"Yeah."

We halted when we spotted a swarm of enemy soldiers blocking our path.

"This way," Arthur changed course and led me in an opposite direction, our companions following.

That didn't do much good because, just some seconds later, another bunch of men jumped out from among the trees and attacked us.

I felt slightly amused when I saw Mithian grab my brother as a human shield. Then my smile faded when I realised that he still has my sword, and that my bow won't do much good when battling up close. "Oh, fork."

A man charged at me and I drew an arrow from my quiver, ducking under his arm before stabbing the back of his calf. He doubled over with a screech of pain and I literally kicked his butt, making him fall face first onto the ground. "Stay," I commanded. I turned around just in time to spot another man about to drive his sword through me. I dropped to the ground, causing him to trip over my body, and I ignored the pain in my ribs from where his legs had hit as I stood up. I grabbed another arrow and stabbed the back of his neck.

I glanced around and found that all the men were disabled, which caused me to smirk to myself, feeling proud that I managed to survive.

"Great job, my love," Arthur said as he grabbed my hand again, and my smile grew as I looked up at him. He let out a breathy chuckle and kissed the top of my head before starting to lead the way again. I assume we're going back to Camelot's territory.

I noticed King Rodor starting to fall behind, and I quickly called Arthur's attention to that. He stopped running and turned to look at the man.

"Leave me," Rodor said while leaning against a tree. Percival moved to help support him.

"That is not going to happen," Arthur sharply responded. "You are the reason we are here!"

"Leave me," the man repeated. "Save Mithian."

The Princess turned to look at Arthur with horror clear on her face.

"Follow the ridge line," my King told Percival.

"What about you?" Rodor questioned, his features showing concern. It's nice to know he cares.

"We will lead them the other way," Arthur responded.

Another pack of enemy men began to close in on us.

Mithian looked mortified as she protested against the plan.

"This is between me and Odin. You need no further part in this," my King answered, then he motioned for Percival to get going. The tall blond nodded at that and began to lead Rodor away, which forced Mithian to follow.

Arthur turned to face me with a stern look. "Go with them, Astra."

"Nope."

"Astra–"

"No! You promised we'd stick together!"

He huffed. "Fine, but keep your distance. Use your bow."

I nodded in understanding and gave him a half-smile in silent thanks. He sighed and grabbed my hand once more as we took off running, along with Merlin, in the opposite direction to which the Nemethians (or whatever they're called) went.

It was soon made clear that we're not in Camelot and that Arthur doesn't know the layout of Nemeth very well, for he soon led us into a sunken stretch of land with no easy way out.

The battle cries of the enemies could be heard in the near distance as they got closer and closer.

"Cool – now what?" I asked.

"Get as far up as you can," Arthur commanded and he gently shoved me towards the very steep slope behind us. I sighed, but complied and grabbed a protruding tree root, using it to pull myself up.

I stopped climbing at the booming sound of an angry "No!" from the man who'd been about to cut my man's head off earlier. "I want to do this myself," he snarled at his soldiers before approaching Arthur. That must be Odin, I guess.

The soldiers halted and obeyed, allowing him to face my King on his own, so I figured I should hold off on firing for now. If I kill Odin, we'll have the whole army on top of us and that'll make it harder to get out alive without my brother having to expose himself.

On the other hand, they might be obeying him out of fear and might leave us alone if he dies... What to do?

My contemplative thoughts faded away when Arthur began to fight the elder man, the clanging of their swords and their grunts of effort echoing through the forest as they took valiant swings at each other.

It didn't take long for my King to knock Odin's sword off his hands and send him tumbling backwards. Only, the noble himbo that is my husband (cue internal giggle) stepped back and allowed the man to retrieve his weapon before engaging him again.

Seconds later, Odin was on his knees with Arthur's sword pressed against his neck.

I swallowed a gasp and squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see the inevitable bloodshed.

"Arthur! Stop!" my brother commanded. A few seconds of silence followed and I dared to half-open one eye. "Think about what you're doing. What good will this achieve? How many times have you talked about bringing peace to this land? Will killing this man make that dream any closer?"

A small smile formed on my lips. My brother is incredibly awesome and wise, isn't he?

"He is right," Arthur noted to Odin in between pants. "This is no answer."

"Finish it," Odin demanded. "Finish it and be done."

I slid off the natural dirt wall and moved to Merlin's side, clutching his arm.

"And what then?" Arthur inquired. "Your people will seek their revenge... A war without an end."

"There is no other way," Odin claimed.

My King glanced towards me for a moment before returning his attention to the man, "There is another way." Odin frowned. "In return for your life, you must restore Rodor to the throne of Nemeth."

My heart swelled, flooding with pride. He's such a great man! I'm so lucky!

"Even if I agreed it solves nothing," Odin stated. "What about us, Pendragon?"

"A truce. Binding our kingdoms to peace."

"Never," the man snarled.

"Is this what you want?" Arthur snapped. "To die here, now, knowing that you condemned this land to war... Odin – we cannot let it end like this. The blood will never wash off."

"You killed my son!" Odin roared.

"You killed my father!" Arthur rose his voice above his. "We have both lost much at the other's hand. Let us lose no more, I am offering you the chance to end this. Take it!" And with that, he removed his sword from the man's neck and casted it aside before offering his hand.

"Wow," I breathed out, leaning against Merlin as I felt almost physically blown away by my King's actions.

I'm so in love.

"Take it," Arthur implored Odin again.

"So be it," the man finally relented and he took Arthur's arm, who easily pulled him to his feet. "A truce it is."


We arrived back at the castle the next morning and I followed Arthur straight to the room where Gwen told us that Rodor and Mithian are with Gaius, who is tending to the foreign king's wounds. I wanted nothing more than to take a bath and collapse in bed... with my incredible husband... and sleep for an entire week. But, y'know, diplomacy and all that.

"Your wounds are painful, Sire, but superficial," the physician was saying to King Rodor as we entered the room. "You will heal in time."

"Thank you, Gaius," the man responded with a courteous nod.

"Odin has withdrawn his army from Nemeth and its lands," Arthur announced, causing the foreign king's head to snap his way, while Mithian stood up from her seat on the bed and approached us with a smile.

"All thanks to you," she said.

Arthur glanced down at me and gave a small grin before responding, "Well everyone played their part."

"You mean Merlin," I countered with a pointed look. He scoffed and rolled his eyes playfully, causing me to giggle a little.

"I know I played my part..." Mithian called our attention back to her. "Arthur–"

"Mithian – you do not need to apologise," he cut her off kindly. "You had no choice. I would have done the same thing if it were my father."

I squeezed his hand and added, "And you did try to warn us."

"I could have gotten you killed, Astra," the Princess countered.

"I'm all right," I waved her off.

Mithian looked down for a moment and she sighed before returning her gaze to Arthur as she stated, "Camelot is fortunate to have a King such as you."

I grinned up at him once more. I love it when he gets the recognition he deserves!

"And a queen as brave as you, Astra," Mithian added, snapping my attention back to her.

My eyes widened and my lungs froze for a moment as I felt my face get warm. I mumbled a shy, "Thanks."

"It is I that is fortunate," Arthur stated and he gently squeezed my hand. "Camelot would be nothing were it not for the courage and loyalty of its friends."

I felt my heart burst with pride once again and I smirked to myself when I noticed the impressed look that Rodor gave Arthur.

We bid the Nemethians goodnight and finally started the walk towards our room.

"Artie?" I called his attention while moving closer to his side and he hummed in response as he looked down at me. "You know that I'm super, duper, ultra, mega, extremely, incredibly proud of you, right?"

A smile graced his breath-taking face.

"What you did with Odin was nothing short of... just... heroic, I guess," I continued. "I mean, you could've ended his existence right there. No one would've blamed you. But I guess you're just too good for this world. Like a beacon of hope for humanity. I wish we had someone like you where I'm from, 'cause you're just... wow..."

I didn't realise we'd entered our room until he let go of my hand to wrap his arms around my waist, and he ended my rambling with a soft kiss. "Your words mean more to me than I can express, my love," he whispered.

"Well, they're true," I affirmed while giving him a small grin.

"I am glad that you believe so," he responded and paused to press another gentle kiss to my lips. "I would not be the man I am today if it were not for you."

I gulped under the intensity of his words. Then I smirked and said, "And Merls. You can't deny he's had a big influence on you."

He huffed. "I will admit that he is not always entirely stupid."

"Oof! Wait 'til he hears you said that!"

"Cheeky woman!" he gasped before squeezing my sides, causing me to writhe away from him while laughing. In a flash, he threw me over his shoulder and carried me over to the bed, where he put me down on my back before climbing on top of me.

My breath got caught in my throat, my eyes widening as I awaited yet another classic attack of tickles. His cerulean irises bore holes into me as he scanned my face with an indecipherable expression, his arms holding his weight on either side of me while one hand slowly began to creep under the three layers of clothing I wore.

Suddenly, his lips were on mine, his tongue slipping past them without a warning. I was surprised for a nanosecond, but I promptly closed my eyes and tangled a hand in his hair while letting myself get lost in his electrifying kiss.

Then I remembered the other thing I wanted to do and I pushed him away slightly, causing him to frown for a moment before he moved on to trailing kisses along my neck.

I bit down on my bottom lip for a moment to hold back a sigh before saying, "Artie – we've been playing in the woods for three days. We gotta take a bath."

He paused to look me in the eyes again with a frown. Then a smirk grew on his lips and he hurried to stand. As soon as I sat up, he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder again while stating, "We can do both things at once!"

"Arthur!" I gasped as I felt my face get warm.