Camelot

February, 507 AD

The cool rush of wind against my face feels a thousand times sweeter now that I've gone so long without it. The smell of wood and leaves in the forest is almost intoxicating. And I've certainly missed the freedom of an open space ahead – no fences, no gates, no prying eyes. Just the seemingly endless brown and green expanse around as my horse's hooves thunder powerfully below me. Were it not for the sound of keratin colliding with the ground below, I would've almost believed we are flying.

I glanced backwards and my eyes widened when I realised that Gwaine and Fallyn were nowhere in sight. I must've really gotten into this galloping thing… Feeling slightly guilty about leaving my friend behind, I slowed down Dallas into a trot, then a walk, and finally a halt. I rewarded him with a piece of carrot and allowed him to graze while I waited for my companions to catch up. They did so about a minute later.

"If I did not know you, I would think you were trying to run away," Gwaine accused as he slid Fallyn to a stop next to Dallas.

I gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I got lost in the moment."

"I cannot say I blame you. I would go mad if I was forced to stay inside for so long," he replied with a snort.

"I wasn't forced," I argued in a weak mumble.

"Coerced? Guilted?"

I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment before responding, "He's just been extra worried, that's all."

We began walking again, in silence.

If you must know, Arthur has been keeping an extra tight grip on my metaphorical reins ever since Uther passed away, refusing to let me out of his sight for long periods of time and keeping me in the castle under the pretence of 'administrative matters' or 'needing my company'. I've never once complained. I can empathise with him. And I don't like being away from him, either, knowing that murder attempts are almost a weekly thing for us.

Also, if he needs someone to cling to for comfort, I'm more than happy to be that person. I wish I'd had that back in Texas. I don't want to be ungrateful to Gustab and Kelly, they did their best and I never really told them the truth about what went on, but I still had to go through hell on my own – and I'd die before letting Arthur experience the same.

However, Gwaine managed to convince him to let me join him on his patrolling shift. The Prince – I mean, King – wasn't too thrilled with the idea at first, seeing as the knight and I aren't exactly the most serious of people, but he finally relented after I confessed how much I miss being outside and around nature. I mean, I still work with the horses every day, but a confined riding arena can never equate to the open wilderness. It's where I feel more in-touch with myself. At liberty to feel and think whatever. Something that I desperately need. Uther's death hit me much harder than I'd be willing to admit aloud, and I can't let it show inside the castle. Not when Arthur needs me to be strong.

Sure, Uther could be a bastard most of the time; but he became a parental figure to me, in a way. All of this would've been so much easier if he'd been absolutely evil, but he was only human. Flawed, and plagued by nightmares and trauma. Wrong on many things, but still capable of love and kindness – even if you had to dig really deep to find it. I miss him. I really do. I miss annoying him while also helping him with state affairs; I miss our games of chess, which were never dull despite his inability to best me; and I miss our entertaining bantering.

Losing Lancelot and then him so soon after has me thinking about death often. Not my death. That's never scared me. It has me re-living the loss of my parents in my nightmares. And Galileah, Skylo, Gustab... Even worse, it has me once again restlessly pondering the million ways in which the people I still have with me could be ripped away in an instant.

"You are unusually quiet, Trae," Gwaine stated, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Just thinkin'," I mumbled in reply.

"About what?"

"Life," I responded with a nonchalant shrug.

More silence ensued.

We arrived at a creek and hopped off our horses; giving them time to rest, graze, and drink. Then we plopped down on the ground with our backs resting against a large tree. I could feel my friend's curious gaze on the side of my face, but he said nothing.

"I-I'm just... I'm tired of losing friends," I confessed after a couple of minutes. Gwaine kept his eyes on me, but didn't reply. "The blows don't stop comin', y'know? Just when you think you might get a breather – bang! Another one bites the dust…" I clenched my jaw and shook my head in an attempt to keep the incoming tears from pooling in my eyes. "I've been lying to Arthur… Telling him that it gets better with time..." I trailed off when I suddenly noticed how easily I'm spilling all of this onto my friend.

Crap, he's gonna think I'm going mad!

"The grief?" Gwaine inquired softly. I nodded. "You do not think it does?"

I took in a deep breath before saying, "This psychologist that I saw one time told me that losing someone's like a gunsh–" I cut myself off before I could blurt out 'gunshot', "a stab wound." I stopped to gulp. "Hurts like hell at first, but the pain slowly fades until all that's left is a scar. A reminder. But it's not painful anymore…"

I frowned at my own words, finding that they taste almost bitter.

"You do not agree," Gwaine noted.

I instantly shook my head. "I think it's more like a..." I paused as I tried to think of a way to describe it and my brain suggested Doctor House. "A chronic injury. The pain's always there, you just get better at ignoring it, or managing it… There are good days, and bad days. But it never truly goes away. You just learn to live with it…"

I let out a shaky sigh and risked a glance up at the knight. There wasn't anything like pity or concern in his eyes. Just curiosity. And maybe understanding?

"And how much pain are you in, sweetheart?" he asked in a soft whisper.

My heart stopped beating for a moment under the heaviness of the question and I forced out a chuckle, "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?"

"I guess you have had a lot of love in your life, then," Gwaine stated.

I snorted before echoing, "I guess."

"Is it worth it?"

I looked away for a second as I thought back to the wise advice that my Aunt gave me the last time I saw her. Then my eyes moved towards Dallas and a small grin curved my lips. I thought of Arthur and Merlin, and then I looked back at Gwaine. "Yeah. I think it is."

I huffed in frustration after I was knocked backwards onto the grass by none other than King Arthur. Yeah, that King Arthur. What can I say? I'm a lucky girl.

Well, maybe not right now.

He hovered above me with a grin on his soft lips and I tried to push him off me, but he didn't even budge. "You're a jerk," I grumbled with a pout. He responded by kissing me and I instantly protested, "Dude! There's a crowd!" while lightly punching his chest in another attempt to regain my personal space. He simply chuckled and remained in place, his eyes scanning my face in a way that caused my insides to melt while his nose faintly brushed mine.

I glanced around, noticing the knights of the round table leaning against a wall with smirks on their faces. Yeah, those knights of the round table. I'm telling ya', I'm a lucky girl. Still not right now, though.

Or maybe...

"Gwainester? A hand?" I called out.

Gwaine grinned and he grabbed a wooden sword off a rack, then he stepped towards Arthur and I. "I am going to have to ask you to step away from my little friend, Sire," he said as he pointed the (almost) harmless weapon at the King.

Arthur scoffed as he turned to face the knight with a playful glare. The slight tilt of his body freed up some space for my legs and I was able to get my knee up and hit him in the stomach. He groaned and finally rolled off me.

"Yay! Teamwork!" I chirped as I scrambled to my feet and then I ran to high-five my great friend, who was laughing along with the rest of the knights.

Arthur glared at us as he got up, still clutching the spot where I kneed him.

"There, I beat ya'. Can we get back to trainin' with swords, now?" I asked him while slightly hiding behind Gwaine out of fear that he might attack me again.

"You have to do it without any help. You cannot always rely on weapons, Astra," he argued. I puffed.

The reason why I was so ungraciously knocked to the ground is that the new King is trying hard to get me to improve my hand-to-hand combat skills. It's not that my reflexes are bad, but that my physical strength doesn't – and will never – match the one held by most men, which is a huge disadvantage I have as a knight. Apparently; a sword, a bow, a bright mind, and a speedy horse can only carry me so far.

"Well, then you're gonna have to get me a super-soldier serum," I mumbled under my breath as I reluctantly left my hiding place and moved towards Arthur again, ready for another round of getting my butt kicked.

However, Gwaine grabbed my arm and gently pulled me back for a second. "Go for his legs," he whispered, then winked. I grinned at him in thanks and skipped over to the King, ready to try out the knight's suggestion.

It worked for a moment and I managed to make Arthur fall. But I got too distracted with smirking triumphantly at the team and he grabbed my leg, tripped me, and quickly got back on top of me as he pinned me to the ground. My smirk was wiped out in an instant as one formed on his lips.

"Darn it," I grunted.

He chuckled and got up before helping me to my feet.

"I don't think I like you anymore."

The best solution I was able to find to my current problem was to curl up in bed with my tablet – trying my best to ignore my sore muscles – and analyse scenes of Black Widow fighting in my large collection of MCU movies. She spectacularly holds her own in a world full of super-soldiers, robots, and Norse gods; so surely I can learn something from her and apply it in my world of knights – right?

I quickly found one flaw with my plan, though, and that's that she's incredibly flexible and graceful, while I have stiff joints from all my years of riding horses, and two left feet.

My close analysis was interrupted by a knock on my door. I huffed in frustration and hid my tablet under the covers before going to unlock it. The annoyance I felt from being interrupted instantly turned into happiness when I found Merlin on the other side.

"There's my favourite human," I greeted with a smile. He grinned back at me and entered the room, then he closed the door behind him.

"I have news that will interest you," he stated.

My heart skipped a beat in anticipation. "What's up?"

He bit the inside of his cheek for a second and then he smiled again as he finally responded in a low tone, "It is a long story, but what matters is that there is a chance that Kilgharrah might not be the last of his kind."

My jaw dropped. "What?!"

"There is a man staying in Camelot who used to be Gaius's pupil, and he holds the location of a dragon's egg, as well as the key to getting to it," he explained further, causing my eyes to widen in wonder. I certainly want another friend dragon! "The final piece of the key is here in the castle, but we have to sneak into the vaults to get it."

"But Artie has the keys to that," I pointed out with a frown. My best friend gave a mischievous smile and nodded. I smirked, "Let's plan a heist!"

Merlin assured me that Arthur is still sleeping – I hadn't even realised that the sun is up! – and that we can safely sneak into his room to steal the keys. So into the royal chambers we went, trying to be as silent as possible.

The Prince – sorry, King – was adorably snuggled up with some pillows. I had to force myself not to stare at his partly uncovered torso as Merlin and I quietly went around the bed and towards the bedside table, where multiple keychains hang.

With a pensive look on his face, my brother began to rummage through the keys for the one we need. How he knows which one's which is beyond me, 'cause they all look the same; so I simply watched him uselessly.

I gripped Merlin's arm when Arthur turned around on his bed, facing us. Then his eyes opened and I gulped as he scanned us for a moment. "What on Earth are you doing?" he questioned in a deep sleepy voice that made my intestines melt a little.

Merlin hesitantly tapped on the doors to the bedside table. "Looking for woodworm," he stated before pressing his ear up against it.

Really!? That's the best thing he could come up with?!

Oh, well.

"Yeah. They're being a big problem," I supported him. "Ate through an entire chair in Gaius's place."

"And you are doing this before breakfast?" Arthur mumbled.

Seriously?! That's his problem with Merlin's dumb excuse?! He's lucky he's cute!

"That is when the worms are most active," my brother replied and he frowned at the wood. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing as I nodded along.

"Get out," Arthur demanded.

Merlin and I shared a frustrated look and begrudgingly stood up. The King's hand shot out to catch my arm, stopping me from following my brother as we began to walk away. I gave him a quizzical look. "You stay," he said softly.

My heart warmed with affection – but, as much as I want to stay with him, I can't abandon Merlin and the quest! I want a pet dragon!

Also, he's not wearing a shirt and it's making my heart do violent cartwheels.

"I can't! I gotta help Merls fight the worms!" I replied rapidly. Arthur looked disappointed but, luckily, he let me go and I dashed back to Merlin's side, linking my arm with his.

We took a few steps towards the door before my brother suddenly halted. "These need washing," he stated as he picked up some trousers and a belt that lay at the foot of the bed. I noticed that the belt carried another keychain. Smart thinking!

"So do these," Arthur said, still sleepily, and, without warning, a bunch of clothes were flung in our direction. I quickly jumped out of their trajectory and they landed on Merlin's head. He gritted his teeth as he took them into his arms and glared at the King, but he said nothing as we started walking again.

"Oh, and Merlin, before you go, I need that belt," Arthur added as he rolled over in his bed again (exposing his ridiculously muscular back, I couldn't help but notice).

Darn it, we were so close!

Merlin and I shared a frustrated pout and he reluctantly returned the belt, keychain and all, to its previous place atop the bed. Then we finally left, disappointed that we weren't able to get what we came for after so many theatrics.

I twirled a pen around my fingers while I listened to Arthur, Agravaine, and a couple of courtiers discuss border security.

I have been forced to take a painfully uncomfortable wooden chair that tortures my seat bones and is too high for my feet to reach the ground, since I've been forbidden by the councilmen from sitting on the table under the claim that it's not appropriate. At the very least, I have Salem on my lap and Arthur standing beside me to make being in the room worth my while.

I certainly enjoy the real-life game of 'Risk', but I can't help but miss when it was just Uther and I strategising on such problems. Now I feel like I'm being pushed to the background as 'more seasoned' men discuss the matters. Call me childish and selfish, I don't care.

"We need to strengthen all our outlying defences as Odin's raids only go to prove. But it is the northern borders that are particularly vulnerable," Agravaine pointed out as his finger traced said location on the map.

"We could just build a wall," I suggested, really only as a joke. "Like the Chinese… Or Hadrian… Or Trump."

"A wall would be too expensive, my Lady," Agravaine countered.

"Lady-Knight," I corrected under my breath. "And funeral arrangements for the murdered patrols, and the economic aid for their wives are expensive, too."

Arthur nodded pensively as he looked down at the map and I smirked in triumph, knowing that he's at least considering my idea. Even if it really isn't a good one. But, in my defence, my brain is fried thanks to my accidentally skipping sleep last night.

The Prince's – King's – trousers suddenly dropped and my mouth fell agape with a gasp before I quickly covered my eyes with my arm and squeezed them shut for extra measure.

"Allow me to help you, Sire!" I heard Merlin's voice along with the sound of rushed footsteps entering the room.

What's up with his brilliant plans, today?! He could've warned me!

"No, Merlin!" I heard Arthur protest.

I heard some struggle.

"Your Majesty," the sorcerer said, his voice a bit strained.

"Merlin!"

"Majesty!"

"Get off me!"

"I am trying to help you, Sire!"

A few moments of silence followed.

"There we go. Will there be anything else, Sire?" Merlin asked.

I cautiously removed my arm and sighed in relief when I saw that everything was back to normal. I sent a death-glare towards my best friend, who had a playful grin on his lips.

"No!" Arthur replied in bewilderment.

Merlin shrugged and made eye-contact with me, then he gave me a thumbs-up gesture behind Arthur's back. I guess he got the key! I snorted and shook my head at him in disbelief, and he smiled before leaving the room.

The Prince – sorry, King! – cleared his throat. I glanced up at him and noticed that his cheeks were red, and he refused to look at anything but at the map on the table. "So... a wall," he murmured.

Agravaine groaned and I shot him a wink.

I stayed up late as I awaited news from Merlin, who's currently breaking into the vaults with Gaius's friend. I wanted to go with them, but he said that I should stay behind to avoid drawing much attention from people and I reluctantly complied.

Eventually, I dozed off and woke up again at about 6:00. The realisation that I never heard from Merlin hit me like a fallen Icee machine and I scrambled to get out of bed.

Probably breaking a speed record, I changed out of my PJs and sprinted out of my room and towards Gaius's apartment, and when I didn't find Merlin there, I left the castle and ran towards the door that I know the pair were supposed to use to steal the missing piece of the key.

My heart almost got caught in my throat when I noticed Merlin's legs poking out the door frame. I ran faster until I got to him and I instantly checked his pulse.

Luckily, he's still alive and he woke up with the movement, his eyes widening when he saw me.

"What the heck happened?!" I asked as I helped him to his feet.

He groaned and reached to feel the back of his head, wincing. "I... he tricked me…"

I gulped as my stomach churned. "What's he gonna do to the egg?!"

Merlin's face fell. "We need to track him down."

"Ya' think, Watson?!"

He huffed and shook his head. "Come on, let us get back," he said and grabbed my hand.

We ran back to the castle before anyone could suspect our involvement with the theft, and we snuck in through a staircase meant for servants.

I hung just outside Arthur's room while Merlin went to return the key to the vault. Once again, the brilliant mind that can be my best friend got caught when he accidentally knocked a goblet off the nightstand. So, naturally, he jumped back into his woodworm story.

"I am getting slightly concerned about you," Arthur commented with a frown, which caused me to chuckle under my breath.

I jumped when the loud ringing of the warning bells shook the castle.

"What the hell is that?!" Arthur asked as he shot up in his bed.

Merlin and I made eye contact and I gulped.