Camelot
March, 507 AD
"But, Sire, we can win this battle. I know we can," Leon protested when Arthur announced the change of plans the next morning while we were all eating breakfast.
Merlin and I made some chocolate chip hotcakes, which have been flying off the pan despite not having turned out aesthetically pleasing (like, at all).
The team isn't too happy with Arthur's proposal, which is very discouraging. I thought that they'd be relieved that countless lives won't be put on the line, but I guess they have other concerns.
"I do not doubt it. But at what cost? How many men will be slaughtered?" Arthur questioned in a grave tone.
"And what if we were to lose this trial?" Elyan inquired. "We cannot give up our land."
"The odds are the same, El. The only difference is that only two people will be fighting, rather than a thousand," I countered.
Arthur nodded. "That is the deal I have struck. We believe it to be fair, and we will stand by it," he said sternly.
"Well, then. All that remains, My Lord, is for you to choose your champion," Agravaine stated. At least we seem to have his support.
I stepped closer to Merlin and whispered, "Maybe you can call Special K."
He snorted and shook his head as he responded in the same manner, "It would be the last thing I ever did."
I shrugged and nodded. He's right, of course – but how awesome would it be if we showed up to the battle with an airplane-sized dragon on our side?!
My eyes widened when Percival stepped forwards and gave Arthur a respectful bow. "It would be a privilege, Sire."
Elyan stepped up beside him. "Sire."
Gwaine and Leon stepped forwards as well.
"I'll do it!" I chirped as I skipped over to Arthur's side with a grin. "Maybe the Queen's warrior will be too stunned by having to fight a girl and I'll get the upper-hand." He snorted and slipped his hand into mine.
"There can only be one choice. One choice which is just and honourable," he spoke up as he squared up his shoulders. "This fight is mine."
I saw that coming a mile away – and I'd freak out; but I have a magic best friend whom I know will save him if things go south. His name's Merlin. You might have heard of him.
The knights exchanged worried glances, but no one said anything. Of course, they can't argue with the freaking King! I tilted my head when I glanced at Agravaine to spot a strange grin on his face. I guess he's simply proud of his nephew and his face just has a creepy way of showing it.
"All right, Rocky. Let's get ya' primed to kick butts," I said as I grinned up at the handsome blond who mercilessly stole my heart at some point in time.
Arthur grunted as Merlin closed the clasps on his breastplate. "Not too tight, Merlin. You do not want to kill me before I have even started."
My brother chuckled. "Right, sorry."
I smiled at the interaction while I played with the strings of my hoodie. Unlike other times when Arthur's gone into a battle, today I have full confidence in my soul that he will come out alive, one way or another. A war would've been messy and uncontrollable. This my superhero best friend can manage easily.
"You seem strangely all right with all of this," Arthur noted as his breath-taking cerulean eyes landed on mine.
I smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "Look, if you die, I'll just start a club with the Queen n' offer support to ladies whose baes have poor survival instincts."
Arthur suddenly looked bewildered while Merlin bursted out laughing.
"Ah, and you wonder why he did not want you in that meeting," my brother said in between chuckles.
"Yeah, I guess you had a point," I responded with a small giggle. The King still looked horrified and I jumped off the table I sat on to approach him, turning serious as I said, "I'm kidding, Artie. I'm not freaking out 'cause you're, like, the greatest fighter I've ever met and I know you'll win."
He let out a small smile and sighed, then he pulled me into a warm hug. "Thank you, Astra. Your support means a lot."
I wrapped my arms around his waist and reached up to kiss the side of his jaw. "I'm proud of you."
His smile widened and he leaned down to kiss me. I would've gotten more into it had my best friend not been in the room. Instead, I pulled away after a few seconds and gave Arthur another hug before stepping away so that Merlin could finish getting him ready.
Merlin sighed as he addressed Arthur, "Whatever happens out there, um..."
"You are not about to start crying on me, are you?" the King questioned with a teasing grin.
"No," my best friend scoffed. "Just, uh... good luck."
Arthur squeezed his arm, a heartwarming look of fondness forming on his gorgeous features. "Thank you, old friend."
"Hey, he called you 'friend'!" I exclaimed while excitedly nudging Merlin's side.
"I heard," he replied with a small smirk.
Arthur rolled his eyes.
"This moment has to go in the history books!" I added.
"Yes, maybe people will be talking about our friendship fifteen centuries from now," my brother continued and he winked at me. I bursted out laughing.
Arthur groaned. "That is highly unlikely."
"Mmm, nah. I think it's very likely," I responded while sharing a knowing smirk with Merlin.
The light-hearted banter was interrupted by Agravaine entering the tent.
"It is time, My Lord," he said gravely.
Arthur's smile faded and he let out a sigh. "Very well," he mumbled while looking down. I reached for his hand and gently squeezed it. He returned the small gesture and intertwined our fingers.
"Is all in readiness?" Agravaine questioned.
The King turned to my brother with an expectant look. "Merlin?"
Merlin double-checked the armour before nodding. "Ready."
Arthur nodded and he gulped, causing my intestines to twist. Even if I know that Merlin won't let him die, it still makes me upset to see him look uneasy. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before gently releasing my hand and moving to grab his sword, which he pulled out of its sheath.
The four of us walked out of the tent and Arthur grabbed my hand again, intertwining our fingers once more. I shot him a grin and placed a kiss on his chainmail-covered arm, earning another soft hand-squeeze and a small smile.
We met with the knights, who were ready to walk with him to the battlefield.
Arthur led the way, never letting go of my hand, until we reached the top of a small rocky hill that overlooks a large valley. I recoiled at the sight of a sea of men standing below, all of them dressed in black and some of them carrying blue banners with a black wolf on them.
"We would've had to fight all of them?!" I asked in an exasperated whisper while looking up at Arthur who nodded in response. "Darn."
We definitely would've been significantly outnumbered. We really dodged a bullet. Or a nuclear bomb.
Arthur turned to face me, then he glanced towards his army, then he looked back down at me and stuck his sword on the ground before placing a warm hand on the side of my face. "I love you," he stated. He didn't yell it, but he didn't whisper it either. His voice was firm, certain. And it caused my heart to become an Olympic gymnast for a minute.
"I love you three-thousand," I responded in a much softer tone and lifted a hand to cover his.
He smiled and leaned down to kiss my forehead, his soft lips lingering for a few seconds. I squeezed his hand that was still holding mine and placed a kiss to the inside of his wrist.
"You've got this, Artie," I assured him. He let out a sigh and nodded before slowly removing his touch from me. I had to restrain a pout. This is not the time!
With one last glance at the team, he picked up his sword and began walking down the steep slope to meet the Queen's fighter in the vast field below us.
A very, very tall and muscular shirtless man with dark hair and a long face stepped forwards.
What the fork?! He's twice the size of Arthur! Literally!
My jaw dropped in disbelief. "What is that?! Is he even human?! Where'd she get him from?! Narnia?!"
Merlin threw an arm over my shoulders and pulled me close to him. My fist gripped his shirt as I continued to watch the scene.
I kinda miss when stuff like this only happened in movies.
No introductions were made and no words were exchanged – other than a puzzling snarl from the giant. They jumped straight into fighting.
The giant's big and swift movements were, unsurprisingly, too powerful; and all that Arthur could really seem to do was dodge the attacks, unable to even try to return the blows as the man kept delivering stroke after stroke.
Eventually, the King seemed to catch the giant's rhythm and he went from being a helpless piñata to actually fighting.
The sound of metal clanging echoed through the valley as the two warriors danced around each other... until the enemy elbowed the side of Arthur's face, causing him to tumble to the ground. That's bound to leave a bruise.
I clenched my jaw, the sight of him getting hurt causing lava to pool in my stomach and flood my veins.
"Do your thing," I whispered to my brother through gritted teeth. I don't want Arthur to get hurt anymore!
"Not yet, he has got this," Merlin whispered back. I huffed, but resigned to continue watching.
Sure enough, Arthur swiftly recovered his footing and he jumped away just in time to dodge a blow that could've been fatal, then he slashed his sword and nicked the giant's face.
The bleeding scratch on the big man's cheek seemed to anger him, a conclusion drawn from the animalistic way in which he snarled at Arthur before attacking him again.
The fight progressed pretty evenly for another couple of nerve-wracking moments until, suddenly, gravity seemed to have increased its effect on Arthur's sword as it dropped tip-first onto the ground, pulling his arm down with it.
The giant took that perfect opportunity to strike. Arthur dodged again and managed to land a punch on his face. He appeared unable to lift his sword, though.
I could faintly hear words of concern being exchanged in whispers among Camelot's army.
The giant tripped Arthur, making him fall on his side with a grunt.
"What the heck is happening?!" I asked aloud as my heart-rate skyrocketed, and I instinctively glanced up at Merlin for answers. He held a frown, his eyes not leaving the scene.
The giant fighter struck again, but his sword seemed to freeze mid-air, allowing Arthur to land a blow to his gut.
Merlin.
Arthur remained on the ground as the giant recovered quickly and he kicked his side making him roll over.
His hand appeared to be stuck under the weight of his sword, judging from the way in which his arm twisted under it.
I bit down hard on my bottom lip as the giant approached him again while letting out grunted breaths.
He held his sword above Arthur, ready to bring it down.
I heard Merlin whisper some unintelligible words and the giant's sword slipped out of his hands, landing upside down and getting stuck to the ground behind him.
I let out a relieved breathy chuckle.
Arthur was quick to shoot to his feet again, finally releasing his sword, and he quickly grabbed the giant's weapon, then he hit his back with it and pushed him face first onto the ground. The man rolled over as the King held the weapon over his torso, his dark eyes widening in fear.
I turned my head to shield my eyes against Merlin's chest, not wanting to watch the final stabbing.
A few silent moments passed before Camelot's army erupted in cheers.
"It's okay," Merlin whispered as he squeezed my shoulder, and I dared to turn around and glance down at the scene below us.
Arthur stood beside a still very much alive – though stunned – giant; the sword sticking out of the ground just beside his head.
He spared his life!
A big smile formed on my lips and I felt my heart swelling with pride. Then I laughed as Merlin hugged me and I hugged him back.
"We trained him well," I joked.
I noticed Arthur looking up at us when I pulled away from Merlin and I smiled at him. He returned it and I took off sprinting along the edge of the cliff until I found a path I could go down without many complications.
As I climbed down, I saw who I guess is the foreign Queen approaching Arthur – a slim middle-aged woman with straight strawberry blonde hair.
I held my breath and halted near the bottom of the hill, not wanting to interrupt.
"You are victorious, Arthur Pendragon. And you may rest assured that I shall comply absolutely with the terms of our agreement," the Queen said, her tone surprisingly amicable and her posture square and proud. Arthur gave her a nod. "My army will be gone by nightfall."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Arthur replied.
The Queen offered a hand and he gently shook it.
I smiled again. She seems like a very sensible person, after all.
"Tell me something," the Queen demanded. "You spared my champion. Why?"
"Because it is not victory I seek," Arthur responded. "It is peace. I hope that today will mark a new beginning for our kingdoms."
I could've melted with love for him right there and then. He's truly one of a kind.
The Queen regarded him with respect for a few moments. "There is something about you, Arthur Pendragon. Something which gives me hope for us all," she stated.
Yep. That's my man.
Damn, I seriously love him so much.
The two royals exchanged nods before parting ways.
Unable to wait any longer, I took off barrelling down the remaining stretch of the slope. I leaped over the last two metres or so to hug Arthur. He let out a breathless chuckle as he caught me in the air and wrapped me tightly in his arms.
"You're amazing," I whispered as I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "I love you so much."
He kissed the side of my head. "I love you, too, my girl."
I was softly singing 'Happy Together' by The Turtles as I worked on giving Dallas a thorough grooming in the afternoon when we returned from facing the Queen of Caerleon. It's not that he needs it – and I know that he'll be dirty as heck again in the morning – but it's the quality time together that counts.
"You are in a good mood!" I almost jumped out of my skin when Gwen materialised out of thin air beside me.
I did my best to mask the fact that she startled me and replied with a nonchalant shrug, "Well, we did just win a war without a single casualty on either side."
She didn't respond verbally, but instead crossed her arms and gave me a knowing look coupled with a grin. As if she's just won an argument…
"Oh, shut up," I grumbled with a playful eye-roll.
"I did not say anything," she defended with an amused glint in her eyes.
"Yeah, well, your face did."
She chuckled. "Well, you must admit that I was right. You did figure it out."
"No. Arthur did," I quickly argued.
"And who gave Arthur the idea to engage in a duel instead of a battle?"
"He came up with it on his own," I responded. She raised an eyebrow. "All I did was suggest they play chess. As a joke. Well, kinda. I mean, I said it seriously, but I never really thought he'd go with it because, for starters, I would've had to return here and get my set..." I rambled on for a few moments until Gwen cut me off.
"Astra!"
"What?"
She laughed yet again. "Just face it! You do have what it takes to be queen!"
I scoffed and went back to brushing my horse. "Well, there are certainly worse options for Camelot," I mumbled. Like Morgana. Or another troll.
Gwen placed a hand on my arm, causing me to halt my movements for a second as I granted her some eye-contact. "You are going to be amazing. I only hope that you start to believe it soon, because Arthur needs you," she said gently. Then she left as quickly as she'd come.
I dropped my forehead to Dallas's shoulder and sighed; almost physically feeling the weight of the expectations that come with royalty – and marriage, and all that crap – hanging from my back. It's terrifying. And I don't want to fail Arthur…
I grinned at Merlin as I closed the door to my room behind me and we began the walk towards the dining hall.
"Y'know, you're the real hero here, Merls," I said while giving him a little teasing nudge. Not that I don't mean my words. He's a real superhero and I'm privileged to be by his side.
His cheeks turned slightly red and he threw an arm over my shoulders, prompting me to sneak one of mine around his waist. "Thank you, Astra."
We both froze in our tracks when Arthur abruptly exited his room. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at us, a slight pout forming on his lips.
"Howdy, good-lookin'," I greeted him with a wink.
He narrowed his eyes. "Where are you two going?"
Merlin and I shared a confused glance. Last time I checked, we're free to go wherever we please… For the most part. I lifted my right hand, which held my packet of Uno cards, as I responded, "We're meeting up with the team to play..."
I tilted my head when Arthur's face fell slightly.
"Do you... want to play?" Merlin asked him in a cautious tone.
Arthur's expression softened slightly, but he remained unmoving.
"C'mon, Peaches, ya' know ya' wanna," I pressed while waving the small cardboard box in his face.
Finally, his stoicism broke as a small smile curved his lips and he relented, "All right."
Merlin and I high-fived, and I motioned for Arthur to follow us.
He soon went back to frowning at my brother and I. I didn't give it much thought, but then he snatched the pack of cards out of my hand and replaced it with his own hand, intertwining our fingers. I gave him a small smile and a gentle squeeze.
"You cannot stand the thought of her liking me better than she likes you, huh?" Merlin taunted him with a grin, causing a giggle to push past my lips.
Honestly, I'm not sure who I would choose if, like, a civil war broke out between them, or something.
Arthur scoffed and turned his attention to Merlin with a playful glare. "She does not like you better than she likes me!"
Merlin hummed, but said nothing, which I guess prompted Arthur to reach over and shove him to the side. The arm he had around me caused me to stumble and the two of us ended up on the ground, with my brother taking most of the hit. I bursted out laughing.
"Astra! I am so sorry!" Arthur gasped as he rapidly lifted me up by the waist.
Without further incidents, the three of us made it to the dining hall, where the knights – plus Gwen! – were already gathered.
"Hey! Our King is here!" Percival cheered when we entered, causing the rest of them to get excited as well.
Gwaine caught my eye and he patted the spot next to him, so I rushed over and gave him a quick side-hug before sliding onto the chair.
Merlin sat to my other side, next to Leon, and we shared a playful challenging smirk.
I glanced around to look for Arthur, since the cards remained in his possession, and found him standing by the door, looking lost.
Elyan opened the empty chair between him and Percival. "Here, Sire."
Arthur let out a sigh and he moved to take the spot. Then our gazes connected and I gave him a little grin. I tilted my head when he didn't return it, though he remained looking at me with an indecipherable expression.
"Trust me, Sire, you do not want to sit next to Astra. She is a ruthless player," Leon told him.
"It's called being competitive, Lee!" I protested.
The cards were shuffled and distributed while Arthur read the rules manual, and then we started playing.