Camelot

April, 507 AD

"Oh! You little jerk!" I exclaimed in between giggles as I watched Phoenix tackle Aithusa and snatch the stuffed bear I threw across the field. Merlin laughed along with me.

As it turns out, baby dragons enjoy playing fetch.

Phoenix seemed to smirk as he raced his sister back to where my brother and I stood.

"You know, he reminds me of Arthur," Merlin claimed as he retrieved the stuffed bear from the dragon's little clawed hands and he flung it away once more. I smiled as the babies half-ran-half-skipped as they chased it. Then I turned to my best friend with a questioning frown. "He is also kind of a bully," he explained.

I bursted out laughing once more. "Sure, but Finny's cute, so he gets a free pass."

"Is that not also why you give Arthur a free pass?" Merlin questioned with a teasing grin and a gentle nudge to my side.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Free pass? Wasn't he the one pulling jam from his hair all day?"

The two of us laughed again.

My idea to befriend George worked out beautifully, though not quite in the way I'd expected it to. The guy is basically the servant version of a 'teacher's pet' – but he's surprisingly willing to help Merlin and I play all the pranks we want as long as he gets to look good in comparison afterwards.

My best friend was suddenly very eager to truly join my shenanigans as a way to get revenge on Arthur for him trying to punish us. And with those revelations about George – which also meant that my brother wouldn't have to clean up a thing – we hastened to rearrange the crossbow booby trap with the jam-filled plastic bag. It wasn't long before Arthur fell victim to it and we had to flee the castle to avoid his rage while George rushed to his rescue. It was so worth it! Especially because I managed to catch the moment on camera!

That leads to why Merlin and I are out camping with the dragons for the night.

My eyes widened when, this time, Aithusa tackled Phoenix and stole the bear from him.

"Attagirl!" I cheered proudly as she rushed back towards us.

Phoenix recovered quickly from her attack and he leaped as he tried to reach her. My jaw dropped when he managed to keep himself suspended in the air for a few seconds. He's starting to learn how to fly! Then he face-planted some two metres away from Aithusa, who finally reached Merlin and I.

The sorcerer gently rubbed her little head in praise for her victory while I ran to check on Phoenix.

The little dragon appeared stunned, but otherwise unharmed. He climbed onto my lap when I kneeled down next to him. I winced at how his claws dug into my thighs, but I didn't protest and instead shifted to sit criss-cross so that he could lie down more comfortably. His amber-coloured eyes hesitantly looked up at me – he seemed almost embarrassed, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Merlin, now with Aithusa in his arms, moved to sit beside us and he reached over to pet Phoenix.

"Learning how to fly can't be an easy task, Finn. I'm sure everyone falls at some point," I told him gently. "Right, Special K?" I asked as I turned to Kilgharrah, who was watching from the side of the field, where he's been snuggled up the whole time.

The great dragon chuckled and addressed the two babies gently, "But of course! It is all part of the learning process, little ones!"

Their sleepy demeanours soon faded away and they scrambled away from Merlin and I, then they began jumping all around the field, flapping their wings as they tried to stay in the air for longer than a second.

I rested my head against my brother's shoulder as we watched them. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and sighed in contentment.

I wish life could be like this every day.

Merlin groaned as he was looking over Arthur's schedule for the day while the two of us ate breakfast with Gaius. I looked over his arm at the paper parchment in his hands and made a 'tsk' sound when I saw that there was a lengthy list of tasks. I wouldn't wanna be in either boy's shoes…

"Is there anything I can do to get you to skip training for today and be my moral support for all of this?" my brother inquired, his eyes glinting with hope as he turned to me.

I snorted and gave him a small grin. "All ya' gotta do is ask."

I hid my face in my arms as I yawned. Staying up late while playing with the dragons was definitely not my brightest idea, considering how early we had to get up today so we could make it back to the castle with time to spare before a certain someone could throw another tantrum that would certainly not end well for Merlin and I.

"Aw, you are the best," he responded while giving my arm a gentle nudge.

I shot him a wink. "You know it."

Some minutes later, after we briefly split up to bathe, change into clean clothes, and brush our teeth; Merlin and I reunited outside my room and we linked arms as we walked towards Arthur's chambers.

"Can I do my thing?" I asked in a whisper as we slipped inside.

"Are you going to do it anyway if I say 'no'?" Merlin questioned with an amused grin.

"Uh, duh."

"All right, do your thing."

I smirked and leaped onto the bed while singing Asia's 'Heat of the Moment' in a purposely off-key tone as I jumped on the mattress as my brother went to open the curtains.

Arthur shot up, appearing disoriented as the sun rays hit his handsome face. He raised an arm to shield his eyes and groaned. I tried not to let my eyes linger (too much) on his exposed torso and a giggle forced me to pause my song.

"Rise and shine, Artie!" I chirped as I leaped off the bed, stumbling for a second before I composed myself and returned to Merlin's side.

We both laughed as we watched the King blink rapidly for a few moments before his eyes finally focused on us and a frown and a pout formed on his pretty face.

"Now, what have I told you 'bout frowning?" I teased.

"Shut up," Arthur grumbled.

"Up you get," Merlin told him with a bright smile.

The King groaned dramatically and he dropped back against his bed, rolling onto his other side with his ridiculously muscular back to us. "What for?"

"A bath, for starters," I teased as I scrunched up my nose, feigning disgust. Arthur glared at me again and I blew him a kiss.

"Where is breakfast?" he then asked my brother, his voice raspy from sleepiness.

With a smirk, Merlin promptly grabbed a piece of bread from a food-filled plate that sat atop the dining table – I have no doubt that George brought it in, because we certainly didn't – and then he rushed to shove it into the King's mouth. I doubled over in laughter as Arthur grunted in protest and he threw the food at my brother. Luckily, he was quick to dodge it.

"Did you get the schedule?" Merlin asked me. I nodded and pulled out a couple of folded papers from the pocket of my hoodie, then I handed him the one I know to be the schedule – since it's the only one that didn't come from my modern, college-ruled notebook.

Merlin extended the paper over the King's desk and looked it over again. "I have set aside some practice time," he noted. I hopped to sit on the table and looked down at the schedule, curious to see what is actually on it since I didn't bother to read it before.

"Ah, wonderful," Arthur sighed, suddenly sounding like he's actually looking forward to living another day as he sat up slightly. "What for? Quarterstaff? Battle axe?"

"No, for your speech," my brother replied.

The King groaned again and he let himself fall backwards onto his bed once more. "Who to?"

"The Guild of Harness Polishers," Merlin answered, an amused – almost taunting – grin forming on his lips.

I frowned while saying, "That can't be a real thing." Then I giggled when I saw that Arthur looked even more confused than I felt at the mention.

"The Guild of who?" he whined. "I do not know anything about polishing."

Merlin reached towards me again. I pulled out the remaining papers again and handed him one. He opened it and extended it, then he raised an eyebrow. "This is a blueprint for a castle."

"Ah, that's for my Minecraft kingdom," I mumbled and snatched the paper back before handing him the only other one I have.

Merlin grinned in satisfaction upon finding that it was the correct one. "Fortunately, I do," he responded to Arthur as he extended it fully, revealing five pages taped together that compose a script that the two of us wrote together. Well, all right, he wrote it and I helped… By suggesting jokes… None of which made it into the final draft…

"This will take hours to learn," Arthur protested, now looking somewhat troubled.

"You do not have hours," Merlin pointed out. "First, you have to receive Odin's envoy…"

"We gotta make sure he didn't send any assassins this time," I noted in a mumble, earning a nudge to the side from my brother. I winced, since my ribs are still slightly bruised from being thrown around by evil witches. He clearly noticed my response as his eyes widened and scanned me for a moment. Thankfully, he didn't comment.

"Do I have to give a speech?" Arthur asked, appearing completely oblivious to our exchange – I think – as he sat up again.

"No… You have to listen to one," Merlin replied with an apologetic look.

Arthur rolled his eyes and hung his head. I had to chuckle at his misery. There are worse things than being King, y'know?

"Then you need to inspect the guards, perform a freeman's ceremony..." my brother continued to list, then he paused for a second to smirk at something and he made some 'tsk' sounds. "Oh, and to be a judge…"

I glanced over his arm to see what he was smiling at and I snorted at the sentence on the paper.

"Preside over a trial?" Arthur inquired, looking slightly intrigued.

"A garland competition," my friend replied with a huge teasing grin.

We shared an amused look as Arthur dropped back onto the bed and he rolled over to bury his face in his pillow, groaning in exasperation. "I never get any time to myself!" he whined as he pulled his covers over his head.

"I know – it's almost like having to work," Merlin quipped before striding over to the bed. "Come on. You do not have time for this," he scolded as Arthur tried to go back to sleep.

My brother was ignored, so the next logical step in his brain was to grab the King's torso and try to pull him out from underneath the blankets. I laughed as Arthur resisted, which resulted in a funny struggle that lasted just a couple of seconds before Merlin finally dragged a whining Arthur to the floor. He landed with a thud and groaned. The sorcerer left him lying there while he went to get something from the closet.

"You okay over there, Peaches?" I asked as I scanned the handsome blond on the floor. He had a defeated look on his face as he looked up at me with a slight pout. I winked in return and slid off the table to offer him a hand, figuring that he might appreciate some help in standing up.

"You are not strong enough," he noted and waved off the gesture as he scrambled to his feet on his own.

All right, then.

His covers dropped off his torso and, once more, I had to force myself not to stare at his bare chest as I shrugged nonchalantly and hopped back onto the table. Then I stole some grapes from the food plate and tossed one in the air, trying to catch it in my mouth, but it hit my eye instead. Arthur snorted as he, too, grabbed some grapes. Only he ate them like a normal person.

My face burned hotter than the Earth's core from his proximity, but I tried to ignore that fact and act casual while playing with the cords of my Marvel hoodie.

"You are doing very well, Arthur," Merlin commented as he returned to the scene, now carrying a full outfit for the King. Going around in nothing but PJ pants isn't exactly considered proper, you see.

"I do not think so," Arthur responded in a mumble.

I nudged his hip with my knee and argued, "Yes you are!" earning a small smile from him that caused my heart to be struck by lightning.

"Everyone is saying it," Merlin added with a grin, standing patiently to the side while the King hurried to eat his breakfast.

"I am glad your friends at the tavern approve," Arthur jested.

My best friend and I shared an annoyed glance, then I smirked as I turned back to address the King, "Someone wants more jam in their face." Merlin snickered as Arthur narrowed his eyes at me, but he did not respond in favour of stuffing his face with cheese.

"I am serious. You are becoming a very good king," Merlin told him encouragingly.

"Yeah, we've trained him well," I joked while asking my brother for a high-five, which he happily delivered.

"Well, you are still the worst servant I have ever known," Arthur shot back at my friend after glaring at our playful exchange. Then he turned to me, "And you..."

"I told you, I'm untouchable," I told him when he took too long to say something.

A knock at the door ended the banter and Merlin quickly handed the King the shirt he'd gathered from the closet. Arthur rapidly slipped it on before calling out for the intruder to enter.

It was the impostor, Agravaine. I narrowed my eyes at him, but didn't say anything. Merlin, Gaius and I are still trying to figure out a way to break the news of his uncle's betrayal to Arthur.

"Good morning, My Lord. May I have a word?" the bastard snake asked, not even acknowledging my brother and I.

We shared an irritated glance.

"Of course," Arthur said as he motioned for the man to enter. Then he grabbed another piece of cheese off the plate.

"Um. The matter I wish to discuss is a delicate one, Sire," Agravaine noted while glancing at Merlin and I. "Perhaps it would be better if we talked alone."

I watched from my peripheral vision as Merlin moved towards the door while letting out a sigh, then he halted and sent me an expectant look when I didn't budge. I glared daggers at the impostor. What if he tries to kill Arthur?!

Arthur put an arm around my shoulders and he kissed the side of my head, pulling my attention away from his uncle. "I will find you later, all right?" he whispered.

"Fine," I replied with a huff and got off the table, reluctantly following my best friend out of the room.

"Is he really blowing this off?!" I asked Merlin and Gwen in an alarmed whisper as my eyes scanned the grand hall. The participants for the garland competition stood scattered along the room with their elaborate creations laid carefully atop the long table that is normally used for big feasts. Most of the competitors were female, except for a pair of twin boys who had entered alongside who I assume to be their grandmother.

"It appears that way," my brother replied, then he let out a frustrated huff, his eyes fixing on the doorway.

The people were starting to grow antsy, and I could hear some whispers about how the new King doesn't care about old traditions and how he probably has better things to do than to honour them.

I can't let them walk away with a bad impression of him! Even if they may be a bit right…

"Maybe we should just take care of this ourselves," I suggested with a shrug. Merlin turned to me with a contemplative frown. "I mean, what does Art know about these things, anyway?" I asked with a chuckle.

"We do not know anything about it, either," Gwen pointed out.

"True, but I like to think we have a better eye for aesthetics," I replied, my eyes jumping between my two friends as I grinned at them.

"Maybe you should do it, Astra," Gwen said. "You have a high position in Camelot. I do not think they would be pleased to be judged by two servants."

I shook my head and said, "If anyone complains about that, we'll send 'em home empty-handed. It's not a fair judgement if it's only one person doing it." Also, I don't wanna do it alone 'cause it's an intimidating task, but I'm not gonna say that aloud.

They seemed to think about it for a few moments and then Merlin nodded, "Sure, let us do it."

I smirked.

With a shaky sigh, suddenly feeling deadly nervous to address the citizens of Camelot on behalf of Arthur, I moved to the centre of the room and clapped once to get everyone's attention. I grimaced at the sensation of my slightly sweaty palms clashing with each other. I shifted in my spot when all eyes landed on me and I gulped.

"Hi, dear people of Camelot," I greeted with an awkward wave. "Uh... I'm Astra."

A gasp made me jump. "You are the Lady-Knight!" one of the twin boys exclaimed, his eyes wide as he smiled. I felt my heart warm up and did my best to return the smile as I nodded.

"The King couldn't be here 'cause he, uh..." I racked my brain for an excuse I could give for Arthur's absence and turned to Merlin for help.

"He has a stomach bug," he chimed in.

"He has a stomach bug," I echoed while shooting him a grateful nod. Some people gasped and I saw some worried glances being passed around. "N-nothing serious. He'll be fine soon," I quickly added. That seemed to ease their concerns. "But, uh, in light of his absence, Merlin, Gwen and I will be judging this competition."

I outstretched my arm towards my friends so that they'd join me in the centre of the room.

Merlin's eyes widened and he hesitated for a bit, but complied once all eyes fell on him, and he dragged a resistant Gwen with him. I'm not gonna lie, it's childishly satisfying to be getting some sort of payback on her for all the times she's forced me into princess makeovers against my will.

Cheering and clapping ensued, making me grin more genuinely.

Cool, they seem to like us!

We went around the room separately and inspected the dozen garlands. Some were really elaborate and expensive-looking, while others seemed to have been made from cheap scraps. I doubt that is because the makers lack passion, but likely because they can't afford better materials.

My heart suddenly twisted. How can I ever choose a winner when they can all use the prize money?

Merlin, Gwen and I exited the room some minutes later, after announcing that we'd be back with the results soon.

"I don't like this," I stated as soon as the doors were closed. "I mean, they all clearly poured hours of hard work into this. It's super unfair that only one of them gets rewarded for it."

"I agree, but there is nothing we can do about it," Gwen said with a sad look.

I frowned. There has to be something. We have fifty silver pennies at our disposal and we can do whatever we want with them. We're the judges now, so we make the rules. Not whoever started the tradition of freaking garland competitions.

"We don't have to give the entire prize to a single garland," I noted as the gears in my head began to turn.

"What are you suggesting?" Merlin inquired.

"What if we divide the judgement standards into different categories and give, say, three pennies to everyone who excels in each?" I proposed.

"And that way everyone will walk away with something," Gwen noted as a small smile grew on her face.

I winked at her. "Yahtzee!"

I ran to my room to get my notebook and we spent about thirty minutes deciding how much each competitor would get depending on their creation's colours, scents, symmetry, and shapes. Once we were done, we returned to the grand hall and explained the new rules, then we began awarding the pennies.

It's safe to say that all the competitors left the castle with big satisfied smiles; and I was left feeling ecstatic that we were able to help everyone.

Maybe I'm not as bad with people as I'd thought…