Camelot
May, 507 AD
Sir Gwaine, Sir Percival, Sir Elyan and Sir Leon rode through the forest on a breezy spring day. They were returning from a routine patrolling visit to a town some few kilometres away from the capital, and they were especially eager to get home and bathe because the brunet knight had thought it a smart idea to cut through a river, and now they and their mares were all soaked and very muddy.
As they trotted past a vast clearing that has a single big tree standing in the middle, Percival spotted something unexpected: a lone bronze-skinned man who wore strange clothes was wandering the field, sporting a curious mix of amazement and remorse in his features as he gazed at his surroundings.
The man spotted the knights in the distance and instantly waved his arms at them. "Hey! I need help! I'm lost!"
Camelot's mightiest heroes were instantly struck by his accent. They've only ever heard something similar in one person; and the mental connection that they all made simultaneously would have been enough to get them to stray from their path if they were not bound by duty to do so anyway.
"What is your name, traveller?" Gwaine asked as he reached the black-haired man some metres ahead of his friends thanks to Fallyn's superior speed.
"My name's Oliver," the man responded. His hazel eyes squinted under the sun as he wondrously regarded the knight before him. "Oliver Aphelion." Gwaine's eyes widened in shock. "I'm lookin' for my cousin. Her name's Astraea."
Gwaine has heard his little friend talk a bit about her family before, so he's aware that she has a cousin named Oliver. That, coupled with the man's accent and peculiar clothing, told him that the guy before him was almost certainly telling the truth.
"Any chance you guys know 'er?" Oliver asked, his eyes moving onto the other three men on horseback when Gwaine took too long to answer.
The knights exchanged some puzzled looks.
"I believe him," Gwaine spoke up, which was enough to put the rest at ease.
"Yes, we know Astra," Leon responded to Oliver while offering a courteous smile. "You can come with us and we will take you to her."
Oliver couldn't help the absolute shock that washed over him. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting a bunch of freaking knights to know his troublesome, socially awkward cousin! But he smiled all the same and began to follow the men on foot after declining the offer to get on a horse. They are already helping him enough, he doesn't want to force one of them to surrender their ride!
I started at the sound of a soft thud, which tore my concentration away from the paper aeroplane I was drawing on to make it look like a dragon. I lifted my eyes and found that Arthur's ink had spilled and was now ruining the letter he'd been halfway through writing. With a groan, he quickly set the small bottle upright; but the damage was done and he leaned back on his seat while letting out a frustrated huff.
My brain debated whether to say something comforting or teasing; and I just couldn't help myself as I grinned and noted, "I keep telling ya', those things aren't practical at all." He grunted and narrowed his eyes at me. "Want me to take over?" I then asked as I reached for his hand and began to play with his fingers.
"Darling, I love you, but your penmanship is awful," Arthur replied as he intertwined our fingers, ending my fiddling.
I snorted, "No argument there." He smiled a little. "I love you, too," I added with a little grin, and that caused him to smile entirely. I reached to gently poke the adorable dimple that forms on the side of his lips with my free hand, earning a playful eye-roll. He kissed the back of my hand and then, appearing reluctant, he let go of it so that he could get another piece of paper and start transcribing the letter all over again.
His struggles really make me miss e-mails. They would make his life just a little easier.
So would a pen that he doesn't have to soak in ink every ten seconds.
"Here, use mine," I quickly said as I flicked my generic modern pen towards him, causing it to roll down the table until he grabbed it. "It'll make your job easier."
Arthur smiled again and thanked me before returning his focus to writing.
Now devoid of art as a way to entertain myself, I resorted to singing 'Check Yes Juliet' by We The Kings softly to myself as I twirled the cords of my baby blue hoodie around my fingers.
Sadly, I was interrupted by a knock on the door that caused Arthur to huff in frustration once more before he dropped the pen and leaned back on his seat again. "Enter!"
In came Leon and Elyan, which caused me to smile. I tilted my head when they shared a hesitant look.
"Sire, Astra – we have an unexpected matter at hand," Leon stated, making Arthur and I share a wary look. "It concerns you," the knight added while nodding towards me.
My eyes widened as a million catastrophic possibilities flooded my brain, most of which would probably land me at the stake if they turn out to be true.
The hurricane abruptly stopped when Arthur grabbed my hand again and pressed another kiss to the back of it, then he motioned for the knights to keep going. They shared another hesitant look.
"Bring him over!" Elyan called out to someone in the corridor.
No amount of crazy speculation could've spit out what stood before my eyes, causing my jaw to drop and my lungs to cease to do their job for a second.
"O-Olly?!"
"Hey, Shootin' Star," he greeted with a big grin.
I almost fell on my face as I scrambled to get out of my chair and I leaped towards my cousin, jumping to hug him tightly.
"Wha– How– What?!" I stammered out as I pulled away to look him over, trying to make sure that he was real and not some hallucination.
Oliver laughed. "Long story, but uh, I kinda stumbled onto that thing and – boom! Here I am."
My eyes widened. I could feel Arthur and the knights' gazes on us, and I know I will have a lot of explaining to do if I allow my cousin to keep speaking freely. "Not a word," I whispered to him before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the King, who was now standing up and eyeing him with distrust.
"Artie, this is my cousin Oliver," I introduced, smiling again. Arthur seemed to relax with that. "Olly, this is my, uh..." I tilted my head, searching for a proper label, but I soon gave up. "This is Arthur."
Oliver promptly offered his hand to the King, who swiftly took it in a firm hand-shake... only, he was pulled into a 'bro-hug' and seemed very disoriented all of a sudden as a puzzled expression took over his handsome features. I quickly pulled my cousin back and gave him a stern look while swallowing a giggle. He raised an eyebrow in confusion as he looked down at me.
"Um. Do you need any more help?" I asked Arthur.
"No, I will be all right. I am sure you want to catch up," he replied with a cute smile.
I smiled back and stood on my toes to kiss the side of his jaw. "Okay, I'll see ya' later."
And with that, I led Oliver out of the King's room and towards my own, thanking Leon and Elyan as we passed by them on our way out.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady!" my cousin whisper-yelled once we were inside my room.
My eyes widened and I replied in the same tone, "Me?! You're the one who 'stumbled'," I did air-quotes, "onto a ducking time-machine!"
He recoiled and rolled his eyes before replying, "Fine. Mom asked me to clean the barn, and I got curious. End of story." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Now you. You're freaking King Arthur's mistress?!"
I slapped his arm as my jaw dropped. How dare he think I would demean myself like that! "No! Oliver, what's wrong with you?!" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "He's, like, my... well, my boyfriend, I guess."
The term sounds foreign in my tongue, but I suppose that's what Arthur is. I've just never called him that 'cause that word isn't used here.
"You guess?!"
I flailed my arms. "We're in a serious, committed, monogamous relationship, okay?!"
He blinked rapidly for a moment as he stared at me blankly. "You and freaking King Arthur."
"Yeah."
"The King Arthur."
"Uh-huh."
"The legend."
"In the making, yeah."
Oliver's legs seemed to tremble for a few nanoseconds and he went to sit on my bed, his skin paling slightly as he buried his face in his hands. I know that it's a lot to process, so I hopped to sit on my desk and gave him some time.
"Does this mean you're... like... the Queen?" he asked after a few minutes.
I let out a heavy sigh, the words causing my intestines to twist, and answered in a low tone, "Not yet, but it's a burden I'll have to carry one day if I wanna marry him."
"Marry–" His jaw dropped, then he scoffed and shook his head. "Wow. You did well, Star. No wonder you didn't wanna stay home."
"Yeah, well, life has its ups and downs, I guess."
Oliver nodded in agreement.
"Now tell me 'bout everyone back home! How's Aunt Kelly? How's Sage? What have you been up to?" I blurted out as my leg began to bounce, excited to hear about my relatives.
My cousin chuckled before responding, "Mom's doing all right. Still volunteerin' at the church, and she started a support group for widows." I gave him a sad smile. "Sage and Jordan had two baby girls. Kathy is one-and-a-half and Thea is about to turn six months." He paused to pull his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and he scrolled through it for a few seconds before turning it to show me a picture. There stood my other cousin and her husband, each of them holding a little girl. Kathy has wavy dirty-blonde hair and green eyes, while Thea has curly brown hair and honey-coloured eyes. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. It's so great to see Sage looking so happy. "And I actually got married three months ago," Oliver finished.
"Oh, no way! Congrats!" I exclaimed. "To Selene?"
"No. Selene and I broke up." He pulled another picture. "This is Joanna." He showed me a pretty girl with straight black hair, full cheeks, and doe-like brown eyes.
My eyes widened as a thought crossed my mind – "Does anyone know you're gone?"
"No... But you have that mini version of the machine that can send a letter, right?"
I quickly shook my head emphatically. "That's for emergencies only, Olly!"
"This is an emergency!"
"No, this is the consequence of a stupid choice you made. I'm not wastin' my one use on this," I responded sternly. He huffed and looked away from me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough, and Leo will come n' get ya'."
"Yeah, and then he's gonna kill me," he mumbled.
"Possibly."
Our conversation was cut short by a knock on the door, which made me tense up slightly.
"Okay, here's the cover story –" I whispered as I moved closer to my cousin, "we're from a kingdom far, far away called America. That's all they know, that's all you can say. You did not 'stumble' onto a time-machine, you travelled on a ship for weeks 'cause you wanted to visit me. Unless you're talking to Merls or Gaius. They know everything."
He looked slightly alarmed and very confused, but he promptly nodded.
With that out of the way, I went to open the door.
"Oh! Hey, buddy!" I exclaimed, my body instantly relaxing when I saw Merlin and not anyone else. I jumped to hug him and he returned the gesture with a slight chuckle.
"Gwaine told me that your cousin is here," he whispered and frowned when we pulled away.
"Uh. Yeah. See for yourself," I said sheepishly as I let him into my room. He and Oliver stared at each other for a few seconds, looking each other up and down. "Merls, this is Oliver. Olly, this is my best friend, Merlin."
"Merlin?!" Oliver exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"Yes," my best friend replied while sending me an amused glance.
"The Merlin?!"
"Oliver, shut up!" I scolded with a glare. If he keeps raising his voice, someone in the corridors could hear him! He turned to me with narrowed eyes, looking slightly offended. "Yes. The Merlin. But it's a secret, so shush it," I whispered.
To my relief, he nodded in understanding and then slowly and hesitantly approached my brother, offering a hand. "It's nice to meet ya', Merlin," he said with a small grin, now acting much calmer, though it was hard to miss the wonder that shone in his eyes.
"Likewise. I have heard a lot about you," Merlin responded with a friendly grin. "How are you here?" he then questioned, tilting his head as he glanced at me.
"Curiosity got the best of me," Oliver replied with a meek smile while shrinking into his robust frame.
"So you are related," Merlin teased as he threw an arm over my shoulders. I nudged his side while sending him a playful glare.
For the third time in an hour, a knock on the door ended the conversation. I huffed in slight annoyance as I went to open it, finding Louis on the other side.
"'Sup, Lou!" I greeted him with a grin. "How're the wife and kids?"
"They are doing very well, my Lady-Knight, thank you for asking," he replied with a courteous smile.
"Lady-Knight?!" I heard Oliver ask in astonishment. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, but kept my attention on the guard.
"The King wants you and your cousin to dine with him tonight," Louis informed me.
I let out a puff. I'd really wanted to get Oliver downstairs to Gaius's apartment and have dinner there. I don't entirely trust him not to give away our big secret, so I was hoping to keep him as far away from Arthur as possible. But the universe appears to have other plans.
"We'll be there. Thanks, buddy," I responded to the guard.
I shared a satisfied grin with Merlin as we watched Oliver walk out of the room he's been given, now bathed and changed out of his ripped jeans and Pearl Jam t-shirt and into black trousers and a dark green tunic. Both emergency purchases from a vendor in the citadel, seeing as his clothes are dirty and sweaty from his adventure in the woods.
"Time for some ground rules," I said sternly when my cousin came to a stop in front of us. "Keep the chatting to a minimum. I'll answer questions. Don't talk about modern things. Absolutely no pulling out your phone. And don't ask about magic."
"Magic?! I'm still stuck at Lady-Knight!" Oliver exclaimed, raising his voice a little too much. I slapped his arm and glared at him. He seemed confused for a second before he gulped.
"Right. Sorry," he whispered.
Merlin and I shared a hesitant look, and I sighed before we began our walk towards the dining hall. This better not go sideways. We're already running late because my cousin took a ridiculously long time to bathe.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Arthur had the room slightly decorated for the occasion. The long wooden table was adorned with a crimson cloth with gold trimmings, and some fancy candles were placed on top of it every few metres. Towards the back of the room was another table with a small buffet on it. Most of the food is probably cold by now, though.
At the end of the table sat King Arthur himself.
I wasn't at all happy to see Agravaine sitting to his right side, but I guess it's to be expected.
"Hey. Sorry we're late. Olly couldn't figure out how to heat the bath-tub," I stated as my cousin, Merlin and I walked into the room.
"I got the heatin' bit. I couldn't find how to cool it," Oliver murmured while casting me a slight glare.
"The secret is not letting it reach boiling temperatures, genius," I shot back.
"It wouldn't kill y'all to have some ice!"
"And how would you make n' store said ice, O wise one?"
Merlin grabbed the two of us by an arm each, abruptly ending our discussion as he gave us a stern look. I gave him a sheepish smile in thanks. That could've easily spiralled out of hand.
The befuddled looks on Arthur and Agravaine's faces made me already start regretting this whole dinner situation, but I can't very well turn around and walk out.
My brother let Oliver and I go when we exchanged a reconciliatory nod and I instantly skipped over to sit next to Arthur, thanking him with a little smile when he gallantly stood up and opened the chair for me. I don't deserve him. He kissed the side of my head before sitting back down.
Oliver plopped down to my other side and he waved at Arthur in greeting, earning an acknowledging nod in return.
Agravaine cleared his throat, causing all eyes to fall on himself. He was eyeing my cousin, presumably awaiting formal introductions.
"Olly, that's Agravaine, Artie's uncle. Aggravate, this is my cousin Olly," I said quickly while trying to hold back a smirk at the intentional verbal typo.
"Agravaine," the snake bastard corrected through gritted teeth.
"That's what I said," I replied as I painted on an innocent look. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"I am sure it was an honest slip-up, uncle," Arthur jumped to play mediator, then he gave me a stern look.
I gave him a little grin, but said nothing. Instead, I grabbed my plate and stood up, going towards the table with the buffet so that I could serve myself some food. Merlin followed me so he could dutifully serve the King.
After briefly greeting Agravaine, Oliver moved to follow my actions, but he was quickly stopped by Arthur – "You are a guest here, Oliver. Merlin will bring your food."
My cousin seemed content to hear that and he sat back down just as I returned to the table. I raised my eyebrows at him and grinned as I inquired, "What would Aunt Kelly say if she saw you treatin' my best friend like a waiter?" His jaw dropped and he quickly stood back up, grabbing his plate again before walking towards the buffet table.
"Astraea," Arthur said in a warning tone as he gave me another pointed look.
"He's a big boy. He can handle it," I assured him as I sat back down next to him. The King huffed, but said nothing in return as he dug into his bowl of rice and veggies.
"How long are you planning to stay in Camelot for, Oliver?" Agravaine asked in a polite manner.
My cousin turned to me with a questioning look, bits of rice falling out of his overstuffed mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second before responding in his place, "Probably 'til Leo comes to get 'em. He's a friend who takes care of our family's travel arrangements."
Oliver nodded in agreement.
"Is that the man who came to get you when..." Arthur trailed off while giving me a knowing look.
"Yup."
My heart skipped a beat when he placed a hand on my knee as he leaned slightly forwards in his seat so he could address Oliver, "Well, I am very glad that you came to visit. I never thought I would be able to meet Astraea's family."
"Me neither," I mumbled under my breath, earning a soft squeeze from his hand.
"I never thought I'd see Star get a boyfriend," Oliver replied teasingly once he was done passing his food and he poked my ribs. I gasped and instinctively jumped away from him. I would've fallen off my chair had Arthur not been quick to steady me. I thanked him before glaring at my cousin.
"Did she not have any male friends in Amareeka?" the King questioned, tilting his head in curiosity as a small smile formed on his soft lips.
Ah, crap.
I discreetly shook my head at Oliver, begging him not to reveal what a wreckage my teenage years were. But if he got the message, he ignored it.
"She didn't have any friends – period," he replied and let out a snort.
I threw my arms up in frustration. "Shut up," I scolded and kicked his leg under the table.
"Ow!"
"Well, you will be happy to know that she is well-loved by everyone in Camelot," Arthur said sweetly as he squeezed my knee again. I really wanted to keep glaring at my cousin, but the warmth that rushed to my cheeks made that impossible to achieve and I dropped my head instead, hoping that the added colour would go away soon. I slipped my hand into the King's, silently thanking him for his kind comment. 'Cause I could totally feel Oliver's impressed gaze on me.