Camelot

June, 507 AD

[warning: harassment]

"I do not understand what you are so worried about, Astra. The things you are using in place of lances can cause no harm," Gaius stated – slightly patronisingly, if you ask me – while he served Merlin and I dinner.

"Pool noodles," I corrected.

"Yes," the physician acknowledged with a nod.

"Say it, Gaius. Say 'pool noodles'," I pressed, earning a chuckle from Merlin.

Gaius's gaze alternated between us. "It is a bit of a silly term, do you not think?"

"Absolutely," I agreed with a grin. "Say it."

"Fine –" Gaius sighed, "the pool noodles can cause no harm."

Merlin and I smirked in triumph and shared a high-five before turning serious again.

"They're hollow and have a hole in the middle. A weapon can easily be hidden inside," I pointed out.

"Surely he knows that the entirety of Camelot's army would be on top of him as soon as the King gets injured," Gaius argued.

"He's like a mindless robot, I doubt he cares," I countered with a shrug. The man still seemed unsure. "You've played chess, Pops. I doubt that Madame Mim will mind sacrificing a pawn if it means takin' out the king." I tried to keep my voice monotonous as fear rose within me, but Merlin must've noticed, anyway, for his hand reached out to hold mine.

"We will not let that happen, Astra," he assured me. I nodded and returned my attention to the spaghetti before me.

My heart raced at a supernaturally fast pace as I watched Merlin get Arthur into his armour before his match with not-Lancelot. My leg bounced up and down on the table atop which I sat, and my fingers fiddled with my spare hair tie. Also, I'm pretty sure my lip was bleeding again.

As much as I've been complaining about the uncomfortable and constraining armour, I'm now very grateful that Arthur refused to change that part of the tournament tradition. It could very well be what saves his life today. Not-Lancelot probably took that factor into consideration when planning his attack, though...

I must have spaced out, because I was startled when I suddenly found Arthur standing extremely close to me, his arms wrapping around my torso as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. I tensed up for a moment thanks to the tingle that ran through my skin when his lips brushed against it, and then I let myself melt in his arms, returning the hug.

"I think it has become a problem, Astra," he whispered.

"What?" I asked. Though I already know what he means. I promised that I'd come to him if the thoughts that were plaguing my mind two days ago became a problem and, well, they did. And now he has noticed.

"You promised," he replied, his tone slightly accusatory, as he pulled away from me slightly so that he could look me in the eyes.

I blinked rapidly for a moment and averted my gaze. Merlin and I can't tell him the truth about not-Lancelot because of all the questions that doing so could raise. Questions that could lead to my brother's secret becoming exposed. So I went with another explanation for my worried state – one that isn't necessarily a lie, it just isn't my primary concern: "I don't wanna joust against you in the finale tomorrow."

He tilted his head. "Why not?"

"'Cause you have to win, otherwise you'll look bad in front of everyone losin' to a girl."

Arthur sighed and he kissed the top of my head before leaning his forehead against mine. "There is no one else I would rather lose to."

I couldn't help but smile a little. And then guilt punched my ribs. He deserves so much better than a crazy girl from the future. He could have someone much better than a crazy girl from the future. He could have anyone he wants! So why the heck is he still with me?!

On the next episode of 'BuzzFeed Unsolved'...

Merlin, who I didn't even notice leaving the tent, peeked his head inside as he stated, "You are up, Arthur."

My heart-rate began to skyrocket again and I jumped to hug Arthur just as he began to move towards the entrance. "Please stay safe," I whispered.

He snorted in amusement while he returned the embrace. "There is no danger, my love."

"You're riding a horse at a high-speed. There's always danger in that. I'd know," I shot back quickly.

A melodious chuckle left him and he gently slid his hand behind my neck before leaning down to kiss me softly. "You really have to stop chewing on your lip so much," he mumbled. I pushed away in horror and wiped at my mouth, my eyes widening when a tiny bit of blood stained the back of my hand.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, feeling my face getting warm.

Arthur simply gave me a soft look and he kissed me again. Then he grabbed my hand and we exited the tent together.

Merlin tightened Tequila's girth a little more and then he placed a wooden stool beside him so that the King could get on. Arthur kissed me once more before smoothly climbing onto his horse. I handed him his red pool noodle, my hands shaking slightly, and then I accompanied both boys towards the arena, refusing to let the King out of my sight until not-Lancelot is stopped.

My hands found Merlin's arm and I clung onto him as the two riders charged at each other with their pool noodles dipped in paint. Both managed to make contact with their opponent's chest and I kept my eyes on Arthur for any sign that something might be wrong, but he seemed perfectly okay. I tilted my head in confusion. He reached the other end of the arena, halted Tequila, and then turned him around. Not-Lancelot did the same with Tolkien and the two men exchanged nods before blasting off again.

The second round ended in another tie as both guys managed to dodge the other's pool noodle. My gaze travelled towards not-Lancelot as I frowned. Maybe he's playing to get it right on the last try? Some do say that third time's the charm.

The King and the undead knight took off galloping towards one another once more. I held my breath as Tequila extended his stride when Arthur loosened his reins and let him do his job while focusing on his own. Near the middle of the arena, the pool noodles made contact for a fraction of a second. I continued to follow Arthur with my eyes and noticed that he had a white stroke on his helmet. My grip on my brother's arm tightened as I waited for the King to fall off his horse, or drop forwards, or complain about any pain. But he simply lifted his visor once Tequila halted and he turned to look at not-Lancelot with a small grin on his handsome face. I dared to look away from him so that I could examine the walking corpse and my eyes widened when I noticed that he had a stroke of red on his shoulder.

Oh, no, he won the match!

Which means that I have to go against him in the finale!

For the final time, Arthur and not-Lancelot approached each other on horseback, though now at a walk. They halted simultaneously once they were shoulder-to-shoulder and shared a nod, then a handshake. The King said something, but I couldn't make out what it was, and then the undead knight nodded in response, a grin growing on his lips, before they parted ways.

"If he is not here to kill Arthur, what is he here for?" The unexpected sound of Gaius's voice near Merlin and I caused me to jump and turn to face him.

"Maybe he just has a better, less public plan," I suggested, earning pensive nods from both males. Then I bit my bottom lip and looked down as I remembered the bracelet. "Or he could be after me," I mumbled, causing their heads to snap my way. "Not-Lancelot gave me a bracelet the other day," I confessed. "Maybe it's cursed, or something."

Merlin's eyes almost flew out of their sockets. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"

"I was preoccupied with fearing for Artie's life," I replied with a nonchalant shrug.

No one was allowed to say anything else because Arthur appeared on the scene, now leading Tequila instead of riding him, while still sporting a small grin on his lips. I leaped to hug him. He wrapped an arm around my waist while the other one retained its hold on the horse's reins and he sighed.

"You do not have to worry about preserving my honour anymore," he stated. "And I do not think that Lancelot will be offended when you beat him."

Well, no, 'cause I'll likely be bleeding to death on the ground.

"Hold on –" Merlin stepped into the conversation with a smirk and a slight tilt of his head, "did you lose on purpose?"

Arthur simply shrugged in response.

"Well, did you?" I pressed as I looked up at him.

"I may have held back…"

"Artieee," I whined as I dropped my head to his chest. I never should've signed up for this.

He raised his arm from my waist to my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze before kissing the top of my head. "I want you to have that trophy and you never would have let me lose," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. A familiar and not-unwelcome warmth spread through my chest at his words and I tightened my grip on him.

"Aww!" my brother teased.

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur growled. "Make yourself useful and put Tequila back in the paddock."

Arthur smiled as he pulled away from a prolonged gentle kiss; his arms holding his weight as he hovered above me on his bed. I bit my bottom lip as I attempted to hold back a grin, trying to appear as if I were still angry at him for the whole 'losing on purpose' thing; even if I'm actually incredibly touched by the gesture. I just really had wanted to earn the trophy fairly.

"Stop that," he scolded, frowning as his eyes moved to my mouth.

I stopped biting and mumbled, "Sorry." He grinned in satisfaction and leaned down to kiss me again.

Once he had enough, or whatever, he finally gave back my personal space and grabbed his PJs from his wardrobe before moving behind his dressing screen. Already in my own PJs, I wrapped myself in my Avengers blanket and curled up on 'my' side of the bed.

I decided that the smartest way to keep us both safe will be to sleep with him tonight. That way, if not-Lancelot attempts anything, we can defend each other. In the meantime, Merlin and Gaius are working on figuring out if anything about the bracelet could provide us with more clues as to what Morgana is planning. I wanted to help them, but they turned me away, stating that I'll be doing my part by protecting Arthur. I still feel bad about leaving them to do all the hard work, but they are right. Protecting Arthur is top priority.

A minute or so later, the King returned to his bed. I had to hold back a chuckle when I noticed that he did the buttons on his shirt wrong. He really can't function properly without my brother! But I said nothing, wondering how long it will take him to realise his mistake – if he realises it at all.

He sat down next to me, with his back against the headboard, and I instantly moved to cuddle, throwing an arm over his abdomen and resting my head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around me, resting his hand just above my hip, and used his free limb to reach for my copy of C.S Lewis's 'The Horse and his Boy' on his bedside table. I lent it to him after he finished 'Jane Eyre'. He settled down to read quietly and I closed my eyes, simply enjoying being near him.

Some minutes must have passed before my halfway-asleep state was disturbed by a wave of thirst. I huffed, annoyed that my bodily needs are getting in the way of my soul's contentment, and I sat up to look around for my water thermos. But it was nowhere in sight.

Arthur's thumb rubbed gentle circles on my hip as he looked down at me with a frown. "What is the matter, darling?"

"I think I left my water in my room," I grumbled.

"Do you want me to get it for you?"

"Thanks, but I'm not gonna give ya' the combination to my lock," I replied. "I doubt you could work it, anyways," I added and gave him a playful grin and a kiss to the cheek before reluctantly untangling myself from my blanket.

I stared at the door, my stomach feeling queasy. The quest won't take more than a minute and I'll just be a room away. Surely we'll be able to reach one another in time if not-Lancelot tries anything, right?

With a shaky sigh – which I hope Arthur didn't notice – I left the room and sprinted to my door before quickly entering the combination on the lock and storming inside. I quickly analysed the chamber, wanting to make sure that nothing was off, before I looked around for my thermos. But it wasn't there either.

Darn it. I must've left it in the grand hall, then! The King hosted a fancy dinner earlier in the night for all the jousting competitors prior to the big finale tomorrow and I wasn't able to get out of attending.

I paused to wonder, for a moment, if hydrating myself is really worth all this hassle.

My dry throat soon told me that it is.

Praying that I wouldn't regret my decision, I jogged through the corridor and hurried down the staircase, surprisingly avoiding any stumbles despite the darkness that surrounded me. My only light source came from the faint strokes of moonlight that filtered through the glass windows that were placed every few metres along the wall.

I slipped into the grand hall and gazed around for a moment. The space felt much bigger now that I was the only one in it. The feeling reminded me of 'Alice In Wonderland' when she has to shrink to go through a rat-sized door and then everything else appears enormous.

The bright blue colour of my thermos made it easy to spot across the room. It sat atop a table, unbothered. With a relieved sigh, I began to walk towards it. The path felt slightly daunting as the moonlight caused the columns to cast long shadows on the floor, which made me feel even smaller.

I was past the halfway point when the sound of a throat clearing caused my heart to drop to my stomach. I jumped around and inhaled sharply when I found not-Lancelot standing some few metres behind me, a small lopsided grin playing on his lips while his hands were behind his back – possibly holding a dagger?

"Nice seeing ya' here," I greeted, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could even as my body started to tremble. He took a few steps forwards, I took a few backwards. "Little midnight stroll? Tryin' to aid the digestion?" I continued rambling while still backing up, my heart accelerating at the speed of a shooting star.

But I can't keep going forever. Eventually, I will run out of space and get trapped against a table, or a wall. So, seeing as the prospect of finally getting my water is out the window, I have to make a quick decision to save my butt. Dart sideways and try to beat the cursed knight to the door? I can't see any other options.

And dart sideways I did, moving as fast as my legs could possibly carry me. Not-Lancelot was quick to try to block my path and I barely made it past him as I swirled around a column and sped up towards the door. My eyes widened when I noticed that it was closed.

Stopping to open it will waste me some precious time.

I gasped when my arm was suddenly grabbed roughly. I stopped breathing as I was forced backwards against a cold stone wall. I glanced at the door and then at the undead man towering above me. I looked into his darkened chestnut eyes, processing the unnerving feeling of his hands firmly pressing on my elbows to anchor me in place as a taunting smirk grew on his lips.

I never stood a chance.

"Congrats, ya' got me. Now make it quick," I hissed. I know there is no use in fighting his grip. He's too strong. Almost supernaturally so. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, though the smirk didn't fade. "Go ahead! Kill me!"

"Silly little girl," not-Lancelot whispered as he readjusted his arms. One moved to press sideways across my abdomen, pinning my arms down in the process, while the other one... came up and he softly placed his hand on the side of my neck. I flinched away from the suffocating touch, but that did nothing to get it off me. His eyes looked straight into mine, "I am not here to kill you."

I frowned and raised an eyebrow. What the heck is all this, then?

My heart-rate sped up even more when he suddenly lowered his head and kissed my cheek. A touch so gentle I could've imagined it, but the deathly chills it sent up my spine told me that I didn't. I quickly began to try to push him away with my arms, feeling panic rise within me as he placed another kiss below that one.

"No! St–" I tried to yell at him, but he quickly removed his hand from my neck and slapped it over my mouth, causing my head to slam backwards and my eyes to fill with tears. My arms continued to fight him restlessly even if I knew the struggle was helpless.

"Just give in."

He pressed another kiss further below.

I tried raising a knee, figuring that maybe I could hit him in the nether-regions, but the undead man let part of his weight fall against my legs, rendering the action impossible.

One more kiss on my neck.

"All we have to do is break his heart."

Black spots began to cloud my vision.

I frantically gasped for oxygen, but my lungs were completely frozen.

All my body strength wasn't enough to fight off his grip.

His nauseating lips reached my collarbone.

This is worse than death.

A loud slamming sound followed by a loud, roaring, "No!" echoed through the room.

Suddenly the suffocating force that had been holding my body in place was ripped away and I would've fallen forwards onto the ground had not strong, protective arms wrapped around me. Instead, my body collided with a steady wall of flesh. A hand moved to the back of my head, fingers gently running through my loose locks of hair.

"Shh. You are all right. You are safe now."

I realised that Gwaine was the one holding me while a struggle raged on near us. I fisted the front of his shirt, needing to feel like I was holding onto something steady as I continued to gasp for oxygen, and I turned my head around.

Through a blurred vision, I saw that Arthur had not-Lancelot pinned to the ground as he threw violent punches, his face red in anger. The undead man appeared to be unconscious, since he wasn't fighting back, and blood oozed from several spots along his face.

Any progress I'd made on the breathing front promptly faded at the sight.

"Arthur – stop," Gwaine called out, his voice firm and unshaken.

The punches continued and the black spots clouding my vision returned as blood splattered seemingly everywhere.

"Arthur!" the knight yelled this time, causing me to flinch. He whispered a soft apology.

Arthur finally stopped attacking the definitely unconscious zombie as his head snapped our way. He promptly forgot about not-Lancelot and he walked towards us. Gwaine slowly released his hold on me and I stumbled for a second, but Arthur was quick to steady me as he held me tightly to his chest. I could feel his erratic breathing, and he was shaking a little, too; but that didn't deter me from clinging onto him for dear life as I broke down in unrestrained sobs, finally able to breathe.

I'm not sure how much time passed when he picked me up. I instantly wrapped myself around him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to imagine we were anywhere else.

A picnic on a green hill overlooking the castle, perhaps... A soft breeze caressing the flourishing treetops as birds sing perfectly in-tune with one another... The smell of pure, raw nature.

"Put him in the dungeons," Arthur's commanding voice snapped me back to the present moment and I flinched a little before tightening my hold on him. "I will deal with him later."

"Arthur–" I heard Agravaine's voice, which caused my breath to hitch. If Morgana is behind the undead man's actions, as is likely the case, Agravaine is indubitably in on it, too. I'm not sure of how far they had been willing to go, but I'd be stupid to think he doesn't have anything to do with it.

"Just do it, uncle," the King cut him off sternly as he walked past him. I heard an annoyed huff.

The next minute went by in a blur as Arthur made his way to his room. He gently laid me down on his bed, he carefully wrapped my blanket around me, and Gwaine came in to give me my thermos before leaving.

Noticing the thick lump in my throat and the dryness that accompanied it, I quickly unscrewed the cap and gulped down a couple of hundred millilitres, the coolness of the water being a nice contrast to the heat that plagued my body thanks to the adrenaline that was still coursing through my veins.

Then I gazed at Arthur, who was kneeling beside the bed, his teary blue eyes watching me intently. But his gaze isn't creepy like not-Lancelot's. It's calming. It makes me feel safe. Protected. At home.

I tried to place the thermos on the bedside table, but my clumsy still-trembling hand only caused it to drop to the floor. I jumped at the booming sound that the action provoked. Arthur was quick to pick it up and put it where I'd intended before returning his attention to me.

"I-I... what..." he gulped, "I do not know how to make this better."

"Just don't leave me," I replied in a whisper as I reached for his hand, tugging on it a little. "Please?"

He stood up slowly before sitting down on the bed, watching me warily. I ended his Flash-from-'Zootopia'-like behaviour by pushing him to lie down and I wrapped myself around him once more, wanting to feel as close to him as possible. He kissed the side of my head as I nuzzled into the crook of his again, finding peace in his distinct scent and warmth.

"'In other words,' it continued, 'you can't ride. That's a drawback. I'll have to teach you as we go along. If you can't ride, can you fall?'

"'I suppose anyone can fall,' said Shasta.

"'I mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling?'–"

A steady knock on the door made me jump and it interrupted Arthur's soft voice. He's been graciously reading 'The Horse and his Boy' aloud for about an hour while we cuddle on his bed. He kissed my forehead and gave me a reassuring smile before calling for whoever was outside to come in while he marked the page and set the book aside.

In came Leon, followed by Gwaine. The King nodded at them in greeting and I gave them an attempt at a small half-smile, feeling slightly embarrassed that they were finding us in bed, still in our PJs, at about midday. Or it may be later than that. Who the heck even cares at this point? I'm just grateful that Arthur kept his promise and hasn't left my side since the event.

"How are you doing, Trae?" Gwaine asked gently.

"I'm okay," I responded in a soft tone. He gave me a little grin in return and I tried to copy it.

However, in all honesty, I really am okay. I mean… sure, I haven't really stopped shaking, I seem to flinch at every other noise, and I will probably stick to Arthur like a stubborn flea for some time. But, strangely, I feel a sense of empowerment. Whatever Morgana's plan had been, I doubt that it worked out. And it appears that's all I need to feel triumphant these days.

"Sire –" Leon addressed Arthur more seriously after giving me a soft smile, "there has been a development regarding..." He trailed off and glanced at me warily for a second before turning back to him. "You know."

"It's okay, you can say it," I assured him as I straightened up a little.

Leon hesitated for a second before revealing, "Uh. He has been found... dead."

I inhaled sharply and my eyes widened. I looked up at Arthur, who seemed fairly shocked. The arm he had around my waist tightened slightly. "What happened to him?" he asked.

"Gaius is examining his body at the moment, but we believe he took his own life," Leon answered.

The King sighed and stated, "I guess we should not be surprised." Then he glanced down at me and let his enchanting gaze linger for a few moments before he returned his attention to the knights and clenched his jaw. "Thank you for informing me. I want him buried in an unmarked grave."

Leon and Gwaine shared a wary look, then they bowed their heads at him before leaving the room and closing the door.

I curled up against Arthur again as he let the back of his head drop against the headboard, a long exhale leaving him. I looked up at him, noticing the storm in his eyes.

He feels betrayed, no doubt. Betrayed by a guy he placed his full trust on.

My stomach twisted at the thought that Morgana's wicked actions have now tarnished the reputation of a great, noble man. A dear friend. There has to be a way to reveal the truth to Arthur without placing Merlin's life on the line, right? Something that would be easy to explain.

Like a mark...

I sat up quickly as a plan formed in my head, and Arthur gave me a questioning look.

"I-I need to talk to Merls," I said as I untangled myself from the blankets.

"Are you all right? Do you need me to come with you?"

"I'm fine, I'll be right back," I assured him and kissed his cheek before running out of the room and towards my own.

I hurried to get a black Sharpie from my desk before sprinting down to the physician's chambers.

Merlin and Gaius's heads shot towards the door when I barged in a little too ungracefully as the momentum from my run caused me to stumble. I was relieved to find they were the only two people there… Other than not-Lancelot's re-dead corpse, the sight of which caused me to freeze for a second.

"Astra!" my brother exclaimed with a smile as he moved towards me – a little too cautiously if you ask me. I met him halfway and hugged him tightly. I only saw him briefly earlier in the day when he brought Arthur and I breakfast, and we'd only exchanged a few words as he checked on me.

"How are you doing, dear girl?" Gaius asked me gently.

"Been worse," I replied with a shrug.

I pushed myself off Merlin and slowly walked towards the corpse as I gripped my Sharpie tightly. I pulled out my phone so that I could browse my camera roll for symbols that appear in 'Supernatural', figuring that copying one of those will do the trick just fine.

"What are you doing?" my brother asked with a frown.

"Are you sure you should be here?" Gaius questioned as he warily watched my movements.

"I-I thought of a way we can preserve the real Lancey's reputation," I said as I finally reached the table upon which the body lay, my heart racing again.

With a trembling hand, I reached for its forearm and rolled up the sleeve, trying my best not to touch its greyish skin as the memories of having his corrupted hands on me flashed through my mind. I used my teeth to take the cap off the Sharpie and moved the tip towards the inside of the re-dead man's wrist, but the shakiness of my body made it impossible for me to actually draw something.

In a flash, Merlin was beside me and he gently took the marker from my hand. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I thought I could draw something that can be passed off as a symbol for necromancy, or whatever. That way we can explain to the guys that this isn't Lancelot, but a corrupted cheap copy of him," I explained. My brother seemed to like the plan and he started working on the mark without another word.

"This is very thoughtful of you, Astra," Gaius said with a small, gentle smile.

I shrugged. "Lancey was awesome. I'll be darned if I let Morgana ruin his memory."

Merlin is a fairly good artist, I noticed as I watched him work on copying the 'angel banishing' symbol.

"We figured out what the bracelet was," Gaius spoke again, his eyes watching me carefully.

"Yeah?"

"It held a love enchantment."

I raised my eyebrows, then I let out a puff. "So they weren't trying to kill anyone," I realised.

"They were trying to break you and Arthur apart," Merlin stated, now moving closer to me after finishing the drawing.

I gulped and looked down, my eyes fixing on my hands, which were fiddling restlessly, as I mumbled, "I could've saved myself some trouble if I'd shown you guys the bracelet earlier, huh?"

"You really could have, dear girl," Gaius responded softly. "You have too little regard for your own life."

"Well, you should've seen me when I was sixteen," I muttered and let out a humourless chuckle.

"Astraea," the physician said in a disapproving tone while shaking his head.

I released a heavy sigh and gave my brother a quick hug. "Anyway, I'm goin' back to Artie. I'll see y'all later," I announced before leaving the apartment.

About an hour later, Gaius sent Merlin to ask the King to go down to his apartment.

Arthur kissed the side of my head before begrudgingly getting out of bed, and I casted aside my blanket so that I could do the same.

"Stay with Astra," the King commanded my brother.

"No, I wanna go," I protested as I hurried to where they both stood by the door. I really wanna see his reaction to the big revelation. He gave me a wary look. "Please?"

"All right," Arthur relented easily and he grabbed my hand as we walked the distance to Gaius's home, with Merlin following closely behind.

My body cowered when I saw not-Lancelot's body again upon entering the apartment, but I said nothing as I scooted closer to Arthur. His jaw was clenched as he looked down at the corpse, fury raging in his pretty eyes. I squeezed his hand and he turned his attention to me for a moment, then he placed an arm over my shoulders and gently drew me closer while turning me towards his chest, shielding me from the view.

Gaius cleared his throat and he said, "Sire – I have found a mark that indicates that Lancelot was not really Lancelot."

I tilted my head upwards to look at Arthur and watched as his mouth fell agape and his eyes darted between two things. I turned and saw that he was looking between the physician and the symbol on not-Lancelot's wrist. "What does that mean?" he inquired.

"It means that he was brought back from the dead using magic," Gaius responded. "However, it only revived his body, not his soul. He was but a shell of the man he used to be. Easily manipulable."

Arthur seemed a bit sceptical, so I stepped in, "It makes sense. Lancey would've never done what... he did."

He looked down at me, a restless storm still raged in his beautiful irises as his eyes travelled up and down my face. "What do you want me to do about this?" he asked softly. "It is your decision."

I blinked rapidly as I let his words settle in my brain. Man, is he amazing.

I turned my head to look at the re-dead guy again.

"Let's tell everyone what Pops found. Make it clear that this wasn't the friend we knew. And then let's have a memorial for the real Lancelot." I sighed and turned back to Arthur. "Let's show Morgana that she can't break us."

His lips curved upwards just a little bit and he nodded, then he kissed my forehead. "All right."

I paused 'Alice In Wonderland' (the live action version, of course) and turned to look at my brother as I stated, "I'm gonna say 'yes' to Arthur."

Merlin began to choke on his hot cocoa as his eyes widened, causing me to giggle. "You what?!"

"Why are you so surprised?" I questioned. "You know that I wanna marry 'em."

He shifted as he turned to face me, now sitting criss-cross on his bed. "Well, yes, but I thought that you were not ready."

"I'm not. I don't think I'll ever be ready to take on the responsibility... But I don't wanna wait anymore," I explained my decision, my eyes fixing on the duvet below me as I played with a loose thread. "Especially not when Madame Mim is after me."

"Wait –" Merlin said, making me glance up at him, "are you going to do this because you believe that the time is right, or because you want to... what's that term you use?" I tilted my head in confusion. "Give Morgana the middle finger."

I chuckled, then puffed. "Can't it be both?"

He snorted in amusement and shook his head at me before speaking softly, "I think you should wait a couple of weeks before you do it."

My eyes widened. "What?! Why?!"

He reached for my hand and held it gently as he said, "You are feeling vulnerable right now." I went to protest, but he cut me off, "Whether you are willing to admit it or not." I narrowed my eyes at him and then averted my gaze. He has a point. "Please, just wait a couple of weeks and then you can make a decision with a clearer mind."

"Fine, I guess," I mumbled.

Merlin hugged me. "I love you, Astra. And I do not want you to make a big decision that you might not be truly ready for."

"I love you, too, Mels," I replied while returning the affectionate embrace, then I let out a shaky sigh. "And thank you. For everything."