Camelot

April, 508 AD

Merlin made a 'tsk' sound and shook his head, his eyes not meeting mine as he stared at the large paper parchment that was laid out atop my desk. "You have really outdone yourself this time, Astra," he stated.

A proud smirk formed on my lips.

"This is a level of crazy I didn't think existed," he added, causing my smile to fade as a pang hit my chest.

"But... I mean... it could work, right?" I asked, my voice just above a whisper. I bit down on my bottom lip and kept my gaze trained on him, silently begging him to make eye-contact so that I could figure out what he's thinking.

"If your objective is to get killed, then yes. Absolutely."

My eyes travelled towards Gwaine, who stood next to me. He seemed concerned as he, too, analysed the plan on my desk. I could tell he wasn't pleased by it, by the way his eyes narrowed and his jaw and shoulders tensed; but I was hopeful that he wouldn't be entirely opposed. Then I looked at Gwen, who seemed completely petrified.

"Well, I'll have you as back-up," I finally responded to Merlin as I returned my attention to him. "Or at least I hope I will," I added in a mumble.

"No, we are not doing this. It is like making a deal with the devil!" he protested, raising his voice.

"Quiet down, magic man. The King is right next door," Gwaine warned in a mutter.

I gave him a soft nudge in silent thanks before responding to my brother, "I know that that's most likely the case. But– I– There might be a very small possibility that she'll actually listen. So isn't it worth a try?"

"I am not letting you risk your life for a very faint possibility," Merlin argued.

"Well, I'm not asking your permission," I snapped, causing him to glare at me. At least he's looking at me now. "I'm gonna do this with or without you. If there's a chance, however small, that we could end the war with her, I'm takin' it. For Arthur."

"For Arthur," he echoed as his gaze softened.

"You cannot actually be considering this!" It was Gwen's turn to protest as she looked up at my brother with a bewildered expression.

"I have always felt guilty that I did not help her when she first discovered that she has magic," Merlin confessed as he looked down again. "I think it is a fool's errand, but Astra's plan is not half bad. We have little to lose and a lot to gain."

"Well, I think that the two of you are insane," Gwaine stated as he looked between my brother and I. "But if you are in, so am I."

I smiled and gave him a side hug, feeling pleased that my 'insane' brain is bringing results. If I can pull this off, maybe I'm not as bad of a choice for a queen as I think I am!

Gwen let out a heavy sigh and turned around, walking towards the window.

"You don't have to like it, or even help us," I told her. "Just, please, don't tell Art."

"Of course I am not going to tell him, Astra," she promised as she turned back to face us. "And you can count on my help if you shall need it."

At that, my smile grew. "All righty, then. Let's go on a fool's errand."

"'S that it?" I asked my two companions as we came to a stop in the forest when we saw a small, ruined, dark stone fortress peeking out of the trees in the distance.

The sun shone proudly in the sky, illuminating nature with a smile while pairing up with the trees to cast long shadows on the ground. Birds chirped in the distance, the leaves swooshed, and a faint scent of smoke filled the air – presumably thanks to the fireplace that seemed to be lit in the building.

"Yes, it must be," Merlin responded while giving me a wary look.

I let out a shaky sigh, already kind of regretting the decisions that led to where we stand, but I can't backtrack now. "Okay," I said while hopping off Dallas. "Let's get ready."

Merlin dismounted Falcon and Gwaine dismounted Shakespeare. The knight decided to leave Fallyn behind this time, seeing as she's much more easily recognisable than most horses are, given how rare it is to see an Arabian horse; and we don't want Morgana to figure out that the knight is around.

The sorcerer retrieved the three identical potions he'd made from his satchel bag and he handed me one, then one to Gwaine, and he kept the third.

"You can still pull out," Merlin told me.

"Nope. I'm seein' this through," I responded, even if I really do want to pull out. I don't know what I was thinking!

"Great. I definitely want to be listening to both of your minds at the same time," my brother grumbled.

Gwaine and I shared a guilty smile before the three of us exchanged a nod. We downed the potions at the same time, then we remained still and silent as we waited for the effects to settle in.

'Winter Shadow to Captain Emrys, do you copy?' I asked in my mind while smirking.

Merlin sighed. 'Yes, I can hear you.'

'Winter Shadow to Pheasant, do you copy?' I turned to Gwaine with a smirk.

I'd figured that if Merlin and I are like Steve and Bucky, then Gwaine's our Sam Wilson; which meant that he needed a bird-themed alias and I'd quickly proposed Pheasant when I remembered our journey through the Perilous Lands and how he kept on trying to convince us that that was the animal making those eerie screeching sounds at night.

'I hate that name!' the knight protested, making Merlin and I share a chuckle.

Perhaps it's a bit childish to want to give my friends superhero aliases in the first place – but you know me well by now.

'Awesome. Time to get into character, then,' I mentally stated while grinning at the both of them.

Begrudgingly, my brother went to get his 'Emrys' robe out of a duffel bag and he retrieved the fourth potion he'd made from his satchel, then he promptly changed his appearance while Gwaine watched in amusement and wonder. Next, the knight got the generic armour he took from the armoury and the black hoodie that Gwen made for him from his own bag, and Merlin helped him to put on the uncomfortable metal pieces.

You see – he will play the part of the Shadow while I play damsel in distress, or whatever.

'Diplomatic queen, Trae. Do not belittle yourself,' Gwaine scolded.

'Knight-Queen,' Merlin and I corrected at the same time before sharing an amused look.

'It is eerie how you two do that,' the knight said.

'Yes. Let's go now,' my brother grumbled, his mind expressing the many reasons why he's not at all happy with our plan; though I kept assuring him that I will survive and Gwaine backed me up. Just a little bit. I can see that he's not thrilled, either.

'How could either of us be?'

'Shut up, Merls.'

'All right, we are in. You can knock,' Merlin said in my mind, causing a slight hint of relief to shine through the fear that was flooding the veins of my trembling body.

Now separated from my friends, weaponless, and wearing nothing but my standard clothes; I walked up to the front door of the witches' lair and swiftly knocked on it before I could pee my pants and run away.

My heart raced at a billion beats per minute as I let my eyes dart around for a second, noticing how the sun was slowly moving towards the horizon with the threat of soon disappearing and leaving me alone in the dark.

I'm so gonna be eating crow very soon.

'What does that mean?' Gwaine inquired in my mind.

'That Merls and Gwen were right about this,' I responded.

'Does that mean we can leave now?' Merlin asked.

'Too late, I already knocked.'

Sure enough, the door opened and my chest tightened when it revealed Thanata. It's been a while since the last time I saw her so up-close and she looks taller and much older now. Even older than myself, I dare say, as huge eye-bags and faint wrinkles plagued her once teenage features. I suppose it might be due to the stress of the conditions she lives under, or perhaps practicing magic leaves her looking like that.

"Astraea," she greeted in a cordial tone and gave an acknowledging nod. "Come in, we have been expecting you."

I shakily stepped into the ruined house and looked around, instantly being reminded of the HYDRA facility in my dream. Dust flew in the air, the walls were covered in cobwebs, there were small puddles on the floor, and the interior was lit by torches placed every few metres that provided very little lighting.

I gasped when my back was suddenly pressed against a cold and slightly damp wall while Thanata patted me up and down. In search of weapons, I assume. But it still made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

'Trae? Are you okay?' Gwaine asked.

'Little witch's groping me,' I responded.

Thanata's hands got way too close to my breasts and I finally shoved her away as I hissed, "Dude! You said to come unarmed – so I came unarmed!"

She stepped back slightly and hummed as she eyed me up and down, then she smirked. "Very well. Follow me."

She led me up a narrow flight of stairs – which was partly fallen apart as huge chunks of it were missing – and then down a corridor that led to a chamber. Inside the chamber was a rectangular wooden table with one chair placed at the head of it and then one to its right side.

A sudden pain in my arm caused me to jump and I turned to find the blonde gripping it tightly, her nails digging into my Captain America sweatshirt and my skin. "My mistress will be with you shortly. Please, take a seat," she stated, then she shoved me inside the room and closed the door.

I had thought that the young witch had moved on from serving and into a more equal side-kick position after Morgause's death; but I guess I was wrong.

'Astra?' Merlin asked in my mind.

'Still alive, don't worry.'

Not having anything better to do – considering that the room was empty and the only window inside was locked shut – I plopped down on one of the chairs and sighed while eyeing my surroundings, but there wasn't much to observe other than a rusty chandelier above me. Obviously, if the witches have a more home-y house, they're not going to give me the location. This is likely just a temporary hiding place that they picked for this meeting.

'Guys, this is boring.'

'You are not there to have fun, Astra,' Merlin reminded me.

'Well, yeah, but they could've at least left me with some snacks, y'know? They're terrible hosts.'

I jumped when the door creaked and fear struck at my chest once more when Morgana entered the room. She, too, looked like a ghost of the person I once knew. Her skin was pale, her hair a mess, and her eyes filled with nothing but darkness. The sight reminded me way too much of the dream I had.

"Hey, Morg," I greeted, trying to appear as friendly and casual as possible as I put on a grin.

"Astraea – it is great to see you," she replied in an eerily amicable manner as she slowly walked up to the vacant chair. "You said there is something you want to discuss that might interest me," she commented, her intense gaze fixing on my face.

'Ew! Gwaine!' Merlin's whiny voice in my head distracted me.

'What?' the knight asked.

'You know what!'

'I don't,' I piped in.

'He farted.'

'Oh, gross!'

"Astraea!" A loud slam caused me to flinch and my eyes widened when I found a suddenly enraged Morgana seething across the table from me with her hands placed firmly atop the wooden surface.

'Shut up, guys. You're gonna get me killed,' I scolded in my mind before giving the witch an innocent smile. "Sorry?"

"I do not like waiting!" she snarled. "What is it that you have to tell me?!"

"Right... Okay... Well..." I gulped. Well, here goes nothing. "You know how magic's illegal in Camelot?"

She clenched her jaw. "How could I forget?"

Right, stupid me.

'Speak confidently, kid,' Gwaine told me.

I nodded before continuing, "Well, you see, I don't really agree with that." Morgana raised an eyebrow. "I-I'm not sayin' it'll be easy, but I wanna find a way to get Arthur to change his mind, y'know? Perhaps... in time... I could find a way to make some changes to the laws to make 'em more tolerant of magic people. I mean, I've seen magic used for good. It's not all evil, right? So... uh... I was thinking that... maybe... we could agree to some sort of truce?"

'I do not believe you've understood the meaning of 'confidence',' Merlin spoke in my mind again.

'I'm under a lot of pressure, dude!'

Morgana cackled loudly and I recoiled. "A truce?"

I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "Y-yeah. R-rather than you killing Arthur to bring back magic by force, y-you can join strengths with me a-and help me do it through the r-right means, c-convince him it's not all bad. W-we... you can turn your life around."

"Oh, Astra, but do you not see?" she began as her face contorted into a creepy smirk. I tilted my head in confusion. "Yes, I want magic to reign once more; but I want to reign alongside it. I want the throne." She slammed her hands on the table again, making me jump backwards and I fell off the chair and onto my butt with a gasp. "I want what is rightfully mine!"

'Bringing up that she's technically considered a bastard will get me killed, yeah?' I asked my friends.

'Certainly.'

'Definitely.'

'Okay, uh... Any suggestions?'

'Convince her that she does not need to be queen to have power?' Gwaine proposed.

'Cool, thanks.'

"D'ya really want the throne?" I questioned as I scrambled to get on my feet. "'Cause it's honestly super exhausting. I mean, you have to spend like ten hours a day sittin' behind a desk and reading documents, and you're forced to attend every formal event there is, and there's all this etiquette, and..." I trailed off when I realised that I was only causing Morgana's anger to grow as she breathed heavily. I cleared my throat before changing course, "W-what I mean is that... you don't need to have a crown to have influence, y'know? There's a lot you can do from the sidelines."

"You would know, would you not?" she noted as she gave me an eerie grin again.

'Do not say anything else, Astra! We are getting you out!' Merlin screeched in my mind.

'No! Not yet! I might still be able to sway her!' I protested.

'It is too risky!'

'Give me more time, please!'

"Well, I'd gladly give you my dumb crown, but I doubt you wanna marry Arthur..." I finally responded with a loose tongue, afraid that she might start to suspect something if I took too long.

Morgana scowled at me and moved a little too close for comfort. I almost thought she was gonna pull a dagger out of her sleeve and stab me. But instead, she smiled and said, "You know, we could yet find room for an alliance."

My eyes widened as my heart beat with hope. "Oh. Okay. Great! Awesome! What d'ya have in mind?"

'Well, this is an unfortunate twist,' I thought when the door to a little, windowless room was slammed closed, leaving me in complete darkness and with my left ankle chained to the wall.

I could hear a leak. Actually, several. And the chamber was cold and damp with a slightly sour and smoky smell to it.

'We are coming to get you,' Merlin stated.

'No, not yet!' I protested.

'What?!'

'Chaining me to the wall is hardly a criminal offence!'

'Astra – you're the queen!'

'Maybe she's just testing me to see how serious I am!' I countered. 'Or she might be pondering her options and is afraid I might leave in the meantime!'

Look, deep down, I know that I'm being very delusional. It's highly unlikely that Morgana may have anything other than questionable motives for chaining me up like this. But I still feel like I owe her the benefit of the doubt. And it gives me time to prepare a smarter speech for the next time I see her. I mean, I did fork up the meeting big time as anxiety got the best of me.

'Fine. We will give you until tomorrow. Then we are out,' Merlin thought sternly.

'Tomorrow?! But I am hungry now!' Gwaine protested.

'Well, I'm sure they have a kitchen somewhere,' I commented. 'Merls can probably sneak inside and get y'all something.'

'We can try that once they have gone to sleep,' my brother said. I could almost hear his reluctance in my mind.

'Cheer up, bro! At least she hasn't tried to kill me yet!' I chirped.

'Yet?!' Gwaine cried.

'Let's hope it stays that way,' I responded and shrugged, even if they couldn't see it.

As silence befell us, I decided to ignore the unavoidable wetness of the floor below me and I moved to lie down on my back, my butt already feeling halfway numb from sitting on the hard rocky ground. Closing or opening my eyes made no difference, given how truly dark everything was. There wasn't a single crack in the walls or door through which light could filter. It's totally unnerving; but I know that as long as my mind doesn't start conjuring up horror stories, I'll be fine. And if there happens to be a monster hiding somewhere, Merlin will be on top of it within moments.

Well, maybe not so quickly considering he's currently an old man again...

'Hey!'

'It's the truth, bro!'

'Insolent child!'

I couldn't help but giggle aloud at that.

'Can you guys see outside? What time is it?' I asked.

'No, we are hiding in a root cellar,' Gwaine responded.

'I have her phone, though,' Merlin noted before pausing for a second. 'It says sixteen-thirty-four.'

'So twenty-two-thirty-four,' I said; seeing as the date and time are still synchronised to twenty-first century Texas.

'I wish I'd kept it with me,' I added after a few silent moments, realising that I'd have a source of lighting and entertainment that way.

'We could not risk them finding it. Especially with how Thanata searched you,' Merlin reminded me. 'And, again, we are not here to be entertained!'

'Easy for you to say. You and Gwaine have each other.'

'I would happily swap places with you,' my brother commented.

'Hey!' the knight protested.

I laughed again.

'Well, this is gonna be a long night for all of us, then,' I realised.

I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to picture Arthur in my mind. We've only been away from home for two days, but I already miss him like crazy. We haven't been apart for longer than maybe some eight hours since we've been married and I think I'm starting to feel like how I imagine addicts feel when going through withdrawal. Only, my addiction isn't harmful. I think. I mean, I'm chained to a wall because I love him so much that I kinda wanna fix the world for him... Is that harmful? No, it can't be. How can love be harmful? I mean, corrupted versions of it, sure. But I don't think my relationship with Arthur is in any way corrupted. Is it? Am I crazy for wanting to fix the world for him?

'Astra, shut up! We can hear you!' Merlin ended my mental ramblings.

I felt my face get hot and I bit down on my lip, willing myself to stop thinking about my King. I started thinking about the Avengers, instead, and replaying movie scenes in my mind. But, eventually, my brain hopped back to Arthur.

'Stop that!'

Dread filled me as soon as I realised where I was. A place I haven't been to in a very long time – a place I hoped never to return to. And yet, here I am. The white and grey monotony of the hallways was the first giveaway, followed by the seemingly endless rows of lockers that stick to each side of the walls. The white lights above almost gave me a headache, their cold illumination making me long for the warm torches used in medieval times. In Camelot.

Wait – why the hell am I in hell?

"Astra?" I heard Merlin's voice and turned around to find him and Gwaine standing behind me, sporting looks of pure confusion.

I jumped to hug my brother instantly. "You're here," I pointed out the obvious in a whisper.

"Where is 'here', exactly? Are we in that wolf show you like?" the knight asked.

I moved to hug him as well as I responded, "No, we're in my old school."

"What!? How?!"

"It is a dream," Merlin noted while glancing around.

I followed his gaze and noticed the crowds that had amassed in the hallway at some point. Hundreds of teenagers bumping into each other as they sprinted up and down in a rush to get to their next classes; groups of girls giggling over One Direction's latest album, or whatever; and jocks throwing basketballs from side to side, even when a hall monitor has asked them multiple times not to do that.

Gwaine turned to me in bewilderment. "Well, now I understand why you refer to it as 'hell'."

Before I could respond, a blurred figure bumped against me and I fell against the hard wall of lockers, dropping my copy of 'Emma' to the ground in the process as I tried and failed to catch myself. Laughter echoed through the hallway and I scowled as I stared after the figure. A blonde girl with shoulder-length hair and a pink polka dot dress that reached just past her knees. Sophia.

"Trae!" The knight was quick to help me to my feet.

I stared down at the book that was still on the ground, realising that some pages had fallen out.

My eyes widened in realisation. This isn't a random dream. It's a memory!

"Oh, crap. You two shouldn't be here!" I exclaimed while running my hand down my braid before starting to walk towards Chemistry class. My feet seemed to be moving on their own, because I would never go back there willingly.

"Well, we are still connected through the telepathic link," Merlin pointed out as he and Gwaine followed me.

"Can't you break it?" I asked as we entered the room. I almost felt my lungs constraining as I thought of what is coming. "I really don't want you here!"

"Why? What is going on?" Gwaine questioned as I took my usual seat at the back of the class, next to none other than Marie Auclair.

"Please tell me you did the homework this time?" the curly blonde spewed out as soon as I sat down. I froze in my spot and avoided her and my friends' gazes as I lowered my head. "Oh, you lazy b*tch! I'm gonna fail and it'll all be your fault!"

"I-I'm sorry. It slipped my mind," I mumbled under my breath while cowering away from her.

It really had. I don't really remember why, though. I always sucked at remembering to do my homework. Something to do with lack of motivation, according to a psychiatrist that Aunt Kelly took me to see once.

"Hey! Do not talk to her like that!" Gwaine quickly defended me, moving to stand next to me as he glared down at the girl. She didn't even acknowledge him.

"I don't think she can see you," I realised while raising an eyebrow.

There has to be a way for me to wake up before the worst comes!

"You know, I could be working with Chase! Or with Paul! But I chose to work with you! I cannot believe how ungrateful you are!" Marie continued her rant.

"I'm sorry," I whispered this time, deciding to skip over the fact that the teacher had been the one to assign partners.

"Why did you let her talk to you like that?" Merlin asked.

"Well, I kinda deserved it. I was a crappy lab partner," I responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"Even if you were, it is not right."

"Maybe," I mumbled. "Welcome to the life of an American teenager," I added with a weak chuckle.

What if I stab myself with the Swiss army knife I used to keep in my backpack? Would that wake me up? But I don't want my friends to ask why I keep a Swiss army knife in my backpack…

Like I knew would happen, the teacher gave out instructions and then she set us to work. I tried really hard to keep myself from following the same steps I did that day but, of course, my dreamland body was driving itself towards a cliff while I watched helplessly from the backseat.

And then it came. My pencil rolled off the table. I scrambled to catch it before it could fall. The sleeve of my oversized sweatshirt got caught in the glass beaker we were using for that day's assignment. And its very hot contents spilled onto the table and splashed both Marie and I.

Ignoring the pain, I found myself freezing once more as I glanced up at the girl, who looked enraged as her jaw and fists clenched.

My friends gasped beside me.

"Ah, you f*cking idiot!" Marie screeched as she leaped off her seat and got away from the table. Despite the burning sensation in my thigh thanks to a drop of the mixture that fell on it, I remained in place and let my head drop again. "This is why no one wants to work with you, you freak!"

Laughter echoed through the room.

"Aphelion! Can't you do anything right!?" the teacher snarled angrily from the front of the room, his voice sharp like a sword crafted in Camelot.

"Oh, I am going to rip your head off!" Gwaine roared before rushing to lunge at the teacher.

My eyes widened as I stared at him, then I looked up at Merlin, who watched in concern. I could tell there were tears rolling down my cheeks, but I didn't try to wipe them as my eyes connected with my brother's. I'm not in high school anymore. This is just a bad memory. I'm in Camelot, with him, and with Arthur.

Wait, no, I'm actually trapped in the middle of nowhere. By Morgana. But Gwaine is there. Merlin is there. I'm not in school!

I groaned when I heard a loud screeching sound as I finally woke up, sweating despite the coolness of the still completely dark room. I wasn't breathing quite right as my lungs still felt constrained, and my heart-rate was skyrocketing. But at least I'm not in hell anymore.

'Merls? Gwainester?'

'You are all right, Astra. We are getting you out,' my brother instantly responded.

'No. Not yet. I'm fine,' I remained stubborn. I'm not giving up on Morgana so easily. 'It was just a dream.'