Camelot
May, 508 AD
I fixed Merlin with a narrow-eyed gaze as he threw his arms up in victory in the face of his smooth 'spare'. There's no way in heck he's so naturally gifted at this! He must be cheating with magic!
Gwaine seemed to be thinking the same thing as he turned to me with a raised eyebrow while Percival and Elyan cheered along with the sorcerer, obviously oblivious to the possible tricks up his sleeve.
"Way to go, Merlin!" Elyan praised as he patted my brother's back, who responded with a big grin before walking over to the other side of the corridor so that he could set the pins upright again and retrieve the ball.
Yes – we had a local carpenter make us a wooden bowling set. Gwaine insisted after he saw the game being played on 'Teen Wolf'.
Merlin handed the ball to Percival, who seemed only a bit too eager to have his turn. I'm sure he'll be great at it, given how strong he is. He moved to stand before the firing line we'd drawn on the ground with white chalk and I watched in amusement as he carefully analysed the set-up before him.
I was soon proven wrong about his abilities when the ball bounced on the ground, no doubt leaving a dent on the stone underneath the carpet we were using as a makeshift lane, before rolling towards the wall, where it left another dent before changing course towards the pins. Only one was knocked down and the ball kept rolling, now crashing against the other side of the wall, where it finally stopped.
"Sorry," Percival said meekly as he turned around to face the rest of us with a guilty grin.
"S'all right, I doubt Art will notice," I responded with a nonchalant shrug and a small chuckle.
"And if he does, we can just tell him that Astra did it and he will let it go," Merlin added as he gave me a playful nudge.
"I do not believe Astra has the strength to leave a dent like that," Elyan pointed out while smirking at me.
Percival's forehead wrinkled slightly as he went to rearrange the pins and retrieve the ball.
"Are you callin' me weak?" I protested with a fake pout.
"Just stating facts," Elyan answered and he moved to my side, then he grabbed my upper arm. "I can wrap my whole hand around your bicep and still have some room left," he said teasingly.
"Wait, really?!" Merlin exclaimed before repeating the action on my other arm and letting out a big laugh when Elyan's statement proved true once more. I felt my face get slightly warm and I yanked both of my limbs out of their grasps, then I moved to stand beside Gwaine, who chuckled as he threw an arm over my shoulders.
I know that they're just joking around, but it's a little embarrassing. I mean, I'm a knight! I have no right to be that if I'm built like a stick-person drawing. So I figured that I should prove my strength (even if it's kinda childish). I composed myself when Percival returned and I put on a grin as I took the ball from him.
"Challenge accepted," I stated before throwing the ball against the wall.
Gasps echoed through the corridor, Gwaine bursted out laughing, and Elyan gave me a bewildered look before moving to inspect the spot that the ball had hit.
"Nothing," he stated with a snort.
"Darn it!"
"Can we get back to the actual game, now?" Merlin asked, looking unimpressed as he raised an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah, yeah," I responded with a disappointed sigh as I pulled out the sheet of paper where I drew the scoreboard. "Gwainester's up."
The brunet knight was just about to roll for his second frame when George, our loyal secret informant, came sprinting down the corridor, his steps too loud not to draw attention. "The King is heading this way!" he exclaimed, not stopping as he kept running and disappeared down the other side of the hallway.
We all scrambled to pick up the pins, each of us holding two and hiding them behind our backs as we leaned against the walls, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible when Arthur rounded the corner.
My dumb heart picked up its pace at the sight of him. You'd think it'd be used to that by now.
He raised an eyebrow as he reached us and he halted. His gaze darted among the boys before it landed on me. I gave him the best innocent grin I could put on. "What are you lot up to, this time?" he inquired.
"Just hangin' out," I answered.
Arthur tilted his head and his eyes travelled to analyse the guys again, all of whom maintained amicable expressions, and Gwaine winked at him; before returning to me. "What are you hiding behind your backs?"
He noticed that, huh?
"Just practicing our soldier stances," I responded.
He stepped closer to me to where our chests were almost touching and he narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenching slightly.
My heart-beat accelerated even more and my stomach buzzed. I still held his stare, though, not dropping the small grin I'd fixed on my lips.
Suddenly, his arm rounded my waist and he quickly pried the pins from my hands, my stick-person fingers standing no chance against his sturdy manly ones. I finally averted my gaze as I pouted.
"Ah, that. We were bowling," I said nonchalantly.
My friends slowly revealed the pins they were holding and Arthur analysed the ones in his hands. Then he pouted slightly and looked at me again. "Without me?"
Interesting. I thought he'd be mad that we were playing at all.
"You were busy," I responded with a sheepish smile.
He scoffed. "Well, you are about to be."
"Ew!" Merlin cried.
I turned to him and frowned. How is my queenly duty 'ew'?
"Shut up, Merlin!" Arthur scolded while rolling his eyes. "I simply need her help going over a land dispute in Dawsbury."
I puffed and handed my pins over to Percival. "Rain-check, I guess. Don't have fun without me," I told my friends while pointing a playful menacing finger.
Honestly, though, I actually felt kind of glad that we were cutting the game short. I really hate bowling 'cause I suck at it. Not that I would say that aloud.
"Sorry, my love. We can all play some more tonight," Arthur told me as he wrapped an arm around my waist and began leading me back towards the royal apartments.
I heard the knights and Merlin cheer and I looked back at them, giving them a thumbs-up.
The image of the evil, giant Barney the dinosaur that was terrorising Camelot a la Godzilla while Iron-Man and I fought him blurred in my mind when I started to become aware of my real life surroundings. Still in Camelot, only it was peaceful as the faint sound of chirping birds reached me, along with the feeling of the soft mattress beneath me, the safety of my Avengers blanket wrapped around my body and, most importantly, the manly scent of Arthur.
I finally opened my eyes to find my ridiculously attractive husband sitting right beside me, his back resting against the headboard as he stared at something in his hands. My copy of 'Dracula', I noticed. A smile curved my lips at the sight of him and I shuffled closer to rest my head on his thigh. He let out a soft gasp and his eyes jumped to me. We exchanged a grin when our gazes connected.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said, causing my face to warm up.
"It's a good mornin', all right," I responded. I sat up a little and I moved to lay my head on his bare chest.
He gave a breathy chuckle and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me against his body as he let out a sigh. Then his attention went back to the book and I closed my eyes again, figuring that there is no rush in getting up.
I grunted a little when I felt a slight strain in my right arm and Arthur tensed up. "What is wrong?" he asked.
"I think I've got a bowler's arm, or something," I mumbled. "Y'know, like the bowling equivalent of a tennis elbow, or whatever."
"What?" he sounded entirely confused as he shifted, forcing me to sit up. I glared at him, unhappy that he decided to stop being a comfortable pillow in favour of being a whiny one.
"Nothing," I responded with a puff when I remembered that tennis isn't a thing yet. "My arm's just sore from yesterday."
Confusion faded from his breath-taking features as he laughed. "You did get a bit too competitive."
I dropped my head to his shoulder and curled up beside him again while hugging his torso. "Well, El and Merls were being jerks."
He hummed as he returned his attention to the book and I sighed while relishing in his warmth. He rendered my blanket almost useless, especially during this time of the year, but I still kept it around me out of habit.
I gazed up at him while he continued to read and I smiled at the look of absolute concentration on his pretty face. My heart did a small backflip and I couldn't help myself as I reached up to kiss the side of his jaw. His lips curved upwards slightly and he tightened his arm around me, though he kept his eyes on the book. I planted another kiss, then another one below that, then another one, and began to trail down his neck until I reached his shoulder. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck and took a deep breath as my heart swelled in my chest. I can't believe I'm actually married to him!
Arthur let out a shaky exhale and he wrapped a second arm around me, seemingly forgetting about the book as he set it down on his lap. I pressed another kiss to his neck before looking up at him and grinning when my eyes met his.
"Keep that up, and we are going to be here all morning," he said in a low voice as one of his hands slid under the back of my shirt. Well, technically it's his shirt. I stole it and threw it over my PJs prior to going to bed last night just 'cause I could.
My eyes widened at his words and I felt my face heat up again.
A knock on the door killed any potentially dumb reply I might've been able to come up with.
"Are you two decent?!" I heard my brother's voice on the other side.
Whatever flustered state had befallen me dissipated immediately in light of Merlin's proximity and I pushed away from Arthur. Then I stood up on the bed and stretched out my limbs, my right arm protesting once again.
I ignored the displeased frown on the King's pretty face as I called out for Merlin to come in.
"Morning, bro!" I greeted as I leaped over Arthur and onto the floor, then I skipped over to the sorcerer and gave him a quick hug, which he returned with a chuckle. "I'll be right back," I announced before rushing out of the room and into mine.
I hurried to change into navy blue riding leggings and my Minion hoodie, I pulled on the first two socks that my fingers landed on, and I slipped on my black Converse. Then I went to sit at the vanity and undid my braid, brushed my hair, and did it up again. Satisfied with that, I ran back to Arthur's room, eager to have some breakfast.
An involuntary pout came over me when I noticed that Merlin got us oatmeal (he and I have settled on taking turns with getting breakfast from the kitchen) as a wave of nostalgia hit me along with the recollection of Gaius's cosy home and his familiar cooking.
"Is this not fancy enough for you, your majesty?" he asked with a taunting smirk.
"Shut up, you jerk," I grumbled while glaring at him. "I was just thinkin' that I miss having breakfast with you and Pops. It's been a while."
'A while' in this context is probably no longer than a week, but still. I mean, I used to hang out there every day, y'know?
Merlin's features softened as he said, "Well, you know that you're welcome anytime." Then his smirk returned as Arthur left his closet and he added, "That is if your husband ever stops hoarding you."
My heart jumped at the sight of my husband again, my eyes relishing in the way his dark blue shirt brought out the colour in his irises. A fashion choice so simple, yet so effective for the female gaze. I might have to keep him locked up, or someone might try to steal him from me...
Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin as he slipped onto the chair next to mine, his hand instantly finding mine. "I do not hoard her, Merlin."
My brother didn't seem convinced as he turned to me with raised eyebrows and pressed lips. I shrugged and ate a spoonful of oatmeal, figuring that I won't be forced to pick sides if my mouth is full. I do feel guilty that I've kind of been neglecting my original roomies lately, though, and I made a mental promise to fix that tomorrow.
I grinned when my eyes landed on a pot of coffee and I let go of Arthur's hand so that I could reach for it and pour some into my Spider-Man mug, which sat near my plate. My King made a slight whiny sound and a bit of a pout formed on his lips as he stared at me. I giggled and hurried to add milk, vanilla, and sugar to my coffee before returning my hand to his. He turned smiley again and returned his attention to the bowl of oatmeal in front of him.
Merlin scoffed, making me turn to him while tilting my head. "You two are ridiculous," he stated.
"You'll understand love when you're older, kid," I responded with a wink, earning a laugh from Arthur that filled my heart with butterflies.
"I'm older than you!" my brother shot back.
"True."
Fun came that day in the form of getting to know a new string of equine recruits for the knights. Ten three-year-old horses primed to start the training program under the prayer that they'll never have to be thrown into battle.
My eye was particularly caught by a very level-headed cob-type mare, dark bay in colour with four white socks and a blaze. Her temperament, along with her solid body build, makes me hopeful that she could be a good broodmare candidate if I ever do manage to convince Arthur to let me get an Arabian stallion so that I can try to breed something similar to the Thoroughbred. I named the mare Sabine.
I also have my sights set on a particularly tall cherry-bay Iberian-style horse who could potentially be a nice match for Percival if he ever needs someone to ease Promesse's burdens. That one I named Stark.
The eight-or-so hours that I poured into examining the ten horses were a blast; but they left me feeling exhausted and, by the time I'd bathed and reached Arthur's room again, all I wanted to do was collapse onto the bed and hibernate.
However, my duties don't end with the horses and I groaned when I saw the big pile of documents sitting atop my King's desk.
"Please tell me that's the 'done' pile," I grumbled.
He looked up from the paper he was examining and gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Sorry, darling. I was delayed by a meeting with an envoy from Mercia."
"What did he want?" I asked while moving closer to him.
"We needed to adjust some prices over our trade arrangement. I will not bore you with the details," Arthur responded as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. The proximity caused my annoyance to fade a little.
"Such a gentleman," I said before kissing his cheek.
Figuring that I should stop whining because I did kind of literally sign up for the at-time-tedious task of managing the kingdom, I reached for the document atop the pile and held it close to my chest as I read it, giving Arthur space to look over my shoulder at the one on the desk.
I started when Merlin abruptly entered the room.
"Dude, knock!" I scolded.
He gave me a sheepish smile and said, "Sorry, I did not know you were back yet," as he went to start lighting the candles on the chandelier. Something must've caught his attention because he paused and turned to us with a raised eyebrow. Then he scoffed, "You're so nauseatingly clingy! How are you not sick of each other yet?"
"Shut up, Merlin. I could never get sick of her," Arthur claimed and he let go of the document he was holding to wrap both of his arms around me and he nuzzled into the crook of my neck.
"Cute, but we all know that's a lie," I responded with a small giggle as my face warmed up. Again.
"No. I could be here all day," my King argued.
"Same, t.b.h.," I stated as I rested my head against his. He responded by pressing a kiss to my skin.
Merlin snorted. "You would not last an hour, Astra. You would get bored."
"Is that a challenge?" I asked with a smirk as I straightened up a little and narrowed my eyes at him.
He walked closer and supported his arms on the table as he leaned on it to meet my challenging stare. "Twenty four hours starting now," he stated. "You have to be within a metre of one another the entire time."
I frowned as a thought crossed my mind. "Wait – what about bathroom breaks?"
"Once every three hours?" he suggested.
"Sounds good."
Merlin smirked. "And when I win, Arthur will have to clean his armour for an entire month."
"Woah, hold on–" my King tried to protest, but I cut him off.
"And when we win, you'll clean Dallas's tack for a whole month."
My brother raised his hand to offer a shake. "Deal."
I took it. "Deal."
"Please?" I softly asked Arthur while giving him the best puppy eyes I could muster, my thumb tracing his jaw line as we lay in bed facing each other. "You'll have fun, I promise!"
He pursed his lips, seemingly in thought, while his warm hand continued to run up and down my back underneath my PJ shirt, leaving sparks in its wake. I feared he would cause a short circuit in the electrical components of my body.
"C'mon, don't make me choose between you!" I pressed.
Arthur quirked an eyebrow. "Who would you choose?" he asked in a low voice.
I gulped and blinked rapidly for a few seconds, my heart-rate elevating slightly. Then I decided to ignore the stupid question and instead scooted closer to him and kissed the side of his neck, letting my lips linger for a few seconds before pulling away and looking him in the eyes again. "Please?"
He let out a shaky sigh before responding, "I do not think it is appropriate for the King and queen to have breakfast in the physician's chambers."
That caused me to recoil and I sat up, feeling as if I'd just been punched in the face by the Thing from 'Fantastic Four'.
Arthur was quick to grab my hand. "Look, if you really want this, I guess it will not hurt to do it just this once."
Oh, cool. I thought I was gonna have to divorce him for a second.
A big smile grew on my face and I pretty much threw myself on top of him, hugging him tightly while he chuckled. "You're the best!"
Thirty minutes later, we stood in the physician's apartment in front of a stunned Gaius – who had been expecting me for breakfast, but certainly not the King – and an amused Merlin.
"Sorry to spring him on ya' like this, Pops. It's Merls's fault," I said with a sheepish smile.
My brother huffed, "You are the one who turned a simple comment into a bet!"
"You didn't give me much of a choice!" I argued and went over to him, playfully shoving him out of the way before heading towards the kitchen, figuring that I should help to prepare the food. Arthur smartly followed, not breaking the agreed-upon metre.
I grinned when I noticed a bowl with a mix sitting atop the counter. Presumably for hotcakes or crêpes.
"You are very welcome here, Sire," I heard Gaius say while Merlin moved to get a pan out of the cupboard, and I retrieved a wooden spoon.
Arthur seemed puzzled, but he still thanked the physician in a mumble while he followed me around like a lost puppy.
"You will be glad to hear I have some freshly-made apple juice, Astra," Gaius told me kindly as he entered the storage room.
"You know how to keep a girl happy, Pops," I responded with a wink, accidentally dropping some batter on the counter when my attention diverted towards the elderly man.
Merlin rolled his eyes and he took the spoon from me. "Already making a mess," he accused, then made a 'tsk' sound.
I narrowed my eyes at him, then I quickly dipped my finger in the batter and smeared his cheek with it, bursting out laughing as his jaw dropped.
"You insolent child!" he exclaimed before flicking what was left on the spoon – after having poured its contents onto the pan – at me, also hitting Arthur in the process and earning a disgruntled 'Merlin!', but the sorcerer didn't seem fazed by that.
I laughed harder, doubling over. "Who are you calling a child?! I have more life experience than you do!"
He scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah? Like what?"
"Ask Artie," I rapidly shot back with a smirk.
"Children!" Gaius roared, his eyes wide as plates as he looked between us with disapproval. I'm not sure if it was because of my slightly inappropriate comment, or because we kind of made a mess in the kitchen with our batter fight. Maybe both.
"Sorry, Pops," "Sorry, Gaius," we said at the same time while sharing an amused look.
Arthur seemed to have stopped functioning as he stood motionless with a slightly mortified expression on his handsome features.
"No backsies," Merlin told him before moving to flip the hotcake on the pan.
I giggled and then let out a contented sigh as I hopped to sit on the counter, a smile settling on my lips as I watched my brother cook. I have really missed the simplicity of hanging out with him and Gaius. Perhaps the three of us can have a movie night soon, once I'm able to leave Arthur's side again! Though it's really awesome to have him join us, for a change.
I heard 'Something About You' by Boston playing on the gramophone as we exited the castle and a big smile instantly formed on my face. I tightened my grip on Arthur's hand before tugging on his arm. "Come on!" I exclaimed and pretty much forced him to take off running with me the rest of the way to the training field as I sang along with the music machine and the screeching voices of the knights of the round table.
"Trae!" Gwaine was the first one to spot us and he interrupted the concert in order to run and hug me. I had to tighten my grip on Arthur once more, lest we accidentally let go and lose the bet, and I used my free arm to return the embrace as the knight squeezed me tightly.
"Gwainester, I love ya', but not enough to wanna die in your arms," I squeaked out as oxygen became scarce in my lungs.
I heard him gasp and he let me go with a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
"S'all right," I waved him off with a chuckle.
Arthur frowned at Gwaine for a second before pulling me closer to himself and leading me over to the rest of the knights, who had since turned off the music. I pouted slightly at the realisation, but said nothing.
"Today we will work on hand-to-hand combat," my King announced in a commanding voice.
"Ugh, not again," I whined as I let my head drop to lean against his arm.
"You have been getting better, Trae," Gwaine encouraged me with a smile, which caused my lips to produce one as well. "I will spar with you."
"Yes, please!" I chirped.
"No!" Arthur instantly protested, his eyes widening.
Gwaine tilted his head and I frowned.
"Astra – the bet," the King reminded me while quirking an eyebrow.
I giggled. "Right, I forgot." He gave me a disapproving look and I reached up to kiss his cheek before giving him an innocent grin. Then I turned to address Gwaine as I promised, "Next time, buddy."
"What bet?" Elyan jumped into the conversation, looking genuinely curious as his eyes jumped between Arthur and I.
"Merls bet us that we couldn't spend a whole day within a metre of each other without gettin' bored or annoyed, and we bet him that we definitely could," I explained with a shrug.
"Well, he is obviously going to lose that one," Leon stated with a chuckle, making me grin.
"I am not so sure. Astra was already forgetting about it," Elyan pointed out while smirking at me. I playfully narrowed my eyes at him.
"All right, enough chatting," Arthur interjected with a brief eye-roll that caused me to tilt my head. "Pair up," he commanded the knights before dragging me away from them and deeper onto the field. Presumably so that we can get to the training part of this training session.
"Annoyed already?" I asked him in a soft tone when he stopped walking.
"Not with you," he replied as he turned to face me while starting to rub gentle circles over my knuckles with his thumb. My heart skipped a beat when our eyes connected. "I am worried that they might try to turn this into a bigger gamble."
I snorted and turned to look at the knights. I chuckled when I saw them talking passionately among themselves while continuously motioning towards us with their arms. "Well, sorry to break it to ya', Artie, but..." I trailed off when I heard him grunt and I turned to face him again, laughing at the look of absolute annoyance on his pretty face.
"You and Merlin have corrupted them," he grumbled.
My jaw dropped. "How? They're men! Men like gambling! I think... Don't you?"
"And your constant trips to the tavern have nothing to do with this?" he questioned while raising an eyebrow.
My eyes widened in realisation. Of course! He thinks that Merlin and I have some sort of gambling addiction thanks to Gaius's terrible lying skills! That treacherous old man is gonna hear it from me soon!
I should probably say something to set the record straight, but I guess that I should at least talk to my brother first so that we can come up with an explanation that doesn't put the physician's career in jeopardy. So I simply sighed in frustration.
"Let's just get to our weekly Astra humiliation session, or whatever," I mumbled.
"Well, this is boring," I grumbled as Arthur and I rode along a dirt path in the forest at an easy walk, our hands joined together to avoid losing the bet.
I heard Merlin laughing behind us and I sent him a quick glare. He'd insisted on joining our ride because he refused to believe I could get through it without breaking the rules of the game. I skipped my usual training sessions to make life easier, but I refused to not at least take Dallas out for a spin. Can you imagine going over twenty-four hours without him?! I'd lose my mind!
"You are the one who got us into this, my love," Arthur reminded me under his breath.
"And you didn't do anything to stop me, so whose fault is it, really?" I responded with a wink, causing him to roll his eyes in a playful manner. Or at least I think it was playful. Maybe he hates me already.
"Perhaps you might enjoy galloping ahead," my brother taunted me before speeding up Falcon into a canter and getting him in front of Dallas and Tequila, sending a smirk as he passed by me.
That ass-butt knows me far too well! My body began to ache and beg for the adrenaline and the thrill of running, even more so as I watched him put distance between his horse and mine. I need the strong wind against my face and the electrifying vibration of thundering hoofbeats of my Thoroughbred as he glides over the ground with powerful strides! What do I have to lose, anyway, if I lose the bet? Some pride?
Arthur pulled me out of my mind by tightening his grip on my hand. "Do not you dare lose this, Astraea! I am not going to polish my armour!"
"B-but–"
"Do not let him get to you! You are stronger than this!"
I turned to him with a pout.
He stretched slightly to place a gentle kiss on the back of my hand and I felt my face get warm. "You can go on a jumping run tomorrow, or whatever it is that the knights built for you."
I smiled widely at that. "Heck yeah!"
A relieved sigh left me when I looked out a window as Arthur and I walked towards the council chamber ahead of a meeting regarding... something. I wasn't paying attention when he told me what it was. The point is that the sun is starting to hide away for the night, which means that we have only some three hours left of having to remain near each other at all times, and I can't wait to be able to have some me-time!
As much as I love him, sometimes it's necessary to be alone and recharge my battery.
"What is it, my love?" he inquired.
Oops. That relieved sigh must've been louder than I anticipated.
"We're close to beatin' Merls," I responded with a grin, which he returned.
"See? I told you you could do it," Arthur stated before reaching down to kiss the side of my head, causing my heart to skip a beat.
We made it to the council chamber and I cowered slightly when all gazes fell on us. I know we're running slightly late because it took us a bit longer than usual to bathe and get ready. 'Cause, y'know, the bet really complicated some things (and enabled some others, if you know what I mean).
Arthur gave my hand an encouraging squeeze and then he offered a small smile when I looked up at him. Some of the tension that had accumulated in my shoulders during the few moments we've been in the room dissipated and I took a deep breath.
I tried to ignore the displeased looks that some of the councilmen gave us when my King pulled me onto his lap once we got to the head of the table. Instead, I focused on playfully glaring at Gwaine, who was smirking at me while wiggling his eyebrows.
The meeting began and I soon learned that its purpose is for us to discuss patrolling assignments for the month. As a knight, the duty falls on me, too, and I was quick to pair myself up with Gwaine. One of the perks of being queen is that I can assign myself a partner without having to beg Arthur to let me choose. Not that he's against me sticking with Gwaine.
Once that was settled, I stopped paying attention and turned my body sideways so that I could gaze out the window while resting my chin on Arthur's shoulder. The fading sunlight was leaving an entrancing spectacle of colours behind it, and I love watching the cloudy sky go from orange hues to dark pink ones.
A white flash flying above the tree-line in the distance caused me to jolt, then freeze. Could my eyes be playing tricks on me? Or... was that one of the dragons?
I quickly turned towards Gwaine and found him already looking at me, his eyes wide. Okay, so I'm not crazy. We need to figure out what the heck a dragon is doing so close to the castle!
"Hey, Gwainester? Remember that thing we had to do?" I spoke rapidly while standing up, against Arthur's protests
"Right! The thing! How could we forget!" the knight responded.
"We'll be right back," I assured my King and quickly kissed his cheek.
Without another word, Gwaine and I ran out of the room at a record speed.