Camelot

November, 508 AD

I sprinted towards my room after realising that I was running late for a meeting with the council and I still had to shower because I was covered in mud and sweat after a full morning working with the horses.

I felt especially anxious about this meeting, for it's concerning Gwaine and his current whereabouts. It has been six weeks since he, Percival, and some others set off, and we haven't heard from them the entire time; so I'm starting to get worried. I mean, I've been worried since they left; but the pain of it is becoming excruciating to the point where I've been having nightmares about losing them – especially Gwaine – for the past ten-or-so days. I'm only too grateful to have Arthur to help me through them.

My original plan upon arriving at my room was to go straight to my closet and get a change of clothes, but my feet instinctively skidded to a stop when I saw a blonde girl I don't know sweeping the floor.

I blinked rapidly for a few seconds as my eyes made contact with her pale green ones. Then I asked, "Who the heck are you!?"

Gwen suddenly rushed inside. "Astra! I see you have met Sefa," she said, her tone calm and amicable.

With a groan, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room, then I narrowed my eyes at her. "I've told you a thousand times – I don't want or need a maid!"

"She is not your maid, she is mine," Gwen responded.

"Well, then why is she in my room?!"

"Because, as your 'girl-in-the-chair'..." I couldn't help but grin a little at her use of the title. "...I have asked her to help me keep your chambers clean."

I scoffed. "You sneaky little–"

She raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to finish that sentence.

So I did, "Traitor."

"I am simply trying to make your life easier, dear Astra. It is my job, after all," she responded sweetly.

"We really need to go over the terms and conditions of our arrangement," I grumbled under my breath and I returned inside my room.

'Sefa' looked up from her task again and she gave me an almost frightened pressed smile.

"All right, here's the deal – you can only be here if Gwen's with ya', keep your hands off my drawers, stay out of my closet, and don't work for more than eight hours a day," I told her sternly.

"Your majesty," she said as she curtsied before me and I grimaced before glaring at Gwen for a second.

"Yeah, that's another thing. Call me Astra."

Sefa's eyes widened and she turned to my friend, who seemed slightly amused as she responded, "It is all right, Sefa. Astra dislikes formalities."

"Oh," Sefa said as her mouth fell agape. "All right."

"Okay, cool," I nodded in agreement. "Now that that's outta the way – get out of my room. Both of ya'. I need a bath."

Gwen waved Sefa over to her and she turned to address me one final time, "I will inform Arthur that you are running late."

"Great, thanks."

I nibbled on my bottom lip as I paced the width of the council chamber while Arthur, some knights, a couple of courtiers, Gaius, and Gwen sat around a round table. Yeah, that's right – we hold our meetings around a round table now. How cool is that? Too bad I can't enjoy it 'cause my brain keeps vomiting images of Aithusa and Gwaine dying horribly!

"My love? Would you like to join us?" Arthur asked as he turned towards me.

"Not really," I mumbled in reply.

"I don't think it was a request, Astra," Merlin, who stood to the side, whispered as I walked by him in my agitation.

My eyes widened for a second and I rushed over to my King's side, giving him a pressed grin. He put an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head before taking a deep breath and turning to address the council, "Noble Knights of Camelot, countrymen, friends... I welcome you to this meeting of the Round Table. For nearly a year, we have been blessed with peace and prosperity..." It must be nice to live in ignorance of the missing dragon case, 'cause I wouldn't describe the past year as 'peaceful'. "...but now, it seems a shadow has been cast across our lands."

I dropped my head as my heart twisted at his poetic words.

"Sir Gwaine set off for Ismere some six weeks ago. With him went threescore of our finest men. There has been no word from them since."

At the feeling of a pounding heart and slowly freezing lungs, I had to move away from the table and resort to pacing once more, my fists clenching and my teeth gnawing at my bottom lip as I fought to keep whatever composure remained in me.

Arthur kept talking after a few moments, "At my request, Sir Elyan led a search party to the wastelands of the north. He found no trace of Gwaine or his men... It is as if they have vanished from the face of the Earth."

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

"We know Gwaine and his men crossed the pass here, at Isulfor..." I heard Elyan speak up. "But beyond that, there was no trace. The trail went cold."

"What of this story that the fortress of Ismere has been occupied once more?" Arthur inquired.

That piqued my interest and I moved to stand beside him once more, my hands finding one of his in search of comfort. He gave me a gentle squeeze.

Elyan casted me a wary look before replying, "I heard many rumours, Sire. All of them had one name in common..." I held my breath in anticipation. "Morgana."

"Oh, fork," I breathed out without a care for who was listening and I went back to pacing while my lungs threatened to give out. Arthur's response became muffled by a loud ringing in my ears.

Could she have Aithusa?! How would she have taken her?! Magic?! Probably! Does she know about Phoenix?! What about Kilgharrah?! Does she know of Merlin and I's association with them?! What could she want with Gwaine?! Has she brainwashed Aithusa like she tried to do to me and now she's feeding her knights of Camelot?!

I suddenly found myself wrapped in firm arms, which practically carried me out of the room as I gasped for air.

"Match my breathing, Astra," I heard Merlin's voice when we stopped moving, one of his hands protectively holding my head against his chest while the other rubbed gentle circles on my back. I fisted his shirt in an attempt to ground myself as I tried to keep up with the rise and fall of his chest, but I could only heave. "All right, uh... What colour is Iron-Man's suit?" he asked.

What?!

"I believe it's green and purple, right?"

Dumbass.

"Or is it blue and orange?"

"Red n' gold," I croaked out in between gasps.

The hand he had on my back stopped moving and he wrapped his arm fully around me before giving me a gentle squeeze. "Right. And what colour are an alpha werewolf's eyes?"

"Red," I answered, finding that it was slightly easier to speak that time.

"What colour is Shrek?"

"Green." I breathed in shakily.

"What colour are the Minions?"

I exhaled. "Yellow."

"What colour are Arthur's eyes?"

I took a long breath. "Blue."

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my lungs regained their full function and I looked up at my brother while using the sleeve of my hoodie to clean the fallen tears from my cheeks.

He swiped away a loose strand of hair that had fallen onto my face and then he smiled. "Good. See? That was not so hard."

A little grin tugged at my lips and I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Merls."

He kissed my forehead and then took a step back when the doors to the council chamber creaked open. Arthur practically flew out of the room and he rushed to hug me. I sighed as I nuzzled into his chest.

"I am so sorry, Astra. I did not think it would be this bad," he whispered.

"I'm okay. Merls helped me," I said and turned my head to look at my brother so that I could give him another grateful grin. He returned the gesture.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur grumbled. I could tell he was being playful with his tone, though. Then he let go of me and grabbed my hand before leading me towards his room. Our room. I'm still not used to calling it that.

"So, when are we leaving?" I asked once the door was closed.

I'm more than ready to blaze out right now and go after my best friend and the dragon.

"Astra..." Arthur grabbed both of my hands and led me over to the bed, where we both sat down. Then he took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes, as if to gaze into my soul. "I want you to stay behind–"

I instantly cut him off in protest as my heart started to race once more, "Arthur, no, please! I have to come with you!"

"Darling, you have not had a good night's sleep in weeks! You keep panicking during the day, you space out... You are not in any state to travel, let alone face whatever might await us in Ismere," he responded, his tone gentle but firm.

"But that's only gonna get worse if you make me stay here!" I argued, earning a wary look. "You and Merls are the only thing that's kept me together all this time! I will literally go crazy without you!"

His eyes filled with sympathy as he lifted a hand to rest it on my cheek. "Gwen and Gaius will take good care of you, and we will be back before you know it," he said softly.

I shook my head. "But they're not you, Arthur. I need you!"

He still seemed unsure.

"Please?"

If he doesn't let me come, I'll follow them anyway.

Arthur sighed and averted his gaze for a few seconds before returning it to my eyes. "All right. You can come... under one condition."

"Anything."

"You have to promise me you will do whatever I tell you to," he commanded sternly, his eyes conveying nothing but dead-seriousness. "No running off on your own, no trying to be a hero, no reckless acts. If I tell you to stand back, you stand back; if I tell you to go one way, you go; if I tell you to run, you run."

The condition is harsh. And I know that I might end up having to break my promise if we, by some miracle, happen to find Aithusa. But I still nodded. "Okay, I promise."

"All right," he breathed out before giving me a short kiss. "We leave in an hour."

"I can feel your stare, y'know?" I mumbled to Merlin while my trembling hands fiddled with Dallas's girth as they attempted the challenging task of getting it done up.

My brother let out a sigh and moved next to me, nudging me out of the way to take over the job. I didn't protest (though I really wanted to), but simply dropped my head in defeat and allowed him to help me.

"Where is your bag?" he asked once he was done. Without a word, I went to grab my duffel bag from the ground some metres away and handed it to him, my arms still shaking. He gave me a gentle smile and expertly fastened the bulk behind my saddle while I watched uselessly.

Once he was done, he moved to give me a tight hug and I sighed against him, closing my eyes for a couple of moments.

"You know that we will find them, right?" he whispered. I nodded even if I know that the chances are slim. "We will find them, and they will be perfectly fine, and we will be back home in time for supper."

I let out a long exhale. "Yeah."

"Good," he kissed the top of my head and let me go. "Please come to me or go to Arthur if you start feeling too anxious."

"Fine."

Some minutes later, the search party was ready to head off and I clumsily climbed onto Dallas before guiding him over to Arthur, who was already sitting atop Tequila at the head of the pack. He grabbed both reins in one hand and his free one reached for one of mine. I quickly grabbed it and he gave me a gentle squeeze.

"You can still stay, my love," he said in a low voice.

I instantly shook my head. "Nope. I'm comin'."

"All right, but stay near me."

"That's kinda the whole point."

A day later, I was running on pure caffeine as we made it to Caerleon – Queen Annis granted us safe passage through her lands so that we could approach Ismere from a surprise angle. Gwen's idea, apparently.

At the border was a large, rocky, dried-up gorge that looked like a death trap straight out of 'The Maze Runner'. Or at least that's how it appeared to my semi-dazed mind. Though Arthur must've thought so as well, because he asked Elyan to take some men and scour the area.

The wind was cold and powerful as we descended a steep slope into the gorge.

How can it have dried up, with how rainy the British climate is? I mean, I've had my fair share of involuntary showers over the years. But I guess Caerleon isn't as coveted by Tlaloc as Camelot is.

Elyan returned some minutes later with an alarmed look on his face and he gravely told us to follow him. So follow him we did, and he led us to a fascinating-looking village that has some parts of it built into the side of the rock wall that lines the gorge. It's kinda like a British Petra, but not as architecturally rich, for the structures seem much simpler.

The sight became less fascinating and more horrifying when I noticed the seemingly dead bodies that were scattered about the place.

"Stay here," Arthur ordered me as he hopped off Tequila. I clenched my jaw, but nodded in compliance. I won't break my promise to obey unless it comes down to Aithusa's life. I owe my King that much after everything that he's put up with.

With a racing heart, I watched from atop a grazing Dallas as Arthur, Merlin, and the knights looked around the site.

Could a disease have caused the deaths? 'Cause then I don't think it's wise to go near them. There's also the possibility of them having been murdered, but it seems rather strange. Who would go out of their way to slaughter a lowly village? It doesn't seem like they have much in the way of commerce, judging by the absence of crop fields or mining equipment. That's what I can tell from a distance, anyway.

I tilted my head when I saw Merlin go inside one of the homes on the wall. My body itched to follow him, but I restrained myself and tangled my fingers in Dallas's mane in search of some comfort.

Arthur went in behind him some two minutes later and I held my breath. What could be in there that has caught their attention? Big Bird? A mummy? A passage to Wonderland?

Luckily, my King returned outside some moments later. I inhaled deeply and let my head drop as my lungs regulated their pace again.

Arthur walked over to me and he placed a hand on my knee, his lips curving up slightly. I grasped his hand tightly and sighed.

"We will give these people a proper burial, then we can move on," he informed me and paused to kiss the back of my hand. "You can join us, just do not go wandering too far."

"Okay," I responded, allowing a little grin to form on my face.

With that, I hopped off my horse, secured my stirrups, and loosened his girth before going in search of Merlin.

I found him just as he exited the home he'd entered and I instantly noticed the worried look on his face. "What's wrong, buddy?"

He sighed and motioned for me to come closer. I did so immediately and he threw an arm over my shoulders before responding in a hushed tone, "I found a druid man inside and he passed away while I was with him."

I winced. Poor guy... "That's rough, buddy. I'm sorry."

No matter which way I lay, I couldn't find the path towards dreamland. Though I have a feeling that the reason behind that is because I don't really want to, lest I encounter more nightmares in my journey there. Arthur fell asleep hours ago after I managed to stay still long enough to convince him that I'm okay. I can't have him being deprived of sleep, or our whole mission will be a disaster.

I rolled onto my stomach and tried to ignore how the hard ground pressed against my breasts as I nuzzled into my Spider-Man pillow. A few minutes passed before my chest started to get numb and I turned onto my side again. My arm soon started to get numb, too, and I lay on my back once more before letting out a frustrated sigh.

This game is starting to get old.

I slowly sat up when I heard some shuffling and blinked rapidly for a few seconds before realising that Merlin was sneaking away from the camp. I took note of the direction he went in, but remained in place, figuring that he might just be seeking to empty his bladder, or something. However, after a couple of minutes, I started to get worried and went after him.

Some ten minutes must've gone by as I trekked through the woods before I finally heard my brother's voice in the distance. And he wasn't alone. He was talking to Kilgharrah!

Being as silent as possible, I creeped towards them and hid among some big rocks.

"...on my journey here. He warned me of Arthur's bane," Merlin said. As it tends to do, my heart became a lunatic racehorse as it accelerated to concerning speeds.

"His bane?" the dragon echoed, sounding intrigued.

"And then he showed me a battle. A terrible battle. It was all very blurry, but I could see Arthur fighting for his life. I saw him wounded by a figure. I saw him fall."

My breath hitched in my throat.

"The Vates' power of prophecy is unrivalled, even by a high priestess," Kilgharrah responded.

"So this battle will come to pass?" Merlin questioned, his voice full of dread.

I figured that that was as good a time as any to make an entrance, so I stood up and approached my brother, trying to keep a nonchalant body language even as my heart spun with horror. "Well, it doesn't have to," I noted. "We have the smarts to steer Arthur away from any wars."

Merlin seemed startled by my sudden appearance while Kilgharrah smiled a little bit.

"That should work, right? We'll keep him locked up in a tower if we have to," I added.

The dragon chuckled and nodded. "Young queen, it is good to see you again."

I rolled my eyes at the title before responding, "You, too, K. How's Finn?"

"He has seen better days, but he remains hopeful."

I gave him a lopsided grin.

The big dragon winked at me before turning back to Merlin and saying, "Astraea is right, young warlock. There was a time when the words of a Vates were considered a gift. Use it to guide you."

I reached up to place a hand on my brother's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

"How?" he questioned the winged beast.

"That is something only you can decide," Kilgharrah responded, his attention alternating between the two of us. "But remember, the Vates singled you out for a reason. Now, more than ever, it is you two and you two alone that can keep Arthur safe."

Merlin let out a shaky sigh and looked down at me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I must go back before Phoenix decides to try to find Aithusa on his own, again," the dragon spoke once more while giving us a knowing look. Then he focused his gaze on me and raised a non-eyebrow as he addressed me, "You are not the only one who is stubborn to the point of recklessness."

I grinned a little, feeling proud that the young dragon is apparently taking after me.

My brother nudged my side. "That was not a compliment, Astra."

"Oh," I tilted my head. "It sounded like one."

"That is because you are sleep-deprived," he shot back with an eye-roll.

I puffed, but didn't argue.

Kilgharrah chuckled and bowed his head slightly. "I hope to see you both again, soon," he said before flying away.

I waved at him and watched him disappear into the cloudy night sky before turning to Merlin again. "So what did I miss?"

He sighed and we began walking back towards the camp. "The man who passed away in the village was a seer. He showed me a vision," he replied.

I looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"You are already going insane, I did not want to add to your list of worries," Merlin responded with a scoff.

I hummed. "And how did that work out for you?"

"Shut up."