Camelot
April, 509 AD
While Gaius tended to Daegal, who was barely hanging on under whatever spell Merlin was able to cast, my brother jumped to start explaining what happened to him during the past three days that he was away.
Apparently, the reason why his powers hadn't worked as well as they usually do on the boy is because they were exhausted after he almost died following a confrontation with Morgana and Thanata; which left him with a bad, poisoned wound on his leg that took a lot of energy to heal.
The thing with Daegal's sister (who doesn't exist) was a plot by them to get my brother out of the castle in hopes that their plan to have the Sarrum's men assassinate Arthur and I would go more smoothly. But, obviously, that didn't work out well for them.
Daegal had then revealed – after having a change of heart and deciding to help Merlin following his near-death experience – that the plot was orchestrated not only by Morgana and Thanata, but by a third party who had easy access to the Sarrum and his men: none other than Gwen.
"What could Morgana have over Gwen to get her to betray Camelot?" Gwaine wondered in a low tone. "To betray you!" he exclaimed as he turned to me with an alarmed look.
I sighed and shook my head. "I doubt there's anything that could be held over her head with Elyan gone. I don't think that's the real Gwen."
"C-could she and Thanata have killed her and brought her back like they did with Lancelot?" Merlin asked in a shaky voice, his features filling with horror.
"Or maybe they Winter Soldier'ed her like they did you that one time," I suggested.
"Morgana might know your secrets by now, then," Gwaine said with a wary look.
"I don't think so. She would've known that Merlin would be able to save himself if she knew who he really is," I pointed out.
"That does not matter right now," my brother interjected with tears pooling in his eyes. "What matters is that we save Gwen."
"Yeah, but we have to find out what they did to her first," I responded with a shaky sigh.
"How?" Gwaine inquired.
"Maybe we can take her to Special K," I proposed.
Gaius nodded as he stepped into the conversation, "I can give her a sleeping draught so that she will not give you any trouble, and you can take her there tomorrow."
"Thanks, Pops," I said and gave him a half-hearted grin, my soul feeling heavy as a T-Rex as ideas of what could've happened to Gwen swirled around my mind.
Maybe if I hadn't been avoiding her, I might've been able to figure this out much earlier... What if Merlin's theory is right? What if she's gone forever?! She's one of the greatest friends I've ever had! I already got her brother killed! I can't lose her!
"How is he?" Merlin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as he motioned towards Daegal's unconscious figure.
"I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery," Gaius responded.
I sighed in relief and hugged my brother.
"You three might want to find Arthur now," the physician added with a cautionary look. "I believe he will require a good explanation for everything."
My eyes widened in realisation. I forgot about that part...
"Might as well," I grumbled and hopped off the table I was sitting atop, starting to walk towards the door. Only, I stopped when I noticed that Gwaine and Merlin weren't following me and I turned to them with a questioning look.
"He is your husband. Take one for the team," my brother told me.
I glared at him, then I huffed as I conceded in my mind that he's right.
"Fine," I muttered before exiting the apartment, not missing the chuckles that followed.
I took my time as I walked towards Arthur and I's room, though I made sure to remain alert of my surroundings, now fearing that Gwen might jump out of nowhere with a knife and try to kill me. I know that I wouldn't be able to hurt her, even if it's to defend myself.
My stomach twisted once more at the thought of what she might've gone through when she was kidnapped and I picked up my pace. The sooner I deal with Arthur, the sooner we can start figuring out a way to save her.
My plan to remain composed, logical, and perhaps a little meek when speaking to my King flew out the window the second my eyes fell on him as I entered the room, the mere sight of him causing a huge sense of peace to breeze over me before the heavy emotions could come crashing down and I ran to jump into his arms, sighing shakily as I wrapped myself around him.
"Astra!" he gasped while holding me tightly against his body. "Where have you been?! What happened?!"
"A whole lotta crazy happened, Artie," I responded, my voice muffled against the crook of his neck.
"Are you all right?" he asked gently.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I promised and I pressed a kiss to his skin before letting myself drop to the ground. "But there are some things you need to know."
He seemed worried as he placed a hand on the side of my face and gently rubbed my cheek with his thumb. I turned my head to kiss the inside of his wrist and then I grabbed his hand, leading him to the bed. I let myself fall backwards and let out a long sigh while he took a seat beside me.
I kept his hand in mine and played with his fingers while I explained the events of the past few days – obviously leaving out the details that could land my brother in the pyre.
Arthur seemed mortified by the time I was done and, to my surprise, I wasn't met with a lengthy monologue on how I'm reckless and crazy and a horrible human being. He simply pulled me onto his lap and held me tightly to his chest.
"I thought you'd be mad," I noted in a mumble.
"I am just glad that you are all right and back where you belong," he responded in the same manner. "With me."
I grinned a little at that and remained silent and unmoving for a couple of minutes, enjoying the inner peace that being in his arms unfailingly brings me. However, I can't stay there forever no matter how much I may want to, for I still have to help to save Gwen. So, reluctantly, I separated from Arthur a bit and spoke again, "Merls, Gwainester and I are gonna have to leave again tomorrow..."
"What?!" he asked, not looking happy at all.
"Gaius knows of someone who might be able to help us help Gwen," I stated while mentally praying that he wouldn't ask many questions. "It'll just be a day. They're within Camelot's territory."
"Astra – Morgana is still out there!" he protested.
"I know, but it's a risk I'm gonna have to take," I responded with a shrug. He clenched his jaw and averted his gaze. "There's no other choice, Artie. We'll both be much safer once we get Gwen fixed."
"I will come with you, then," he stated.
"No, you'll be safer here," I countered with a head shake. "You're the one with the right to the crown, after all. I'm just a pawn to her. I'll be fine with Gwaine and Merls."
"Astra–"
"Please, Artie. You have to let me do this," I gave him the best puppy-dog look I could muster and grabbed his hand again, kissing the back of it without breaking eye-contact.
He let out a shaky sigh and rested his forehead against mine. "If something happens to you–"
I quickly cut him off, "Nothing will, I promise." Obviously, I can't tell him this, but one of the safest places I can be is with the dragons. I know that Kilgharrah and Phoenix would protect me with their lives. Perhaps Aithusa, too; but she's still weak.
"All right," he finally relented and he pressed his lips to mine as he gently pushed me to lie back down while he climbed on top of me, his hands instantly moving to fiddle with the zipper of my hoodie. "But tonight you are mine," he whispered before kissing me more forcibly.
You can bet he heard no complaints on my behalf.
My best friends and I left the castle before sunrise through the back gate of the equestrian facilities, wanting to avoid as many prying eyes as possible. It's not exactly considered normal to see people transporting an unconscious girl atop a horse, you see.
It was about 10:00 when we made it to the dragon's cave, and Phoenix – who's now almost Dallas's size – ran to greet Merlin and I. I hugged him tightly, loving the feeling of his warm scales against my body, before separating and gently patting his head.
"How's your sister?" I asked him.
As if on cue, Aithusa peeked out from a chamber deeper into the cave, a sad look in her eyes as she scanned us humans. Then she lowered her head and retreated from view.
"Not much change, other than the fact that she has gained some more weight, I am afraid," Kilgharrah responded.
"Well... you will all be glad to know that the man responsible for capturing her is dead," Gwaine informed the dragons.
That seemed to perk Aithusa's interest, for she peeked out again, her still dull blue eyes fixing on the knight for a few moments before she averted her gaze towards the ground.
"That's right, Ai," I told her gently. "He'll never hurt anyone ever again. Merls took care of that."
She made a gurgling squeaky sound and disappeared from view again. I sighed sadly as my heart shrank and I returned my focus to petting Phoenix.
"That's not what we are here for, though," Merlin noted in a deflated tone before exiting the cave and returning to the horses. Gwaine was quick to follow him, and I watched as they carefully got Gwen off Sawyer, then my brother carried her inside.
They gently laid her down on the ground, earning perplexed looks from both male dragons.
"You remember our friend Gwen, boys?" I asked them meekly before biting down on my bottom lip.
"My, my," Kilgharrah gasped while recoiling from the sight. I tilted my head in confusion and shared a puzzled look with my human companions. "Can you feel it?" the great dragon whispered while gazing at Phoenix.
"The darkness..." the smaller dragon replied, his eyes wide in horror.
Kilgharrah then turned to my brother. "Are you not able to sense it?"
"I-I thought that was just grief..." Merlin responded, his bottom lip trembling as his eyes pooled with tears again. I shuffled closer to him and slipped my hand into his, giving him a gentle squeeze.
"What is wrong with her?" Gwaine inquired.
Kilgharrah sighed before responding in a grave tone, "I believe she was subjected to an ancient ritual called the Teine Diaga."
I quirked an eyebrow. "Which means...?"
"It uses the mandrake root to bring unimaginable terror to the victim until their will is no longer their own, but of the high priestesses, bounding them as their slaves for all eternity," Kilgharrah explained.
My eyes widened and I felt a mix of shock and dread fill me as my heart-rate accelerated. I felt my knees buckle below me. Phoenix moved to catch me as I stumbled and I steadied myself against his shoulder, whispering a quick "Thank you" as I attempted to take deep breaths in.
A second later, Gwaine pulled me into a tight embrace.
"T-that's what they... me... when..." I stammered, trying to fight my trembling body for the ability to speak.
"I know, kid. It's all right," the knight said gently.
Merlin looked at me with a storm of emotions in his eyes, and then he sighed shakily and turned to Kilgharrah again as he asked, "How do I break this spell?"
The great dragon released another sigh before answering, "You must travel to the Cauldron of Arianrhod and summon the White Goddess herself."
"Is that all?"
"Your friend must enter the Cauldron. Its waters hold the Goddess' power and only their touch can heal her. But remember – Guinevere must enter the water willingly. If she is tricked, forced or beguiled, she will fall into the abyss and be lost forever."
I straightened up and took a deep breath to gather the strength to speak, then I asked, "How do we get her there willingly, if she's wired against us?"
"You must find a way to reach out to the real Guinevere and encourage her to push past the malevolent spirit that has taken ahold of her long enough for her to get into the water," Kilgharrah responded.
I nodded in understanding and turned to my brother, "Well, Merls, I guess it's time to tap into your inner Romeo and rescue your Juliet."
"Do not they both die in that play?" Gwaine questioned with an alarmed look.
"Yeah, but y'know what I mean," I waved him off.
I would've ridden straight to this Cauldron place if it were up to me, but Merlin wisely pointed out that, one, Arthur needs to know where we are going, or he'll freak out if we don't return soon; two, that we need more of the sleeping draught for Gwen if we are to stand a chance of getting her to the place without having to struggle against her; and, three, that we need supplies to survive. So we agreed to return to Camelot and get ready to set out again tomorrow.
Once again, I was saddled with the task of informing Arthur of our findings (with certain modifications to the story, obviously); while my two best friends took Gwen to the physician's chambers so that they could keep an eye on her and administer more night-night-juice. Also, Merlin was anxious to find out how Daegal is doing.
"You are back!" Arthur exclaimed as soon as I entered the room and he ran towards me, sweeping me up in his arms.
"No, I'm a hologram," I shot back with a smirk.
"A what?"
"A hallucination," I tried.
He frowned and tilted his head.
"It's a joke," I stated with a playful eye-roll.
"Cheeky woman," Arthur growled before kissing me, his tongue pushing past my lips as he fisted the back of my hoodie.
I reluctantly pushed him away when he laid me down on the bed. "Artie, there are more pressing matters at hand right now."
He groaned, but complied as he rolled off me and he moved into a sitting position, watching me expectantly with a pout on his inviting lips. I snorted and ruffled his hair as I settled down beside him. Then I went on to explain most of what Kilgharrah told us.
"Where is this cauldron?" Arthur asked once I told him everything I can.
"North somewhere. I dunno. Merls and Gwaine are better with directions than I am," I responded with a nonchalant shrug.
"Within Camelot?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think so."
He sighed and grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it as he fell pensive for a few moments. I let my head fall against his shoulder and waited patiently (on the outside, 'cause my insides were still churning from the horrifying reveal that I could've been in Gwen's place had my friends not saved me) for him to say something.
"I am coming with you," Arthur stated suddenly, causing my eyes to widen in horror.
"You can't!"
"Astraea – listen to me," he said sternly as he cupped my face in his warm hands. I obediently swallowed another protest. "I know that you love Gwen like a sister, I know that you will do anything to save her, and you know that your sense of loyalty is one of the things that made me fall so madly in love with you." My heart warmed at that. "But you are my wife, and I cannot, in good conscience, let you go on this journey without me. I know that Gwaine and Merlin would give their lives to keep you safe, but it is still my duty to protect you above anyone else."
I ignored the fuzzy feeling that his words caused within me, knowing very well that this isn't the time to get romantic, and I went to protest, "But, Art–"
"Astraea – I am coming and that is final."
"Damn," I muttered under my breath. This is gonna raise a sh*t-ton of complications! Gwaine and Merlin are gonna hate me!
"Astra?"
"Yeah, okay." I sighed and stood up. "I'm gonna go tell Merls n' Gwainester," I said and sprinted out of the room before Arthur could say anything else.
I entered the physician's apartment to a pleasant sight – Daegal was awake and eating out of a bowl while chatting animatedly with Gwaine! I could hear the faint voices of Merlin and Gaius coming from my brother's room upstairs. I guess that's where they put Gwen for the time being.
"Hey, buddy," I greeted Daegal. "It's nice to see you're up."
"Thank you," he said with a little grin. "And I am sorry for–"
"No need," I interjected and waved him off. "We've all wanted to kill Arthur at some point. But he somehow managed to charm us into liking him."
Gaius gasped (startling me with his sudden appearance atop the staircase), "Astraea! You cannot say those things!"
"I'm jokin', Pops," I responded with a playful eye-roll and shot a smirk at a giggling Gwaine.
Daegal smiled fully for a moment before going back to eating.
"What did Arthur say?" Merlin asked as he and Gaius descended the staircase, and they moved to stand near me.
I bit down on my bottom lip and averted my gaze, cowering a little as I responded in a very quiet whisper, "He's... comin' with us..."
"What?!" my brother asked in alarm.
A sigh escaped me and I nodded, speaking with more volume this time, "Yeah. Something about being my husband n' having to protect me... Maybe I should stay back."
"I am not sure if it would be wise to undertake this journey with just the two of you," Gaius noted while gesturing to Merlin and Gwaine, "plus an unconscious Gwen."
"You are probably right. But how can I use my magic with Arthur there?" Merlin wondered. "He would discover me in an instant!"
"Not if he did not recognise you," the physician said while quirking an eyebrow.
I shook my head. "We've overused the old man. And Art thinks that he killed Uther."
"Then we will disguise him in some other way," Gaius replied, a small – almost mischievous – grin forming on his lips.
"What about Gwen?" Gwaine questioned next. "She will not recognise him, either, and he will not be able to talk her into entering the water."
"I am sure that Astra can do it in his place," Gaius stated.
I frowned and tilted my head. "How?"
"As you know very well, dear child – romantic love is not the only kind of love," the elderly man responded wisely. I let out a long exhale and nodded. Of course, he's right. "She is like a sister to you, and I know that she feels the same way. I am sure that you can reach out to her as easily as Merlin could."
I sighed shakily and nodded again. "Okay. Let's pray you're right."
Gaius and Merlin sat at the kitchen bench while browsing through books in search of a different way to disguise my brother, while Gwaine and I shuffled around the kitchen while preparing food supplies for a whole week – which is about how long we expect to be gone from Camelot.
"Your husband sure has a way of overcomplicating things for us, does he not, Trae?" Gwaine grumbled as we scooped some rice grains into a bag.
"Believe me, I know," I breathed out.
I heard Daegal snicker in the corner of the room and I shot him a quick smile before returning my attention to the food.
"Was it a marriage of convenience, my lady?" the boy wondered shyly.
"Please, call me Astra. I hate formalities," I said and I recoiled when Merlin and Gwaine echoed the last part in mockingly feminine voices. "Jerks," I muttered before addressing Daegal's question in a playful tone. "No. If anything, it was a marriage of inconvenience, as you're seeing right now."
"Seriously, Astraea!" Gaius exclaimed in exasperation, making me burst out laughing.
"Nah," I turned serious as I spoke to Daegal again, "I love Arthur with my whole heart and soul. I'm very lucky that he cares more about us than about forming an alliance with another kingdom."
That got a smile from the boy and I returned it before going back to packing food.
A mostly silent minute later, none other than Arthur entered the apartment as if he owned the place. Which... he does.
"I think we said his name too many times and summoned him," I mumbled under my breath, earning a snort from Gwaine.
My King looked around the room, appearing slightly puzzled. I noticed Daegal tensing up at the sight, and Merlin must've seen this as well because he hurried to the boy's side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he spoke to Arthur, "Sire – this is Daegal. The boy who helped us to save your and Astra's lives."
The boy bowed slightly, then he winced. Merlin quickly set him upright.
"I have heard a lot about you, Daegal," Arthur responded while regarding him with a respectful eye. "Thank you for the part you played in averting the assassination attempt. Let me know if there is anything we can do for you."
My heart warmed up at his words and I abandoned Gwaine in the kitchen as I moved to hug Arthur. He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head.
"Actually, Sire," Gaius stepped in, "I was hoping that I could take him in as an apprentice. He has shown an interest in science and the art of healing."
"Very well," Arthur agreed, giving a small grin as he nodded.
"Congrats, buddy!" I cheered while jumping to offer Daeagal a high-five. But, obviously, he was confused by the gesture. "Uh. This is called a high-five," I explained and turned to Merlin, who delivered with a snort. The boy chuckled a little and finally slapped his palm against mine. I smiled and darted towards Arthur again, reaching up to press a kiss to the side of his jaw, before returning to Gwaine.
Arthur motioned for Merlin, Gaius and himself to move to the kitchen as well – I suppose for privacy, which is kinda dumb since Daegal kinda already knows everything, but I didn't comment on that as I continued to sort the food with my best friend.
"Gaius – what do you know of the place we are travelling to?" Arthur questioned once the new apprentice was out of earshot.
"The Cauldron of Arianrhod is a three-day-ride away. It is a sacred place that harbours a lot of power, for it is the dwelling place of the White Queen," Gaius explained.
I grinned at the name as an image of the character from the live-action 'Alice In Wonderland' popped into my head.
"You have done the journey yourself, have you?" Arthur asked.
"I cannot claim to," Gaius responded.
My King gulped and he glanced my way. I gave him a small smile as we made eye-contact. Then I got a nudge from an expectant Gwaine, who was waiting for me to finish pouring some beans into another bag he was holding open. So I moved my attention onto that.
"Any mishap, any unexpected circumstance..." Arthur worried.
I swallowed a groan, feeling annoyed that he seems to be doubting the journey and, more so, overlooking the importance of it.
"There is no reason to suspect that all will not go well. My Lord," Gaius said gently. "If we do nothing, Gwen is already taken from us."
"You don't have to come," I told Arthur in a last attempt to keep the journey only as complicated as it needs to be.
"Astraea," he growled. I shrugged. It was worth a try. He sighed before returning his attention to the physician, "Summoning this Goddess... will it require magic?"
I opened my mouth to give a sarcastic response, but Gwaine stopped me with another nudge to the ribs and a stern look. I pouted and returned my gaze to the basket we were packing with the food.
"It is a ritual that can only be performed by a sorcerer," Gaius responded gently. Arthur tensed up and averted his gaze. "It is the only way, Sire. Sorcery has to be fought with sorcery."
My King turned towards me, "Astra – we would be breaking our own decrees."
Oh, my precious ray of sunshine... If only you knew what goes on behind the scenes...
"Nothing we haven't done before," I responded with another shrug. "It's not like we're wanna do a reckless magic show – we're tryin' to save a friend."
"Very well. It is decided," Arthur nodded. I shared a discreet high-five with Gwaine and then exchanged a small smile with my brother. "There will be a sorcerer. Can he be trusted?"
"Upon my life," Gaius responded without hesitation.
"You assured me so once before, Gaius, but my father died in the hands of such a man," Arthur noted, still seeming very tense.
Finding that the food basket was done, I moved to wrap my arms around his waist.
"That was Morgana's doing, remember?" I reminded him softly. He gave a shaky sigh and nodded.
"And this sorcerer will be entirely different," Gaius promised.
"How can you be sure?" Arthur asked.
I tilted my head. What will be Merlin's disguise?
"Because, Sire, this time I have chosen..." Gaius paused to cast Merlin a quick apologetic look, "a woman."
I slapped a hand over my mouth so that I wouldn't burst out laughing and masked a snort with a cough. Merlin seemed absolutely horrified, which made holding in the lols only harder and, within a few moments, I had to excuse myself 'to the bathroom' so that I could laugh freely.