Chasing Stars: Wizards of Arcadia

Camelot Pt. III

"Has anyone seen the princess?"

The question echoed the now-empty battlefield while everyone searched for Maia. But though she could hear them loud and clear, and figured she should ease their worries, she didn't.

She wandered back to the castle, amulet in hand, and limping slightly. She couldn't stand being around people, she just needed time.

Her friend, Lancelot, was dead. She knew that his time would come, but she didn't think it would be so...soon. She wasn't prepared.

She swallowed thickly. "No time. Not now." She could mourn later. Right now, she had to get back to the castle.

There was a sickly feeling in her chest when she spared a glance back. That's where my father died. She didn't want to be queen, she didn't feel ready.

"Maia!" someone yelled. "Maia, where are you?"

She stopped. That was Douxie, her Douxie. Not the time traveller who claimed they were in love in the future.

"Maia!" Something smacked into a tree behind her and she swung around sharply, before managing a soft smile at the sight before her.

"Hisirdoux, did you just run into a tree?"

"I meant to do that," he said as he got up from the ground. Clearly, he did not mean to do that.

"You're a terrible liar, wizard," she said, before frowning as she noticed the cut on his temple oozing blood. "Tell me that wasn't from the battle."

Douxie reached up and touched the wound then grimaced at the blood on his fingertips. "Well, it definitely wasn't from the tree."

"You reckless idiot," she mumbled. "One of these days it'll get you killed."

"Nah, I'll be fine. You saw me from the future, he seemed pretty cool. And also alive."

"And how much longer will that last, hmm?" Maia's fingers trembled as she tore a bit of cloth from the hem of her dress and dabbed at his wound. "All I am asking is that you...look after yourself."

"I do look after myself."

"Liar."

Douxie took her wrists gently and moved her hand away from the cut. "Are you alright, Maia? Did you get hurt?"

"It's nothing the amulet won't fix," she replied shortly, not daring to meet his gaze.

"And...how about here?" He pressed a hand against her chest, right above her heart. "You can talk to me, Maia, you can trust me. Uh...that is, only if you want to."

"I..." Maia shook her head. "I don't know. There is a lot going through my head and I haven't had time to process any of it."

"Well, when you do..." He shrugged and let her go, taking a few steps back. "I'll be here if you want to talk. Or...anything else.."

Her lips turned up into something reminiscent of a smile. "That's kind of you, Douxie, thank you."

~ • ~

Galahad had caught up to her shortly afterward and directed her to the castle. A castle which was...floating?

"Sir Galahad, how is the castle floating?" she asked in awe, as they made their way to the throne room (she didn't remember how they got up).

"The work of Merlin, no doubt," he replied gruffly.

"Speaking of, where is he anyway?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he were dead."

Maia frowned, grabbed his shoulder as he pushed ahead. "Don't you dare speak of him that way. If not for Merlin's amulets, we would have lost the battle."

"And maybe the king would still be alive," he retorted. "Now, I suggest you get a good sleep, Your Highness. You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," she replied. "But I'll be in my room if you need me."

Without another word, she headed to her room, slamming the doors behind her quickly. And then she pegged her amulet at the wall.

They had won the day, sure, but at what cost? How many died for the victory? Nameless knights and trolls who could have been safe. Safe and alive.

She knew there was a word for it.

Maia busied herself for the next hour looking through her books, trying to find the one with the word that described her situation the best. And also to take her mind off everything. She could pick apart the battle later.

"Is that it?" she mumbled to herself. "I...How would you pronounce that? No, no, can't be that one."

There was a knock at the door. "Princess?"

"Come in."

Galahad opened the door and shook his head. "Quite the mess you've made here, Your Highness."

"It'll give me something to do later," she replied. "Is something the matter?"

"The wizard isn't dead," he said. "He's asleep."

"Merlin's...sleeping?" Maia asked. "Where? Is he alright?"

"As far as I know, yes. As for where..." He glanced behind himself. "I heard that his apprentice had the plans to build him a tomb."

"A tomb?" Maia frowned. "Odd."

"Indeed. And seeing as Merlin is rather indisposed, I'm afraid we'll be here a while."

"How do you mean?"

"He gave me orders to keep an eye on the castle and on you, Your Highness."

"For how long?" Maia dreaded the answer. And somewhere, deep down, she knew. She knew immediately from the way future-Douxie had reacted to seeing her.

"Until he comes back."

"And when will that be?"

"He didn't say." Galahad hesitated. "We might be here for years, Your Highness. Decades, even."

What had future-Douxie said? "It's been nine hundred years since I was last here."

She would have to wait nine hundred years...maybe.

"Thank you for letting me know, Sir Galahad," she said quietly. "Is that all?"

"And we have another joining us." From behind Galahad, a little forest child stepped, nervousness etched into every feature of her face.

"You..." Maia fumbled behind her for her amulet. What is that thing doing here? "You were there. You killed my father!"

"It wasn't me," she said quickly. "Believe me, Princess, I never wanted the bloodshed that you saw today."

"And how can I trust you after everything that happened? After you sided with those...demons?"

"In time, Princess, you will understand." She glanced back at Galahad nervously.

Maia sighed. "Very well. What is your name then? We might as well get acquainted."

"My name is Nari of the Eternal Forest."

~ • ~

When she woke up later that night, screaming and crying, grasping onto the last strands of a horrible nightmare, it hit her.

The castle, flying without bringing anyone else aboard.

The fact that future-Douxie mentioned not being in Camelot for nine hundred years...

And then Merlin, with his instructions to stay in the castle until he woke.

Oh, fuzzbuckets.

She should have talked to Douxie.