A.N: This episode will differ slightly from the original, as it is a little too soon for Arthur to be falling for someone else, however, there may be some action between the two later in the series, I haven't decided how it shall end yet.
It had been a few days since Lancelot and I had arrived at the Druid camp, and we had been made to feel very welcome there. I was currently eating lunch with the knight. We ate in a comfortable silence, which seemed to have been happening a lot since we had been reunited. I couldn't help it, I just felt really comfortable and safe around the knight.
Once we had both finished eating I smiled at Lancelot before walking off to the leaders tent, wanting to talk to him. I had talked to him a few times, and I hadn't had any other visions in the past few days. I reached his tent and was about to call out when Meeri's voice sounded from inside the tent. "Come in Ana." He said, and I opened the tent flaps, walking into the tent.
"Hi." I said in a whisper, sitting down on some of the cushions he had in there. "What is it you wish to know?" Meeri asked me and I sighed gently. "I know that I am the Guardian Angel of Camelot, and I know that that's something that I'll have to get used to, I just want to know a few more things." I said, being careful how I phrased that, not wanting him to think that I had accepted this new phenomenon, I was close, but not quite there yet.
"Ask me anything, and I will answer as best I can." He said, and I took a deep breath. "I have wings, does that mean that I can fly?" I asked him cautiously. "I believe so my dear, I was going to let you settle in a little more before getting you used to your new abilities." He said wisely, and I nodded. That would have to be a concept I needed to get used to.
Just the thought that a person could fly was almost insane. I knew that wizards used to use dragons to get around, but there was only one left and it was trapped under Uther's castle, there was no way that we would be able to get to him. And now here I was, being told that I am able to fly, just like birds, and the angels I've read about in stories before. I was one of them now, a mythical creature that people only dreamt of in storybooks.
I shook these thoughts out of my head, not wanting to linger on the ideas that the things attached to my back. "What else can I do?" I asked in a small voice, not really wanting to know the answer to that question. The druid sighed and looked at me. "You have magic, just like your brother, but do not worry, we will teach you everything you need to know, although I feel that a lot of it will come from your heart, your instincts. We know that you are a wonderful person who will do everything that you can to save the people around you that you love. I trust, when the time comes, you will do what is right." Meeri said, making me take a deep breath and take in everything that he had said.
I knew that I was a good person, and I did really care about my friends and family. I would do anything to save them, I had already risked my life for them, and now I was separated from them for who knows how long, possibly forever. I had never imagined that I would have to be away from my family, from Merlin, yet here I was, without him.
"You need to settle in, go anywhere in the forest you wish, Uther will not bother you here." Meeri said, and I thanked him, before standing and walking out of the tent. I took another deep breath and shook away my thoughts of Merlin. There was no use thinking about him right now, I couldn't see him, or be anywhere near him until I figured this all out and decided who I was.
I looked around the camp and noticed that Mordred was off with a few of the other Druids, seemingly talking about something important, so I didn't want to bother them. Then I noticed that there was some movement coming from the tent that I had used yesterday and assumed that it was Lancelot. I wanted to spend more time with him, but didn't want to disturb him, so I walked to the edge of the camp and leant against a tree, taking some time to allow myself to relax for a few seconds.
I closed my eyes and felt the world around me, listening closely to the sounds of the forest. The birds were singing from the trees and the leaves rustled as a light breeze flew through the air. Leaves crunched under my feet and the bark on the tree was rough. It allowed me to feel extremely calm, better than I had in a few months. However, it was ruined as I was hit with darkness.
I opened my eyes and I was in Arthur's chambers alone. I looked around at the familiar sight, feeling myself grow sad again, however I was distracted by the door flying open and Arthur and my brother walked in.
"How am I going to prove myself if my opponents aren't trying their hardest?" Arthur said, an annoyed look on his face. I looked at the Prince with a sad look, he didn't need to fight anyone to prove himself, I already knew that he would be an incredible King, I just wish that he could see it as well. "I'm sure it's not happening all the time." Merlin said, an unsure look on his face. "So it's happening some of the time?" Arthur asked, turning back to Merlin.
"No, I'm certain it isn't." My brother said, making me sigh, that was definitely not what Arthur needed to hear right now. "Now you're doing it! You're telling me exactly what you think I want to hear!" Arthur yelled, making me walk over to the Prince and reach out to him before realising that I wasn't actually there. "Yes. Er...no. Er...What was the question?" Merlin stumbled making me groan at him, Arthur was going to lose it at him.
"That just proves it. All my life I've been treated as if I'm special. I just want to be treated just like everyone else, like Amara treated me!" Arthur yelled, stepping towards Merlin before recoiling as he said my name. Both men went quiet and there was a short period of extremely awkward silence between them. This was all my fault, I knew that both of them must feel responsible for my disappearance.
"You have no idea how lucky the two of you were, you could act like yourself all the time, never having someone to impress, someone who expects the best from you." Arthur said and I looked at him with pity. I knew that his father was just being harsh, he loved Arthur really, just didn't show it very often. "Well, anytime you want to swap places, just let me know." Merlin said, chuckling.
"That's not a totally stupid idea." Arthur said, making me look at the Prince, what was he thinking? "You're Prince Arthur, you can't change who you are." Merlin said, but Arthur shook his head and placed his hand on my brother's shoulder. "Yes I can." Was all the Prince said before everything started going black again.
I opened my eyes and took a few deep breaths, getting used to the surroundings, being back in the forest, even though I knew that I had never left them. I stared at the ground for a few seconds before feeling something nuzzle against my face. I looked up and saw that it was the white horse from before. I sighed and petted its muzzle gently. "Come on, let's get out of here for a bit." I said, before pulling myself onto the horse and looking across the Druid camp.
I then turned the horse around and kicked her into a canter, riding through the forest, allowing her to choose where we went. I put my faith in the horse, she had got me out of Camelot before, and she was still here, so I saw no reason not to trust her. Although I should give her a name. While we rode around I thought of a few names, before we came to a small river and the horse stopped. I hopped down and she went to get some water.
I went over to an apple tree and grabbed an apple, before biting into it, then coming up with the best name for the beautiful creature. "Heaven. That's what I'll call you, what do you think girl." I said, looking over at the horse who whinnied happily, so I took that to mean she liked it. It made sense to me too, if I really was an angel then it seemed only fitting that my horse had a name to go along with the theme and Heaven was perfect for her, as she was the perfect horse.
I finished my apple and threw the core on the floor, knowing that something would probably come and pick it up eventually. I went over to Heaven who was waiting patiently for me by a tree. I hopped on her back and sighed lightly. "Back to the Druid camp, I want to make sure that we're there before it gets dark." I said, kicking my horse slightly, allowing her to lead me through the woods.
I smiled as I saw the Druid camp come into my view. Heaven stopped right by Lancelots horse, whose reins were tied to a tree. I got off my horse and stroked her softly before walking over to the tent we had been staying in. I opened the flaps and grabbed my cloak, throwing it around my shoulders as it was starting to get colder.
I looked around, smiling when I saw that Meeri was already standing around the fire, which was not yet lit. I walked over to him, and noticed that Lancelot was with them, so I smiled at the knight who returned the gesture. I looked around the fire and noticed that basically everyone was there, other than a few of the older ones. "Why isn't the fire lit, is something wrong?" I asked Meeri in a hushed voice, trying to offend anyone.
"Actually, I thought you could light the fire." The Druid leader said, making me look at him confused. The fire was always lit using magic, one of the Druids had told me that a few days ago. Then I remembered that Meeri had told me this afternoon, about me having magic. I shook my head at the Druid. "I-I can't." I said, trying not to look weak in front of the other Druids.
"Trust yourself Ana, the spell will come to you, all you need is to utter the words." Meeri said, making me look at him, trying to convey my fears. He placed his hand on my shoulder and nodded to me. I took a deep breath and looked at the pile of wood in front of me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to think about magic. I thought about when I was younger with Merlin, through to recently, when I had last seen him using it.
Two words then came to my mind. I didn't know what they meant, but I trusted that they were what I needed, so I murmured them under my breath, focusing on thoughts of fire and wood. "Accendit ignem." I whispered, before feeling a sudden amount of heat on my face. I opened my eyes and saw that a fire burned in front of me. I let out a staggered breath and looked back at Meeri, who just nodded to me.
I looked over at Lancelot, who was smiling at me gently. I sat down and allowed the food to be passed around, coming to us first, then around to everyone else. I stayed silent while I ate, thinking about the magic I had performed earlier. I almost didn't believe that it was me who conjured it. I had been watching Merlin do magic for as long as I could remember, yet I didn't feel anything when doing it myself. I wonder if my eyes had turned golden like Merlin's did. I had so many questions, but knew that I should leave it for later, I'm sure Meeri had already had enough of me today.
When I had finished eating I went over to mine and Lancelot's tent, and was about to go in when one of the female druids came over to me with something in her hands. "Ana, here I made this for you, I thought you would like something else for sleeping in." She said, handing me something that resembled a nightdress that Morgana would wear. "Thank you, this means a lot to me." I said, showing my gratitude towards the woman. It would indeed be nice to get out of this dress.
I smiled as the woman walked away from me. "I'll give you a few minutes to get changed." Lancelot said, and I looked up to see that he was now beside me. I nodded in thanks, before going into our tent. I pulled my dress off and changed into the nightdress that had been made for me, smiling as I felt the soft material cover me.
"Lancelot, you can come in now." I called out, and the knight came into the tent, his eyes lingering on me for a second before removing his sword from his hip and then laying down on his bed. I sighed and laid down as well. I turned my body so that I was facing the night, smiling as I did so.
"What you did tonight was impressive." He said to me, making me blush. "You really think so." I said, and the knight nodded. "Yeah, it was the first time you've used magic, so yeah, it was amazing. Almost as good as Merlin." Lancelot said, making me chuckle lightly. "Yeah, he was pretty useless at everything, wasn't he." I said, causing us both to laugh. I then turned onto my back and sighed. It was still quite painful to think about my brother, knowing that I was never going to see him again.
"Do you miss Camelot?" I asked Lancelot, not turning to look at him, instead choosing to keep my eyes on the top of the tent. "I missed it when I left, and I do now, but not as much. I think that I missed you more than I missed Camelot." The knight said in a whisper, making me sigh lightly. I cared greatly about Lancelot, he was my best friend, and the only person I had from my past, but I loved Arthur deeper than I ever wanted to admit to myself, and I feared that those feelings would never go away.
"I missed you too." I said in a whisper before turning around and closing my eyes, trying to go to sleep, thinking about what Lancelot had just said, along with the vision I had had earlier about Merlin and Arthur talking.
I woke up the next morning to Lancelot moving around in the tent, getting ready for the day. "Good morning. You were still asleep this morning, so I let you rest, but I kept some breakfast for you, and Meeri wants to speak with you this morning." Lancelot said, before grabbing his sword and walking out of the tent.
I sat up on my bed and stretched out slightly, before grabbing the food that Lancelot had very kindly got for me. Once I was finished with that I slipped off my nightdress and back into my other dress, folding the nightgown up and placing it on my bed. I then walked out of the tent, squinting slightly at the sudden bright sunlight. I looked around the camp and saw that Lancelot was talking to Mordred, and the two were laughing together. I was glad that they got on well.
However, my gaze didn't linger for too long as I turned around and walked into Meeri's tent, assuming that he was in there. "Ah, Ana, I'm glad you're here." The leader said, smiling at me as I walked into his tent. I smiled back at the man who had been so kind to me. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked him, slightly cautious that it would be something regarding my newfound powers after what had happened last night.
"I was hoping that you'd be willing to accompany me into the forest this morning. After last night I think that we should work on something together." He said, making me more nervous, but I nodded. There was no point in denying it anymore, I had these powers and I knew how dangerous magic could be if it wasn't controlled, considering Merlin had almost set fire to our village when we were younger.
I watched as Meeri walked out of the tent and I followed after him. "We need to be a little way from the camp, I know the perfect place, just follow me." He said, before walking away from the camp. I sighed and looked back across the camp to see Lancelot and Mordred were sword fighting with small sticks. I smiled fondly at the two, before turning around and following after the Druid leader.
We walked through the forest for a short amount of time before reaching a small clearing. Meeri turned to me with a small smile on his face. "I want you to start building your relationship with your wings. It will help you in the future, and don't worry, I won't be asking you to fly today." He said, and I smiled weakly back at him.
Reaching up behind me, I pulled the cloak from around my shoulder, laying it gently on the floor. The two wings stretched out, causing me to wince slightly at the light tugging that I felt on my back. I looked at the tips of the wings as they came to rest behind me. I then looked up at Meeri who gave me a pointed look. "I will leave you here, come back whenever you feel ready?" He said, before starting to walk away.
"Can't you help me more?" I asked, now starting to get more fearful of everything. "I do not know everything, my dear, and you are the first angel I have met, my knowledge is only limited. But I will tell you this, all the best things happen when you trust yourself." The druid said, before walking back through the forest. I let out an exasperated sigh, having no clue what to do now.
I thought back to last night, when I had concentrated on the fire and the words had just come to my head, but surely that wouldn't work for this. But it was the only idea that I had, so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, just as I had last night. I thought about the wings that were behind me. Then I thought about them moving around and covering me, I pictured this happening in my head.
I then opened my eyes and looked down to see if anything had happened, which it hadn't. I sighed in annoyance, but then remembered that this was going to take time. I took a deep breath and tried again. Nothing happened, so I tried again, and again, and again. I tried to get the wings to do something all morning, but to no avail, so eventually I decided that if I kept going I was just going to get even more worked up than I was now, so I threw on my cape and headed back through the forest to the camp.
Once I reached the camp I noticed that everyone was eating lunch, so I went over to where Lancelot and Mordred were sitting, placing myself beside the young boy who perked up when he saw me. "Ana! Lance has been teaching me how to fight with a sword, like a knight." The boy said enthusiastically, making me giggle lightly. "Well, you couldn't find a better teacher if you tried." I complimented, grabbing some food. Lancelot smiled at me, and I gave him a wink before turning back to Mordred who was talking about something he'd learnt from Meeri recently.
Mordred left with one of the other druids shortly after he had finished eating his breakfast. "You know I could think of someone else who would be better at teaching him to fight." Lancelot said, popping a berry into his mouth. I looked at him, a confused look, no doubt, written across my face.
"What do you mean? You're a wonderful teacher." I said, knowing full well that Lancelot was a brilliant swordsman, so teaching Mordred should be an easy job for him. Lancelot sighed and looked down at his lap, before looking back up at me, a certain sense of guilt in his eyes. "I know I shouldn't have, but a few days ago, I overheard a conversation between you and Mordred. I was unaware that you cared so deeply for Arthur." He said, his voice reaching a whisper.
My heart sank as Lancelot spoke. He looked down at the floor, then up into the forest, trying to avoid my eyes. I knew that I should have told him about Arthur, but it was so difficult to try and deal with everything new that was happening with me, while also struggling with my strong feelings for the faraway Prince, as well as the resurfacing care that I had for the knight in front of me.
"Lancelot. I-I don't know what to say." I said, looking at the knight who finally looked directly at me, and I could see the emotions in his eyes, pools of sadness filling them. "I'm glad that you were happy." He said, his voice cracking as he spoke. I let out a breath and shook my head at the knight.
"Don't, I was happy, but it was ruined. I can never go back to Camelot, and Arthur will forever think that I left because of him." I said, letting a single tear run down my cheek at the emotional memories of the last time I saw Arthur. "I'm sorry." Was all Lancelot said, and I could see the sincerity in his eyes. I nodded in thanks to him, before wiping my face and looked across the camp to see some of the Druids mending tents and other fabrics.
"I think I'm going to try and help out around here, you know where I am if you need me." I said, getting up and walking away from the knight, sighing as I did. I didn't mean to hurt Lancelot in any way, but Arthur was the first man I ever loved, and no matter how much I denied it, I still loved him. I feared that those feelings would never leave me, and I would never be able to move on from the Prince that was now well beyond my reach.