Once Upon A Dream (Merlin Love Story)

Chapter 22, Part 1

Astrid's P. O. V:

I gallop Bellatrix through the chilly woods, leaves strewn across the forest floor. I'm wearing my riding clothes and purple cloak as I ride the dapple gray mare, the dagger Arthur got me for my birthday awhile ago strapped to my right waist, black gloves on my hands.

Recently, Merlin had unleashed a goblin and it had possessed Gaius, almost sending Merlin to the executioner's block because he'd betrayed him. The goblin had tried to steal my locket when Merlin had shown up in time and whacked the goblin away with one of my thicker books I was reading during that time. That had happened before Gaius became possessed, and lots of crazy stuff happened, such as me nearly losing my husband, before the evil goblin was finally caught and put away somewhere safe and dark.

Arthur had gained the ears and voice of a donkey, which I found was hilarious! Even when they'd gone away, my husband had left some of its voice in Arthur, and I only found that out while training with him and the knights the day after, when he'd laughed and the donkey bay came out.

I'd met Merlin's eyes and knew it was his doing.

Bellatrix and I burst through some trees and come upon a quaint village. I decide to stop here for a tankard of mead. I find a tavern and halt Bellatrix at a hitching post. I dismount and tie her up with the light blue lead rope before I give her a pat and sugar cube.

I then turn and head inside the tavern for a drink. Or two.

I enter, giving the few males that turn in my direction warning death glares as I head for an empty table. They all quickly look away. Only one of them doesn't flinch back, but just smirks at me. I reach my table and sit down. A second passes, and a large lady with dark, curly brown hair holding a notepad approaches me.

"What can I get for you, love?" She asks.

I smile as I reply, "1 tankard of mead, please." She nods as she writes it down before returning to the bar.

Soon, the waitress returns and sets down my drink.

"Thank you," I say, smiling.

She smiles back at me before she returns to the bar.

As I grip my mug to take a mouthful of the light yellow alcoholic drink, I meet the piercing dark eyes of a brunette man sitting at a table behind me. He gives me a charming smirk and a cheeky wink.

I roll my eyes before I turn my head away, drinking my mead.

Merlin's P. O. V:

Arthur and I canter our horses through the forest before we stop outside of a quaint looking village, the Prince carrying a crossbow while I carry the bait. I was kind of disappointed that Astrid didn't come us with this time, but I understood her need to be alone every once in awhile.

Especially after what had happened with her cousin and his wife.

Arthur asks me, wind tossing his golden locks, "You know what you need after a hard day's hunt?"

I mumble, "Sleep."

"And some alone time with Astrid," I think, but don't say aloud. I was eager to get back to Astrid, even if it was for a short while before I return to my chores.

Arthur states, brushing off my response, "A nice, cold, tankard of mead!" He nudges his bay horse past mine.

I grumble, ""Mead!"" With a couple clicks of my tongue, I urge my horse to follow Torrento.

As Arthur and I trot/canter our horses into the village, we see a familiar dapple gray Andalusian mare tied up at the hitching post, with a familiar light blue lead rope attached to her. The horse snorts as she looks at us, flickering her ears forward as Arthur and I pull our horses up beside her, Bellatrix on Torrento's other side.