𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕺𝖓𝖊
𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: A high-school project gone wrong sends Astraea Aphelion fifteen centuries back in time, where she has to face a world of dragons, magic, and evil sorcerers. Luckily, she is not alone. In between hardships, she finds a...
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📍 Camelot
⏳ July, 504 AD
[warnings: references to self-harm, mental illness]
"What do you mean she had to leave?!" a bewildered Arthur raised his voice at a teary-eyed Merlin, ignoring the folded paper that he was handing him in favour of clenching his jaw in frustration.
The young sorcerer released a shaky sigh and gulped before responding softly, "She was needed back in America..."
"So she simply left?!" the Prince questioned as his breathing began to grow slightly laboured under the twisting pain he felt in his chest. His hands fisted the sheets beneath him on his bed in an attempt to keep his body from trembling from the wild emotions that were brewing in his soul.
Merlin gave up on trying to get him to grab the letter and simply kept it in his hand for a later moment.
"What about Camelot?!" Arthur continued in an outrage. "What about my father? What about–?" he cut himself off before he could say 'me' and his anger only grew. He should have never allowed himself to care so much! "I thought she was loyal to us!"
He had woken up from Anhora's drought only an hour after Astraea had left and, much to Merlin's dismay, she had been the first thing he had asked for almost as soon as his eyes had opened. The young sorcerer had hoped that he would have more time to process his own feelings, as well as figure out a safe way to explain things to the Pendragon heir; but, obviously, things hadn't worked out in his favour. In any case, the reaction wasn't unexpected.
"It was not easy for her, Arthur!" Merlin defended his best friend as a single tear streamed down his cheek.
"How could you let her go!?" the Prince's attacks continued.
The sorcerer averted his gaze as his heart clenched in his chest. If only he could tell him the truth... but Astra had made him promise that no one would find out and the rational side of him agreed with that, knowing that the true story was too insane. He would sooner lose his head than see the Pendragon boy believe that time-travel is real.
Arthur's eyes also had tears pooling in them, now, and he looked down to hide that fact from his servant while all kinds of thoughts swirled around his mind. "Did we really mean that little to her?" he asked in a whisper as he fought hard to restrain the sobs that were caught in his throat.
"It was not like that, Arthur," Merlin responded weakly. "She cares about us. More than you will ever know. But she did not have a choice."
"She did have a choice!" Arthur roared. "Everyone always has a choice!"
He had tried so hard to be someone she wouldn't be disappointed with! He had tried hard to become braver when standing up to his father, he had tried to become kinder and more considerate, he had tried to stop being so presumptuous... And for what?! Just to have his heart torn out of his chest?! Maybe she was too upset about the curse he had brought upon Camelot and she decided that there are better things for her out there... Maybe he deserves this pain... Maybe he simply isn't good enough for her...
