The Princess Of Camelot

At ends road

Claire's POV

I lay in the woods for hours, letting my sorrows consume me. The sun had been down for long and the cold was creeping into my skin. Never before had the darkness seemed so tempting. Why not become what he feared? Why not show him what power truly meant?

He does not love you.
He is ready to kill you and your kind.
All of his love... was a lie.

The words were swirling around in my mind. Making me go mad. I had a dragon. I had the power. I had the love of the people. I could overthrow him and I knew it. I saw before me as I rode atop Aithusa, wearing a red dress and a golden crown. My white, long hair swirled in the wind behind me. Aithusa was grown in my vision, almost four times the size she was now. Atop her back I seemed tiny from afar, yet, flying made me feel like the mightiest woman in the world. We neared a castle, a dark and gloomy castle, and as I landed on the courtyard, I saw them... all of my family were dead, lying in a pile outside of the castle doors of Camelot. Percival, Leon, Gwein, Gaius, Mother, Merlin, Hunith... Father. I wanted to feel sorrow, yet I could not. All I felt, was victory. I looked to my left and saw Modred. He smiled upon me as his hand graced my cheek. "You have done well, my Queen", as he leaned in for a kiss, everything went away. 

I awoke suddenly as someone shook me frantically. "Claire, Claire, wake up!", it was Auntie Morgana. She looked at me with panic in her blue eyes. "You must go, Camelot is being invaded!". I immediately ran into the cave, collected the Dragon's egg and placed it in the satchel tied to Aithusa's saddle. "Will you come with me?", I said to my aunt who stood firmly on the ground. She shook her head. "No, it is not my time to present myself before my brother yet. I shall wait here, and when you need me, you will know where to find me", I smiled at her. "Make haste Aithusa!", the dragon seemed to understand the hurried tone in my voice as she soared off into the night, towards Camelot. We did not fly for long. I had to cling to her sharp spikes to not fall off. Never had I felt her fly so fast before. It was almost impossible to breathe, yet I felt so full of life as I watched the woods soar beneath us. 

As we neared the castle, I could see Saxons with torches. They were outside of the city walls, trying to break down the great gates and enter the lower city. The warning bell rang clearly in the distance. Soon they broke down the gates and entered the city of Camelot. I would not have this. I motioned Aithusa forward. Anger and adrenaline were pumping through my veins. We landed on the great walls of the city, in front of the men still waiting to run in. They froze in their place, looking upon me as if I were Hela, the goddess of death herself. I could smell their fear. 

"I am Claire Pendragon, first of my name and heir to this land. Leave now and no harm shall be done to you!", the soldiers were scared. Many of them had seen too many winters, and the few muscles they had were clinging to their bones. They looked as if they were about to shit their pants and cry for their mothers all at once. I waited patiently, wanting to give them a chance of survival. They screamed out, a battle cry, as they raised their weapons in the air, pointing their arrows at me. Then they took off into a sprint, aiming for the city. They were going to kill my friends, my family. I had no choice. "Aithusa...Drago ignem", Aithusa breathed fire, burning all who tried to enter the gates. I could see as their muscles left their bone, and eventually, their bones crumbled to dust. I did not have to let her burn more than two or three dozen of men as the rest fled to the woods in fear. I had killed before, but this... this was genocide. The hole in my chest I had gained from the vision grew larger as I watched the men crumble to the ground and turn into ashes. Yet I knew... to protect my home would come at a cost. The question was only who would pay it.

I turned her around and flew above the village. Saxon men were roaming the streets, heading for the castle. "Bael onbryne!" I screamed the incarnation, trapping the soldiers in their stead with a ring of fire, burning them alive, yet sparing the citizens. As I neared the citadel, I saw that the enemy was nearing the castle, where all the knights stood, protecting the great oak doors. There were many faces I recognized amongst them, Gwein, Percival, Leon, Merlin... and Father. "ON ME!", screamed Father, lifting Excalibur into the air, getting ready to fight the men before him. He had not seen me, nor had his men. I could feel my chest tighten as I laid eyes upon him. He hated me... for something which I had done for the love of Camelot...He may have hurt me, but he did not deserve to die.