Camelot

XV

Running up to the castle doors I shed a tear as I looked once again to the crystal walls and the palace that I never thought I would see again. I would be here for a whole year while Arthur is away taking care of business. Arthur has told me, and tried to order me, to return to Camelot instead of coming back here. He believes that I have returned to Camelot, but I instructed the carriage to take me elsewhere. It's hard to believe that I no longer belong in Avalon, that it's no longer my kingdom. I belong to Camelot, to Arthur. Upon our return to Camelot he will be named King as Uther steps down to live him remaining years in peace, more or less.

I was happy to be back home, though besides in my head I can't call it that. Once Arthur and I return back to Camelot that is our home, where we shall live until we die, more or less. Maybe if

I can just survive until Uther is gone than I can fake my death and return home, to my real home, to Lancelot.

I smiled as I opened the castle doors, shocked though no one seemed to be anywhere in sight. I walked through the nearly vacant halls looking for some sort of life, but I couldn't find anyone. Every room, every floor, every corridor carried nothing but the winds from open windows. I tried to listen to the winds, but they were so faint that I couldn't make out who they were or where they were. The air seemed to be almost dead, like no one was here.

My heart pounded as the wind around my picked up, it was my wind alone. No one else was here, no one but me. Running through the corridors the winds trailed behind me as I searched for any clue to what could have happened. Every room looked the same, drawers still hanging open and small things seeming to out of place. Like everyone rushed away in a hurry. What could have caused everyone to abandon this place? Isn't the infinity stone supposed the protect everyone?

Walking down the familiar path I managed to find my way back to my old room, still cracked from my episode but one of the cracks was larger than the rest, big enough to fit your hand down whereas the others were splintered and too small for anything. Tracing my hand over the abnormal crack I was able to feel the softness and scent of bread. Sniffing in the joyous memory of my family I sat down next to the crack and started feeling the rush of sadness take over as my adrenaline died out. All I wanted to do was jump back into my father's arms, or hear the calming voice of merlin as he raved about some new discovery. The few memories I have here aren't much, but the sadness sent me right back to when I left the island. I was alone, my family was gone and there was no sure way that I would ever see them again. Lancelot wouldn't be coming back to save me a second time from my loneliness, he was gone too. I remained on the floor, wishing for this nightmare to be over and to even be back with Arthur so I had someone there. Even if I couldn't speak to him his presence over the past month has saved me many times from losing myself. When the realization of never returning home sunk in just knowing Arthur was there settled me from another incident like the cracks. Memories were all I had left as the tears kept coming, the infinity stone around me started losing its glow. It was feeding off of my sadness and every part of the castle was fading. The castle didn't have everyone here to keep it busy so it only had me to react to. The infinity stone reacts to the people around it and their emotions, with me being the only one here it reacted easily to me. Connecting my emotions with the castle I felt the darkness covering every section, except one. There was a single moving area of the castle where the darkness seemed to be going around, like someone was here that was giving off so much positive energy that my sadness wasn't touching them. Everyone is missing and yet someone is happy, who could be so happy as to ... papa, could that be papa? Could it be him?

Attempting to shoot up off of the ground I placed my hand down as to help push me up. When I put pressure on my hand the crack under it gave way as my hand went down through the crack. Trying to pull it up I keep feel the splintering infinity stone slicing through parts of my arm, blood trickling down sending shivers through my spine. I kept yanking and yanking until I heard a popping sound coming from my shoulder and I let out a terrible yelp. A shudder like a faint earthquake was sent as a ripple through the castle, with the shudder the one brightness in the castle started to flicker as it shot faster through the halls, towards my room. Please let someone get here quick, with the popping sound my shoulder had such a terrible ache in it that even with every breathe I pulled at it making it worse. I couldn't try and pull it but from my elbow down was completely stuck in the crack, it had almost no room for it to fit in, let alone come out.

With every second that past I strained every muscle in my body just to stay still as I followed the brightness until I could hear the footsteps. Too afraid not knowing who it was I refused to call out for help as I started to hold my breath careful not to make any sounds. I could feel the presence of whoever it was, from outside of my room a blast of air nearly knocked the air out of me. Taking a few quick gasps I saw the flickering light from whoever was here start reaching it's way towards me. I was frozen with fear as the light blinded me, all I could see was two feet as my other hand was shielding the light from my eyes.

"Guinevere!" The man's voice rushed towards me as I closed my eyes. Arms wrapped around me trying to pick me up but a quick yank on my arm and I shrieked loudly in his ear. "Guinevere you have to listen to me very carefully, your arm."

"I know it's stuck, I can't get it out I popped my shoulder trying to pull at it." I spoke in between pants as I winced.

"Guinevere, listen to me. I'm going to try and help free it but it's going to hurt a lot. What I need you to do is focus as much energy into your arm as you can. Try to keep the energy light and happy. Think about good memories." I was in so much pain and still refused to open my eyes, I couldn't even make out who was talking to me besides that it was a guy. Trying to put aside the pain I tried to think about what made me happy.

What makes me happy? Lancelot. Just thinking his name gave me a light flutter in my heart as a smile beamed across my face. Thinking about him gave me more than just happiness, once I started thinking about him the pain started to become less noticeable. All I wanted to do was to be once again in his arms and never leave them, but I can never have him. I belong to someone else and he will be forever on the run. I already said my last goodbye and with that I would never see him again. He said he was coming back here to Avalon, but where could he be? He's gone like all the rest of them, all the rest of my family. They're all missing while I was off on a honeymoon.

"Guinevere, settle down, stop focusing on your pain and think happy thoughts." The voice said in a panic. "Think about the island and what you did for fun, your sisters."

My sisters, my mother, my island. It all seemed like such a distant memory, like it was another life. It was another life. When I was on the island everyday I could spend it how ever I wanted under the sun and run around. I'd swim in the ocean with my sisters pretending to be mermaids and singing as horribly as we could just to frighten the birds. We would chase the chickens around and climb the tallest trees. Most of it was Fay and I, us two were always really close, but of course that was before ... before she ruined my life. I was happy on the island and because of her I gave up my life on the island. Because of her I ended up here alone and once I found more family I lost them too. This is all because of her, she ruined my life and by taking her destiny I will never be with Lancelot.

"Guinevere!" The voice shouted as large tremors started spreading through the castle. I could barely listen to his words trying to calm me, I pushed them away as everything in my life was gone. I was alone, and I was stuck married to someone who told me not to come here, not to return home. Why did he not want me to return? What did he know? Did he know something was happening to them? Did he have something to do with their disappearance? Uther! He wanted to attack Avalon, with me out of the way he had just what he needed. One last goodbye to Lancelot, sure Arthur why not let me say goodbye just so he runs to his death with my family! Arthur knew something was going to happen and did nothing!

The castle was being furiously thrown into a frenzy as I was creating the earthquake that was spreading the cracks throughout every last inch. He continued shouting and tried to reach me, but i was too far gone. Focused on my anger and my grief the castle started to fall, every last piece. He jumped ontop of me and for a second my concentration was broken as the castle started to fall onto us. The last thing I saw was his eyes staring into mine. Peter.