Once Upon A Dream (Merlin Love Story)

Chapter 8, Part 2

Astrid's P. O. V:

As we return to the Physician's Quarters, Gaius explains to us, "Tristan de Bois was the brother of Ygraine, Uther's wife."

"Arthur's mother," I say as Merlin and I follow Gaius to a bookshelf.

"Ygraine died at child birth. He blamed Uther, and came to the gates of Camelot and challenged him." Gaius takes a book and brings it over to the bench.

Merlin utters, "To single combat."

"Uther won," Gaius continues as he places the book on the table. "But with his dying breath, Tristan cursed Camelot to one day suffer his return. I thought it was the rumblings of a dying man."

I knew this story from when I first came here, all those years ago, though I've never actually met Tristan in person. I did, however, meet his sister, Ygraine, as I was apart of the council alongside Nimueh and Gaius. Ygraine and I had also been friends, and her death was hard on me, too, though not nearly as much as Uther.

As Gaius flips through the pages, I say, "If we find out what rose from the dead, we can find out who they are."

Gaius murmurs as he pauses on a page with a picture of a skeletal body holding a shield, the bottom half of its body covered with a cloth. "It's my guess we're dealing with a wraith."

Merlin asks, "A wraith?"

"A spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave," I explain.

"This is the work of a sorcerer?" The warlock asks, his brows furrowing. Gaius and I nod our heads.

Gaius says, "Powerful magic can harness the grief and rage of a soul, and make it live again."

"How do we stop it?" Merlin questions, glancing between the two of us.

"We can't," I say. "Because it's not alive, no mortal weapon can kill it."

"Surely there must be something," Merlin says. He looks to me expectantly. "Astrid?"

"Nothing can stop it—until it has achieved what it came for. And there is no mortal weapon I know of that can kill it, despite having lived so long."

"And what's that?"

"Revenge."

"On Camelot?" He whispers. The old physician and I nod our heads.

"Yes."

"What does it mean for Sir Pellinore?" Asks Merlin in a worried tone.

All Gaius says is, "I'm afraid it doesn't look good."

I sit next to Arthur in the stands, Jas next to me, as Sir Pellinore's match with Tristan de Bois commences, wearing my blue long sleeved dress and black arm warmers.

The Black Knight brings his sword down on Pellinore's shield a few times, forcing him back. Pellinore makes a swing at Tristan, but is blocked. Their swords swipe and slash at each other, with Pellinore hitting the side of the wraith's head with his shield.

"That's it!!" I cheer just as the crowd bursts into applause, feeling as though the dark skinned knight will actually win.

At the entrance, Merlin is grinning as Pellinore and Tristan slash and stab at each other, their blades connecting and shoving against one another. Trustan goes to slash at Pellinore's stomach, but he manages to narrowly dodge it by leaping back.

I know Pellinore is an incredible fighter.

He'll win this match for sure!

Merlin says to his Uncle, "Maybe you're wrong."