𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕿𝖜𝖔
𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: From trolls to dragons to foreign princesses, Astraea Aphelion grows stronger as she
continues to navigate medieval Britain using her wit and heart, standing unshaken beside Merlin and Arthur as they face every threa...
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📍 Camelot
⏳June, 506 AD
"All right, dudes – this is it. The ultimate test of the knight. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove that you have what it takes to stand among Camelot's mightiest heroes. Gentlemen, I present to you... the Marvel Trials!"
Astraea Aphelion sat tall atop Dallas as she gazed down at the lengthy obstacle trail that she had assembled with the help of Merlin and Gwen. The trio spent an entire week planning it and a second week building it; and the native Texan couldn't be more proud of their creation.
In front of her, an on-horseback line-up of seventeen knights and the Prince listened intently. Most men were amused and excited, while a couple of troublemakers still turned their noses up at her. Sir Reuben and Sir Landon especially. They have always struggled to accept the King's ward as a trainer. They just can't stand the idea of having to follow a girl's commands!
"The race begins right here..." the 'right here' being atop a hill that overlooks the castle and the lower town, "...and ends at the castle's show-grounds. The entire path's lined with a white cord on either side, which will keep y'all from strayin' off it. There are many jumps, twists n' turns, two river crossings, a bridge, and a bunch of tree branches that will knock you off your horses if you're not careful... Don't ask how I know that."
Many of the knights snickered at her comment, not having missed the pink scratch mark on her cheek. Arthur frowned at the thought of the girl getting hurt, though he had to admit to himself that the mental image is humorous.
"The coolest part of the Trails is the collection of hoops that hang from eight undisclosed locations along the way. The test is to grab one from each location using your swords. They're colour-coded with strips of cloth, so we'll know if any of you grab more than one from a single spot."
The girl sent a pointed look towards Reuben and Landon. The supposed 'honesty' part of being a knight often eludes them. They exchanged an embarrassed look and Sir Leon grinned at them, pressing his lips to hold back a laugh.
"A trophy with the inscription 'Amazing Knight/Hero' will be awarded to whoever's the first to complete the course with at least five hoops," Astraea continued. "Medals will be given to those who finish second through eighth, with the same criteria. And finally, a small rosette will be given to anyone who manages to collect all eight hoops."
The eighteen men in front of her exchanged joyful glances, all of them eager to take off and prove themselves. The knights knew it wouldn't be easy, for they would have to beat Prince Arthur himself.
"Oh, and it's fair game to push other competitors off their horses as long as the horses themselves are not messed with. Also, if a horse comes back injured in any way, the rider will be disqualified," were Astraea's final instructions, and she smiled widely at the sight of the pumped-up knights who were raring to go. Although a twinge of sadness came over her as she gazed upon them, wishing that she could be an actual member of the 'team', and not just the crazy girl who helps them train with their horses.
