Chasing Stars: Wizards of Arcadia

Reunion

A week passed and Merlin did not return.

Maia had just about given up on ever leaving that chunk of sky rock, and tried to keep herself content with just herself and the rest of the castle.

Since the strangers arrived, she'd seen less and less of Nari, the little forest spirit opting to spend her time outdoors instead of with Maia. Galahad was busier with keeping an eye out for Merlin and any danger, and the strangers were no better.

It really felt like the girl hated her.

And the trolls too.

She felt very, very alone.

Maia found herself in the training yard, staring up at the sky. Once upon a time, she would have laid on the grass with Hisirdoux or perhaps with Morgana, pointing out shapes in the lower clouds to pass the time. Now, she couldn't even see any. The castle was too high up.

What she did notice, however, was a thick grey cloud cluster moving in quickly from the west. Something about it felt much more threatening than just a passing storm, and much more suffocating.

Had she read about that type of cloud before?

She headed back to her room, rummaging through the piles of books beside her bed and after a few minutes, she found a book on the formations of clouds. This is what I've resorted to doing? Taking a seat against the foot of her bed, she skimmed through it until she found a section on rain clouds—

A massive shudder ran through the castle., shaking some of the books from the tops of their piles. Maia quickly stood, eyeing her books as they rattled with the aftershock of the little earthquake. Then a sort of...screeching sounded through the castle and she furrowed her brow, thinking of who could be making that...

Oh.

And she ran out of her room, stumbling a few times on her dress before it occurred to her to hold it loosely in her hands. She raced to the main hall, pausing in the massive doorway and staring wide-eyed at the crashed skyboat. It'd torn up a bit of the floor, pieces of debris everywhere. It looked like it would be a pain to clean up.

"Told you I would be back," Merlin says loudly, though he wasn't even looking at her. "Feel free to hit me now."

He was climbing out of the boat, accompanied by three others and...another troll. A massive hulking brute of a troll. It was her father's thinking, all trolls are bad. She just couldn't shake it.

So Maia didn't go and sock Merlin in the jaw, like she so desperately wanted to. Instead, she sunk onto the top step of the stairs, staring at the people who had accompanied him. Three, plus a huge troll. It was too much for her. First no one, then so many...her brain couldn't keep up. Her gaze dropped to her lap, fingers scrunched in her dress as she tried to slow her breathing. Why was this so overwhelming? Why couldn't she keep it together?

She flinched when she felt two hands on her shoulders. "Breathe. Easy, Princess, just breathe." The grip on her shoulders tightened just a little, and she tried her best to match the person's breathing. 

In...out...in...out...and repeat.

"That's good," the soft voice praised her. "Good girl, there we go."

She glanced up into familiar hazel eyes and choked out a half-sob, half-laugh. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he replied warmly, brushing stray strands of ginger hair out of her face. "I'm glad I was here to help, Your Highness."

His lips brushed against her forehead, before he stood and offered a hand. "Come on, up you get."

Maia hesitated for a moment, before placing her hand in his. "Why are you acting as though we haven't been apart, Doux?"

He stilled, glancing over his shoulder at the people who had come with him. "Because it's painful acknowledging that I left you here."

"Did you do it on purpose?" she asked, wiping her tears with her fingers.

"Wha—no! No, I would never—"

"Then I want you to think nothing of it." She waved him off. "Simple as that, my wizard."

"Um...hi," the short brunette boy interrupted, moving over to them with the blonde and the hulking brute of a troll. "I'm Toby, the blonde's Steve—" The blonde winked at Maia and she grimaced at the gesture— "and this is my wingman, Aaarrrgghh."

"Three 'r's," the troll added helpfully. Despite his friendly nature, Maia found herself taking a few steps back and hiding behind Douxie, one hand holding his own and the other carefully placed on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" the brunette continued. Maia figured he was the leader of the group, taking in his friendly personality and easygoing nature. But there was still something off about him—and the blonde (Steve)—that she didn't trust. Just like with the other strangers.

"Maia," she said finally, straightening up and giving them all a level look (minus the troll, she was downright terrified of it), despite the fact that she was still hiding behind Douxie. "Princess Maia Pendragon, heir to the throne of Camelot."

"You're a princess?" Steve gaped, as though he'd never heard of the concept before.

"As...touching as this is," Merlin cut in, putting a hand on the brute's stone arm. "We have more important things to attend to. Such as your friends."

She heard footsteps from behind her and winced, not daring to turn around to the other strangers as they all exchanged greetings. Douxie, however, stayed holding Maia's hand, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as he watched the others. And he didn't say a word.

"Wait, where's Jim?" Toby asked. They walked off, the whole lot of them, but Douxie and Maia didn't move a muscle. It wasn't until she was sure they'd left the hall that she dared look at him again.

"I missed you," she whispered. "My gods, Douxie, I didn't know what to think these past few years, I...I had to hope you were alive but there were no signs and there was no way to speak to you so—"

"Hey." He placed a hand on her cheek gently and she closed her eyes, leaning into the familiar warmth. Oh, how she'd missed this. Missed him. "I know. And I'm sorry. But I'm here now and I promise I'll make it up to you."

His forehead touched hers and she allowed herself to sigh, to soak in his warmth. It felt so right, unlike everyone she was forced to be around back when the castle was lively. When she was around Douxie, she wasn't pressured into being her royal self, she could just be.

A fluffy warmth curled around her ankles and she glanced down, grinning at the sight of Douxie's familiar. "Archie!"

"Princess," he replied, equally as joyous, jumping up onto her shoulders and snuggling there as a cat. "It's good to see you again."

"I missed you so much, you little furball." She nudged him with her cheek gently. "I hope Doux stayed out of trouble, hmm?"

"Maia!" Douxie hissed, but with a glowing smile on his face.

"Oh, yes. He stayed very far away from trouble," the little cat-dragon agreed sarcastically. "So far, in fact, that he managed to set a whole different country on fire."

Douxie's face went red as Maia gave him a surprised look. "Okay, one time. One time, that's all!"

"Hisirdoux!" Merlin yelled from somewhere in the castle.

Douxie sighed softly. "Should be going. You coming?"

Maia pursed her lips. "I don't know if I would be...welcome. The others didn't take kindly to me the first time."

"They've had a lot going on, love, it's nothing on you, I swear." The sweet little nickname sent delicious shivers up her spine and Archie tried his best not to laugh. Douxie gave his familiar a look, before tugging her hand gently. "Come on. Please?"

She sighed. "Oh, alright."