The days passed quietly in Camelot. The shadow of the past seemed to be receding, and the kingdom was at peace, thanks to the newfound unity between the king and his knight. Yet, something invisible weighed on Arthur's heart. He felt Lancelot's absence like a cold breeze, a void he couldn't fill. Lancelot, his faithful knight, was no longer there. He had disappeared without a word, as if the earth had swallowed him.

The king didn't want to alarm the rest of the court, but every night, he scanned the horizon from the windows of his castle, hoping to see a famiiar figure appear in the distance. Lancelot was still the soul that understood him , the person who knew what he was thinking before he even opened his mouth. But why this silence? Why this sudden departure?

/////// Two weeks earlier, at dawn///////

Lancelot had woken up with a strange unease. His heart was beating faster, his breathing was quickening. He stood up, his body heavy with fatigue, but he felt that something was wrong . His senses were heightened, his legs were shaking. He looked for a mirrior , his reflection blurred in the gray glow of dawn. It wasn't physical pain, but something deeper, like a presence growing within him . Then , touching his stomach, he felt it .

A beat.

A heart. His own heart , but also another. A fragile heart, but alive

The Dark Knight trembled all over, stunned . He was pregnant. The very idea seemed crazy. How could it be possible ? But the feeling was too real to ignore. A child, a life forming inside him.

Fear seized him . He coudn't face this, not in front of Arthur. Not in front of Camelot. What would the people say ? What would Arthur say ? A knight, a man... carrying a child? He was an aberration. He didn't want to be seen as weak, as a mistake. He was the king's shadow, the right-hand man, and that was beyond him.

And it was with this weight in his heart that decided to leave. Without telling anyone. He slipped away into the night, disappearing into the shadow of the hills.

/////////////////////////////////////////

From there, he wandered, crossing forests and plains, until he found the calm he was looking for in a lavender field. The purple flowers swayed genty in the cool dawn breeze, their scent heavy and soothing. There, far from the world, Lancelot surrendered. The wind, the flowers, the damp earth ... everything seemed to embrace him in a silence heavy with meaning.

The pain, the anguish... they grew more intense with every hour, but he knew there was no turning back.

It was in the stillness of the knight that he gave birth. The stars shone above him, a silent witness to the sacred moment. The child burst into a piercing cry, and Lancelot, his eyes full of tears, took her in his arms. A little black girl, her soft, perfect skin adorned with blue spirals that seemed to move in the moonlight. Her eyes , a briliant emerald green, shone like precious stones.

Lancelot's tears flowed. He had protected her during this entire period. And now here she was, fragile, alive, a miracle. A miracle he didn't yet understand, but alreadu cherished more than anything.

He named her Astra, for she was born under the stars.

But as he held this little life in his arms, a distant voice broke the silence of the night. A cry of distress.

" LANCELOT!"

/////

Arthur came galloping up. The sound of the horse echoed in the cool morning air, and he stopped abruptly, his eyes scanning the lavender field. He called again, his heart sinking, but there was no answer.

Then, he saw it.

In the shadows, a curled body, its face hidden in its hands. And in its arms... a small, fragile form . A child .

Arthur's eyes widened with concern . He rushed to meet her, his heart beating faster than ever. When he approached Lancelot, he froze. Lancelot, his knight, his love, was trembling.

"Lancelot" Arthur whispered, kneeling beside him, his voice breaking" What have you done?"

Lancelot looked up, his face lined with fatigue and pain. He let out a heavy breath

"I...I...I'm sorry Arthur."

He looked at the child in his arms , a small, fragile life, nestled against him. Arthur moved closer, his hand trembling.

"She's... ours ?"

Lancelot nodded slowly, his eyes filling with tears . The fear was still here, but love , this pure love he felt for this little creaturee, eclipses everything.

"She's Astra" whispered Lancelot " She was born to us"

Arthur looked down at the child, who stared at them with luminous green eyes. Her small fingers fluttered in the air , and an almost imperceptible smile played on her lips.
He gently took her in his arms, his heart beating in unison with the little one's. He examined her, amazed.

"She's beautiful' Arthur said in a soft voice, trembing with emotion.

Lancelot finally let go, his head resting against Arthur's chest

"I was afraid, Arthur, afraid of disappoiting you. Afraid that the kingdom would no longer accept me that.... that the love we have wouldn't be enough."

Arthur, hugging Lancelot, reassured him in a voice full of tenderness

" You have nothing to fear. we have what everyone seeks, and you never have to hide from me . Or from Camelot. You are not alone. Never again.

They stayed like that, in silence, for a long moment, the wind caressing the lavender around them, the stars above . Then Arthur looked at Astra, smilling with infinite tenderness

"welcome, little Astra" he said, his voice soft and full of love. " We will protect you and your father. Always."

And in the sweetness of the night, when the world seemed to fall silent around them, the love between a king, his knight, and their child was born. A pure love, strong and unwavering, which would light the days to come