Title: Captured Swans
Author: Ree
Theme: AU - historical Fiction
Genre: general
Version: AU - 1483 England War of the Roses (near the end)
Rating: G

Takeuchi Naoko created them. I'm just following a different branch on their universal tree.

Captured Swans

An: The red rose is the symbol of the House of York. The white rose is the symbol of the House of Lancaster. The supports of York used red symbols on their standards, and the supports of the Lancaster used white. Both houses are contenders (legitimate heirs) for the throne of England.

Alex Kunzite, Stephen Zoisite, Phillip Nephrite, John Jadeite, Amycia Ami, Aylyetta Makoto, Eulari Rei, Willaimina Minako.

Darien nodded his thanks to the messenger, and waved him towards the kitchen. As the boy scampered off, he flipped over the folded missive and looked at the seal on the back. The red rose greeted him. Walking quickly to his study, he sent for his four most trusted knights. His uncle rarely wrote, and when he did, it was time to fight.

Settling at his desk, Darien slit the was seal. Staring at what was written, he wished that he could ignore it. He looked up as the door opened. A tall white haired man walked in followed by three others. They stopped when they spotted the look on his face.

"What happened?" Alex frowned, his white eyebrows coming together. The others folded their arms, waiting to hear.

Darien tossed the missive onto his desk. "The Duke of Gloucester is negotiating marriage contracts for his five nieces, the Swans."

Understanding dawned onto the other mens faces. Phillip brushed his light brown hair over his shoulder before he stated the obvious. "So, he is using them to buy more support to the Lancasterian claim to the throne." He gestured to the paper laying on the desk. "Your Uncle told you who?"

Darien nodded. "Some of the fringe Welsh lords as well as some of the lords that hold land that march on the Scottish border."

John narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, what are we supposed to do about it?" All the eyes in the room met Darien's. They knew that there had to be a reason they were being told about this.

Stephen compressed his lips slightly. "Kidnap them? Hold them for ransom? Hold them until the marriage contracts are nulled?"

Darien sighed and glanced out the window. Stephen was right. He didn't want to do this. It went completely against the grain to kidnap five innocent girls, even if they were Lancasters. Looking back at his four dearest friends, he knew that they weren't going to be happy with their orders either. 'Sir Kunzite, Sir Nephrite, Sir Zoisite, and Sir Jadeite, their names have be covered in honor since these gentlemen had renamed themselves such. Alex, Phillip, Stephen, and John...they are names for friends only. And there are not to many who even realize that their parents didn't name them after rocks in the field. How can I tell them? How can I expect them to help me do this? Why... I know why. To prevent the Lancasters from getting more support. The throne is still threatened.' A deeper sigh escaped his lips. "Yes. That is exactly what my Uncle wants us to do. We are the closest to the estate where they are living. He reports that the contracts won't be finalized until the spring. So, if we act now, we can thwart this play for power."

Kunzite compressed his lips tightly together, his frown deepening until his eyebrows met in the center of his forehead. Everyone waited to hear what he would say. "We shall do as your uncle requires."

Darien shook his head. "No. I will do it alone. I will not have you do something that you despise, Alex."

"Kunzite. I have told you not to call me by Alex unless it is over a tankard." A wry smile quirked the side of his mouth. "And you can't do it alone. So, we shall help. That is what we are here for."

Jadeite turned to the map the was hung on the wall. "First we need some reconnaissance. We have to know what their movements are, their routine."

The four knights clustered around the map and began making plans. Darien gave up on sighing, he knew they wouldn't let him do this alone. Striding across the room, he joined into the discussion.

--

Serena cracked the front door open. The fresh air seeped in through the crack, and, even though it was frigid, the air was welcomed by all. The blizzard was over. Pulling the heavy wool cloak tighter around her, she stepped out into the inner ward and promptly sank to her knee. Pushing her way forward, she finally escaped the drift. Now the snow was up to the middle of her calf. Turning about, she trudged back into the keep. "We need snow shoes and the closed sleigh."

Willaimina continued the argument that had begun before Serena opened the door. "It is still too deep. What can we do?"

"We need to make sure people have wood and food. If need be, we need to bring them to the castle. The more of us in here, the warmer it is going to be." Serena looked each of them in the eye before continuing. "I can't let my people freeze."

And each of the girls knew that was the real reason. These were Serena's people, her responsibility. Amycia crossed the room to grab the snowshoes. "Let's go. If we hurry, we can see everyone by nightfall."

Aylyetta picked out the strongest horse, and headed for the door. "We might as well get this over with."

The other two ran for blankets and and warming stones, they were going to need them.

--

Darien suppressed the shivers that was threatening to overwhelm him. The reconnaissance said that the Swans were out and about, and should be passing here soon. 'Why are they out in this?' His eyes raked over the pristine snow. 'Surely they should be tucked up safe and warm, not out here in the frigid cold.' But he trusted his men, and they said the Swans would be there soon. And that was why he, Kunzite, Zoisite, Jadeite, Nephrite and their men were waiting in ambush, freezing.

The cold silence was broken by the jingling of sleigh bells and the muffled clopping of a horse's hooves. Darien peered out to see a gray sleigh come into sight, a white swan emblazoned on its side. No signal was needed, the bells had been enough. Their plan was laid out perfectly, now it was time to execute it. When the sleigh was at the small indention that went across the road, the trap was sprung.

--

The sleigh jerked to a halt. The girls looked at each other, concern marking each of their faces. Alyletta's hand was on the handle, when they heard the sound of many feet crunching of the snow, and the coachman arguing.

"Robbers?" Eularia whispered under her breath to the other as her hand wrapped around the hilt of her knife. The others nodded, and followed suit. Anyone that opened the door would taste their steel.

The sleigh rocked precariously for a moment. Then a hand banged on the door hard. "If you wish your coachman to be unharmed, come out."

Serena compressed her lips, bitting back the angry words that try to come out. 'Threatening Simon! The cowards. How dare they!' But she knew it would work. She released her hold on her knife. "Let them take what they can, and then we'll head home." The cousins nodded in agreement, they would not let Simon be hurt because of them. Moving quickly, they hid their weapons out of sight.

Carefully opening the door, they stepped out into the snow. The sight that greeted them froze them. Simon was being held by two blond men, but he was unharmed except for a bump on his head, and a few cuts and scratches. That was not what stopped them. It was the standard that their enemy held: A red hawk. This was not a robbery.

With a quick motion, a man with dark blue eyes gestured to his men to surround them. "This way, ladies, your transportation is not to far away."

The cousins surrounded Serena, warily watching the guards as they approached. With a rough gesture, the head guard signaled them to follow the knights. As they trudged through the snow, the Swans knew they were now prisoners of the York family