A/N: Hey I'm back and just in time for a Xmas update :) I know I've been away for a while but I was super busy with my RL change of job. At the moment I'm on a holiday break so I'm hoping to get a few chapters done in these two weeks and be able to return to the routine weekend update in January. I need to ask you all to be a little more patient as I settle down in my new job next month. But after such a hectic period, it's been so refreshing to return back to writing fanfiction - I do hope you like this next chapter.
As always I'd like to thank my beta Wanderlustandfreedom for her precious help and support and my loyal reviewers Carvie16, SparkyGurly 227, AmethystDragon14 and fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night for having left a review for the last chapter.
Any feedback (big or small) is always appreciated and is a great motivational boost for me to continue writing so don't be afraid to leave me a message with your thoughts.
So in the last chapter Ben and the rest of the Black Arrow were able to steal the maps from the knights monastery but it came at a great cost - Robin's life. His death had a deep impact on our heroes and drove the final irreversible wedge between Ben and Chad - the blond outlaw turning to Gaston in revenge. So what's going to happen now...well nothing good but you'll have to read to find out...
Chapter 21
The morning sky slipped from dark red to a brighter orange and Auradon's castle was buzzing with activity. Men clad in full battle armor were moving and bustling up and down the length of the castle's streets as they began to gather in the central courtyard. Gaston marched along the castle's outer walls. He stopped with his steely gaze fixed on the army of soldiers beneath him.
"Lord Gaston," Dopey's voice echoed from Gaston's right side. The Lord turned to look at his general.
"The men are ready, my Lord," Dopey affirmed when he reached his side.
Gaston turned his gaze back to the courtyard and narrowed his eyes. Dopey didn't miss the way the Lord's lips pressed together into a thin line as he set his jaw. "It's time to go then," Gaston stated in a low, steady voice.
Claudette rested her hand on the wall of the Turret as she tried to regulate her breathing. The climb up the steep staircase leading to the outer walls had left her breathless. The matriarch sighed in relief when she spotted her husband a few meters ahead of her. She was still in time. "Gaston, wait!" Claudette called out.
The Lord pressed on, ignoring his wife's cries. The woman ran down the small passageway until she reached her husband and took him by his shoulders before spinning him around. "Ben's our son," she pleaded. "Don't do this." Gaston locked gazes with her and for a brief moment, Claudette saw a look of remorse flash in his eyes. But then his expression hardened. Gaston pulled his arms out of her grip, walking away from her without a word. Claudette clutched her chest as she watched her husband join Dopey before they disappeared down the steps leading to the courtyard.
Gaston mounted his horse and began to lead his men across the narrow, cobbled streets to the castle's outer gate. News of the upcoming attack on the Black Arrow's camp had spread quickly across the village, and a large crowd had gathered along the way. Lonnie rushed to her door followed by Carlos. The maid's chin began to tremble, and she pulled Carlos even closer to her chest as she eyed the massive number of soldiers marching in front of her. The sound of her heartbeat thrashed in her ears as fear gripped her heart. "Ben," she stuttered, "They're going to slaughter them all!"
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"Where are we going?" Ben asked as Mal pulled him through the forest. The princess didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head to flash him a bright smile, squeezing his hand tighter. "Mal, we need to leave soon," Ben insisted.
"There's still time," Mal replied, stopping on the ledge overlooking the waterfall. "We still have a few minutes. Come on!" Mal released Ben's hand and made her way to one of the boulders at the edge of the lake. She spun around to face him.
"Why'd you bring me here?" Ben asked.
"I thought you were intelligent enough to understand why I'd want to come here alone with you," Mal teased with a gleam in her eyes before dipping her gaze with a shy grin. As the princess looked at the waterfall, mesmerized by the sheer volume of water pouring over and crashing down on the rocks beneath, she thought of all that had happened to her and how the recent events had changed her. Only a few months ago, she was living a carefree and peaceful life in the convent away from the war, ignoring the truth about her past and her parent's murder. A small, wistful smile curled upon her lips as she recalled one of her last conversations with Carlos, where she'd playfully teased him about falling in love. And now here she was with the Prince of Auradon.
Mal never thought of herself as weak or as having to depend on anyone. The princess always followed her heart and did what she believed to be right. She hadn't thought twice about disguising herself as a man and joining the battle at Bald Mountain to defend the people she cared about. But her meeting with Ben had opened her heart to something new - the prince made her feel stronger, safer, and more secure. Ben's mere presence had given her the support and strength she needed to face her past and come to terms with what had happened to her parents. If this is what being in love meant, then it was truly amazing.
The princess turned her gaze back to Ben and her heart warmed. "This is our special spot…the place where we declared our love for each other. Our first…" she paused, her cheeks turning a light pale rose color.
"I know," Ben declared with a loving smile, bridging the space between them and draping his arms around Mal's shoulders. They locked eyes and Mal's heart skipped a beat as she felt the world start to slow down around her. Only Ben and this moment between them mattered to the princess.
"If the mission at Auroria is successful," Mal began after a few minutes of silence.
"Of course it'll be successful," Ben interrupted her. "We'll end this war and bring peace to the entire Fairytale Land."
"And what about afterward?" Mal asked. She reached forward for his hand. "Will you stay with me?"
"I will," Ben affirmed without hesitation, tilting his head to the side. After all they'd been through, the prince couldn't imagine living his life away from the princess. "You're the most important thing to me, Mal. You've been with me through one of the darkest periods of my life." Ben paused to touch the princess's face and let his finger trace the curve of her cheek. "You've been patient and shown me nothing but understanding and support. I wouldn't have been able to accept the truth about Gaston without you. I need you, Mal, now and forever. I love you. Will you stay with me?"
"I love you too," Mal smiled, dipping her head lower. "And I'd love to stay with you."
Ben leaned in and examined her eyes. "Is there something else?" He asked.
Mal's smile vanished and she squeezed his fingers tightly. He watched her chew on her cheek as the words came to her. "I've been thinking about my Fae Heritage and my mother," She whispered. "She and my father and the life we had before everything. Our little house and true love and... I would want that with you." She raised her hands to brush at the collar of his shirt. "But... there are things I need to do first. I need to restore magic to my lands, and there are answers I still need. When all this is over, before I find Merlin or anything, I want to find that knight who killed my parents. I need that peace. But I don't know whether I can do this all alone."
Ben cupped her cheek and smiled. "I'll go with you," he promised. "I'll always remain by your side, Mal, whatever happens." Mal pressed her lips to his quickly as the princess clutched the front of Ben's doublet.
"I believe you," she mumbled. "And I want you there. I want us to be together."
A strange noise sounded in the distance and the pair broke apart. Ben turned to look behind him and a large flock of birds flew out of the trees, chirping continuously until they were too far away to hear. The prince's brows furrowed in confusion before everything clicked and his eyes widened. "The camp! Hurry!" he exclaimed, taking hold of Mal's hand as they began to run towards the forest.
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Gaston stood on a ridge overlooking the forest and peered down at the Black Arrow's camp. He lowered his hand and a volley of arrows whizzed through the air and rained down on the unsuspecting outlaws. Some found their mark and a few outlaws went down with screams and groans, arrows protruding from their backs and necks. Swords in hand, Auradon's soldiers then let out loud cries as they emerged from the trees and charged across the clearing. Screams of panic and fear echoed throughout the entire camp as the surprised outlaws dispersed, trying to run away with such speed that they tumbled one on top of another. This sight made the Lord's smirk grow even wider.
Gaston glanced at Hook and Dopey at his side. "Kill them all, but remember I want Ben and the princess alive. Let's go!" the lord ordered. He withdrew his sword from its sheath and snapped the reins of his horse with his free hand before charging down towards the camp.
The Lord raised his sword and began to strike down outlaw after outlaw as they crossed his path. The sound of swords ringing against each other and the cries of the injured bandits echoed all around him. Gaston felt exhilarated. After all this time, he'd finally rid himself of the Black Arrow. He spotted a woman running away, stumbling a few meters away from him, and he rode after her, cutting off her escape route. "Mercy! Mercy!" she called with her eyes wide in fear. "I beg you!" Everything slowed around the Lord as his eyes narrowed on the woman, recognizing her brown eyes and long brown hair. His face brightened and with a wicked grin, Gaston drove his sword right through the woman's gut. Marian fell onto the ground, unmoving.
The battle continued to rage with the outlaws' only intent to escape with their lives. They fought with all their skill, but their efforts were thwarted – they were too heavily outnumbered by Auradon's troops. Smoke rose high in the air as Gaston's soldiers began to burn the encampment to the ground. There was then an eerie silence, and nothing stirred. The Lord looked at the unmoving corpses and destruction around him with pride.
"Sire," Captain Hook called, bringing his horse to a stop beside Gaston. "There's no sign of Prince Ben or Princess Mal," he said.
"They must be here somewhere," Gaston stated, his voice rising in volume as his men gathered around him. "Search every inch of this forest until you find them," he ordered. "Dopey, head towards the lake. Hook, come with me. But remember that I want them alive!" The soldiers dispersed and followed their leaders out of the clearing.
"Doug!" Dopey called. "Follow me," he instructed, charging towards the direction of the lake.
"I'm here, father!" the boy replied, riding behind the general.
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Ben ran through the trees as his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. The prince could clearly see the smoke coming from the direction of the camp and he felt his throat tighten. Something was wrong. He skidded to a sudden stop, causing the princess to almost crash into him. He narrowed his eyes at the sound of voices and the thudding of horses' hooves somewhere ahead of him. Ben took a shaky breath. Coming towards them at a steady trot was a group of at least ten Auradon soldiers led by Dopey. "Quick! Run!" the prince ordered, turning towards Mal. The pair spun around and dashed back towards the lake.
"Sir, look!" one of the soldiers exclaimed as he spotted Mal's purple hair before the princess disappeared behind the trees. "Right ahead!"
Dopey grinned. "We've got them!" he exclaimed, changing the direction of his horse and bringing the animal to a steady gallop. "Hurry! Follow me!" The general led his men and quickly overtook their quarry before some of the soldiers dismounted, swords drawn and surrounded the pair around a shallow rock overhang.
Dopey and Doug brought their horses to a stop in front of the prince. Ben drew his sword and held it in front of him while Mal scanned her surroundings, looking for an escape route, cursing herself for having left her bow and arrow at the camp. She looked at the rock wall behind her. It's didn't seem too steep. She'd climbed far worst Mal thought remembering her escape from the Notre Dame's Convent.
"Ben," Doug called out. "No one wants to hurt you. We're only here to bring you and the princess home."
"What have you done?" Ben asked, wide-eyed. If Gaston's men were here, it means they'd discovered the Black Arrow's camp.
Dopey dismounted his horse and withdrew his sword. "Lower your weapon, Prince Ben. You have no one left to defend," the general smirked. "The Black Arrow has been eradicated from the face of this earth. You are to come with us to Auradon."
"You cowards!" Ben hissed, glaring at Dopey before turning to Mal. "Run!" he told her. Mal hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to leave Ben behind, but without a weapon, she could quickly become a target and used as leverage against him. "Run, I said," Ben repeated. The princess made up her mind and readied herself, giving the impression she intended to dash through the soldiers. Instead she spun around and began to climb the rocks behind her. By the time Dopey and the rest of soldiers realised what she'd done, the princess was running halfway through the trees behind them.
Dopey's jaw hit the ground beneath his feet while rage painted his face a bright shade of red. "Get her!" he roared, and the soldiers beside him began to climb the nearby boulders after the Moor princess. The remaining soldiers on horseback turned and rode towards a low ledge to their side, charging after her.
Ben twirled to look back at the general before turning to look up towards Mal. "Run!" he screamed.
A soldier on horseback reached the princess and shifting his weight to the side. He leaned to the left to catch the running princess by the arm. "Let go of me!" Mal shouted. The soldier lifted her light frame from the ground with ease and hauled her onto his horse.
Ben's snarled, ready to run to Mal's aide when he felt the tip of a blade press against the right-hand side of his neck.
"Surrender, Prince Ben," Dopey ordered. Doug dismounted and began walking towards his father.
Ben spun to his left and raised his sword to strike down the general, but Dopey anticipated his move and ducked. The prince kicked the general in the stomach and raised his sword above his head. "I'd rather die than become your prisoner," Ben exclaimed, bringing his sword down on the general. Their swords clashed mid-air. Ben jumped back and took a swing at Dopey's head. The general stepped back, narrowly avoiding the hit.
"Ben, stop!" Doug shouted, approaching the fighting pair.
Ben lunged forward and locked his sword with Dopey's in a low hold. Using his momentum, the prince pushed the general's sword further towards the ground before kicking it out of his hand. The sword flew through the air and Ben struck Dopey across the face. The older man staggered and lost his balance, falling onto his back. Ben raised his sword high above his head and let out a loud cry as he aimed the blade at the general's heart.
"Ben, stop!" Doug repeated with a scream. Without thinking, the young knight dove towards his father.
Ben's eyes widened in horror as his blade pierced Doug's back. The knight cried out in pain.
"No!" Ben screamed, pulling the sword from his best friend's body. His hand started to shake and he took a couple of steps back, letting the blade fall to the ground with a thud.
Dopey rose to a sitting position and rolled his son over. Blood was spilling from the boy's mouth. "Doug!" the general screamed.
The young knight stared into his father's eyes. "You won't have to be ashamed of me anymore, father," Doug whispered, more blood spilling out of his mouth.
"Doug!" Dopey yelled with his voice shaking. "Don't leave me, son. You can't die." Doug coughed and took one last, rattled breath before every muscle in his body relaxed and his head dropped to the side.
Ben gaped at the scene before him. "No," he murmured. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have killed his best friend. The prince's world stopped; his only thought was to run away and hide in a corner. Before he could comprehend what he was doing, the prince ran to one of the soldiers on horseback and shoved him to the ground. Ben mounted the horse and charged towards the trees.
Dopey jumped to his feet. He was too far away from the prince to reach him. He spotted a bow and arrow which one of his soldiers had dropped and seized it. He took aim at the fleeing prince.
"Dopey!" Gaston called out. "I told you I want him alive!" Dopey turned towards Auradon's ruler, who'd arrived on the scene on his horse flanked by Captain Hook. The general lowered the bow and arrow. "Get him," the Lord ordered to the captain beside him. The man galloped away, leading a group of men behind the prince. Dopey fell to the ground beside his fallen son.
"Let go of me!" Mal continued to scream as two soldiers wrestled her in a tight hold while a third one pulled her arms behind her and bound her hands together. They dragged her to Gaston, who smirked down at her.
"We meet at last, your highness," Gaston taunted as the princess scowled at him while she continued to fight in her captor's tight grip. "So, you're the girl who's turned my son against me. I hope you've had a lovely time together because I'm planning on taking off his head." Mal kept a straight face. She glared at him but shut her mouth tight, unwilling to give the Lord the satisfaction of a response, as he seemed so determined to bait her.
Several long minutes passed and Captain Hook's men returned, dragging an empty horse with them. There was no sign of Ben and Mal let out a sigh of relief. There was still hope. The group of soldiers stopped in front of Gaston.
"We found the horse, my Lord," Harry, Captain's Hook son, spoke up, "But there was no sign of Prince Ben anywhere."
Gaston snarled before taking a long breath and focusing on Mal. "Okay. Let's move out and take the princess to Auradon," he ordered, turning his horse around.
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The smell of fresh blood and sweat accosted Lonnie as soon as the young maid entered the castle's infirmary. She walked through the large room with dozens of beds lining the stone walls. Inside the infirmary, all the soldiers looked the same - limbs covered in bandages as they lay on the beds covered in blankets. Lonnie's eyes lit up upon spotting the frame of a familiar soldier. He was lounging on a bed, tending to a bleeding cut on his arm.
"Jay," Lonnie exclaimed, stopping beside him. The young soldier jumped and looked up at her. "Here, let me take care of it," the maid offered, taking the cloth from his hand.
"Lonnie!" Jay stuttered in surprise, getting to his feet. "Thank you."
Lonnie smiled at the tan, long-haired soldier. "Tell me about the battle," she asked after a moment of awkward silence. "Tell me about Ben."
"Ben is fine," Jay whispered, watching as Lonnie's tight lips stretched into a relieved smile. "He managed to get away." Upon seeing Lonnie's bright smile, the soldier felt a sudden warmth flutter inside his stomach. Without thinking, he returned the maid's smile.
"And Doug? Do you know where he is?" Lonnie asked, looking around her. "I haven't seen him yet."
Jay's features sobered and Lonnie pulled back in worry. "Doug didn't make it," he stated. Lonnie took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. The soldier led Lonnie towards the bed at the far end of the infirmary. Dopey and a priest were at the fallen knight's side.
"You should give your son a public hero's ceremony," the priest stated.
"I want to bury my son alone!" Dopey whispered, staring down at his son's peaceful expression. The general reached out and covered his son's face with the blanket.
Lonnie's eyes filled with tears that began to run down her cheeks. "Doug wasn't alone. He had friends who loved him," the young maid stuttered, unable to control her emotions and forgetting her place.
Dopey snarled and turned around, marching up to the maid. Lonnie took a few steps back. "Who are you talking about? Friends like Prince Ben? Friends who would drive a sword through his gut?" he yelled. "Don't you dare talk about his friends! Now get out of my sight before I do something I regret!"
Lonnie took another step back, looked down at her feet as all the breath left her lungs. The maid couldn't feel anything around her through her stunned senses. It was impossible - Ben couldn't have killed Doug. Lonnie lifted her head to stare at Dopey and suddenly felt a shadow wrap around her shoulders. The maid looked behind her, and her eyes widened when they fell upon Jay. The soldier was scowling at Dopey as if to challenge the general to hurt her.
"Leave my sight!" Dopey repeated. Jay rested his hand on Lonnie's back and led the young maid away.
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'Mal! I have to save Mal!' That was the only thought running through Ben's dazed mind as he staggered through the forest. He looked behind, making sure that no one was following him, and continued to press forward towards his destination. The Black Arrow had built a secret armoury, concealed deep within the forest where the outlaws hid several weapons for emergencies. 'Mal! I have to save Mal!' He repeated those words in his head because he couldn't stop to think about anything else. He couldn't stop to think or else he'd relive the moment his sword pierced his best friend's gut and how his lifeless body had sagged in Dopey's arms or how Gaston had found the Black Arrow's camp and killed all his friends.
'Mal! I have to save Mal!' The prince slowed his steps when he spotted the tent up ahead, hidden behind a handmade netting of leaves which served as a curtain to conceal the small shelter's entrance. Ben pushed open the cover and entered but stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell on the familiar frame of Chad. The boy was shaking, huddled in a far corner of the tent as he rested his right shoulder against one of the supporting beams. His eyes were downcast, arms wrapped around his knees. He was whispering, but Ben couldn't make out what the blonde outlaw was saying. Ben's heart soared with relief at seeing him alive. Maybe others had also survived Gaston's attack.
"Chad! You're alive!" the prince exclaimed, crouching down beside the outlaw. Ben took him by the arm and helped him to his feet, leading him outside. "Are you hurt? Did anyone else survive with you?"
Chad continued to babble incoherently with a dazed expression. His vacant look focused on Ben for a few precious seconds. "I didn't mean for this to happen! I'm sorry," he whispered, stumbling back. Ben released him with a confused look. "I left the camp. I left. I went to Auradon. I went to Gaston," he rambled in a hushed whisper, taking long, deep breaths. "I went to Gaston." He closed his eyes in shame as a tear fell down his cheeks.
"What did you do?" Ben asked, his voice laced with anger. He grabbed Chad's shoulder and spun him around to face him.
More tears streamed down Chad's cheeks. He couldn't look Ben in the eyes "I betrayed you," the blonde outlaw stammered. "I traded your life for the Black Arrow's freedom, but Gaston didn't keep his end of the bargain."
Ben's expression darkened. All coherent thought left his mind as he felt himself lose control bit by bit until all that was left was a beastly desire to make the blonde outlaw pay for what he had done. "Traitor!" Ben roared, seizing Chad by the collar of his doublet. "What have you done?" the prince shouted as he pushed the blonde outlaw back until his spine hit the side of a nearby tree. "Everyone is dead because of you!" Ben thundered, fingers encircling Chad's neck. The blonde outlaw began to gasp for breath.
Audrey walked to Black Arrow's secret shelter carrying a couple of large logs. The heavy weight in her arms didn't bother her, lost in thought as she was about the events that had just occurred. Worry, guilt, and sadness were all etched across her entire face. The Black Arrow - the outlaws that had taken them in and treated them as family - were gone. Chad was devastated and the princess didn't know how to help recover from his guilt. A loud noise brought her back to reality and she dropped the logs on the ground in shock as she saw the Prince of Auradon attack Chad. "Ben!" she screamed. Stefan's granddaughter picked a heavy log from the ground and ran towards the fighting pair. "Leave him!" Audrey cried, and without thinking, swung the chuck of wood against the side of Ben's head. The prince crumbled to the ground with a loud thud.
Audrey huffed and stared at the prince on the ground beside her. After a few seconds of shock, the brown-haired girl dropped the log and ran to Chad. She put her hands to his face. "Are you okay?" she asked. Chad took deep breaths, trying to fill his air-deprived lungs. The blonde outlaw managed a weak nod. That was all Audrey needed. "Let's get out of here," she stated, draping his arm over her shoulder and leading the blonde outlaw away. Chad sagged against her and began to sob, tears dripping on to her shoulder as they walked away.
Ben tried to get back to his feet, but his unresponsive limbs didn't move. He groaned as he felt himself drifting away. His foggy mind deciphered Audrey dragging Chad away. He was so dependent on her. Just like how Ben was on Mal.
'Mal! I have to save Mal!' he suddenly thought. How long had it been now?
"Mal," the prince whispered before he lost the battle to stay awake. Ben surrendered to the darkness closing in around him and lost consciousness.
A/N: (Phew! Taking another long, nervous breath as I peek out from behind a corner) So after Robin another character bites the dust - so what are your reactions? Did anyone of you see that coming? (Just go easy on me and before anyone of you asks I'm afraid that Doug isn't the last victim in this story)
Things have spiraled downwards for our heroes especially now that Mal has been captured by Gaston. What is Ben going to do? Well...I did tell you to hold on to your seats last chapter. I'm not going to give anything of the plot away but there is one thing I can say - the last of the 4 VKs makes her debut in the next chapter at last.
I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Xmas. I'm not exactly sure when the update will be in view of the festivity commitments but I promise not to stay away for too long this time. See ya soon!