A/N: Welcome back to the new chapter of The Black Arrow :)

This chapter has given me real trouble to write this week and I wouldn't have been able to get through without the help of my precious beta Wanderlustandfreedom. Thank you so so much.

I'd also like to thank my regular reviewers Carvie16, fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night, AmethystDragon14, Harry Potter Fan 1994 and SparkyGurly 227 for having left a review for the last chapter. I've managed to reach the 100 reviews a few chapters ago and my heart was so full that it's difficult to explain it in words. I never thought at the start of this writing adventure that I would get this far.

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.

Carvie16: I'm still a little afraid about the pitch fork moment. You'll understand why when it happens. It's definitely going to top the bold moments of this story. I'll be looking forward for your comments on Uma and Evie (amongst other things) as the story continues to progress as I'm using you as my gauge to determine whether or not I managing to get my ideas on their development through.

fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night: Well done! I can tell you that you've correctly guessed a future plot point of the story in your review. I'm not going to ruin it but telling you which one it is. I'll be looking forward to your reaction when it happens :)

AmethystDragon14: Yeah...the chapter is definitely building on to something as will this one. Uh...you're going to end up throwing things at the screen hoping to hit Uma by the end of this story...she's one of the main villains in this story remember ;)

Harry Potter Fan 1994: I'm always so happy to read your reviews, especially your insights about this story. You pick up so many things along the way and I'd love to confirm/reject your theories but then I'd end up ruining the story for you.

SparkyGurly 227: You always give me so many compliments! I'm blushing lol. Your analysis of Uma's character was very interesting. I'm not going to comment on it now but I will do so in future chapters as I intend to reveal her backstory and your analysis will take a whole new meaning after that I assure you.

So last chapter Mal shared a sweet moment with Claudette as the matriarch fondly recounted Ben's childhood days in the castle. In the meantime Ben arrived in Uma's palace and the Duchess didn't waste time in spinning her web of deceit around him. What is going to happen now that Mal has decided to remain in the castle. How is she going to uncover Gaston's plans? ...read to find out :)

Chapter 25

Mal walked ahead of Evie all the way down to the great hall, the skirts of her elegant gold and red silk tunic swishing behind her. The doors were open, and music and laughter resounded along the broad corridor. Mal stopped outside the room and fiddled with the hem of her sleeves. Gaston would never openly admit to anything to her, but if he intended to assassinate Arthur then he would have shared his plans with his advisors. All she needed to do was play along and try to obtain that information from someone else. But from who? Mal took a deep breath to steady her nerves and entered. Evie followed her in.

Conversation hushed and the music stopped as she entered. Inside, a group of noblemen and women were sitting around the dining table, waiting for the evening meal to be served. Gaston was standing, talking to a slender, fair-skinned man whose long black hair was pulled back in a knot. Mal stilled. The Lord looked up, excused himself from the man, and joined the princess.

Gaston's lips stretched into a wide, pleased grin. "You look stunning," he said.

"Your hand," Evie whispered in Mal's ear. "You need to give him your hand."

Mal kept a straight face as she outstretched her left hand to Gaston. He picked it up before lowering his head and bringing her hand to his lips to kiss it. Mal's stomach turned as the urge to throw up came over her. The Lord held Mal's hand and turned around towards the seated crowd. "May I present to you all, Princess Mal, heiress to the Moorlands," he said in his loud, booming voice. "She's the woman who's about to bring back peace to the entire Fairy Tale Land." Gaston led her to the far right-hand side of the table and Mal noticed an empty chair beside the Lord. The princess narrowed her eyes. Harry Hook, the young knight she'd met at the stables, was seated on her other side. He stood as Gaston released Mal's hand. The princess walked towards her chair and outstretched her hand to him, repeating what she'd just done with Gaston. Harry kissed it before helping her to his seat. Mal pinched her lips together in a tight smile, feeling her stomach turn a second time.

"King Stefan is truly a lucky man. Any man would kill to marry a beautiful woman like you," Harry flirted in a hushed whisper, taking his seat beside her. The loud music of the lutes and fiddles resumed playing around them.

A servant placed a plate of food in front of her and Mal glanced sideways at the young knight. The princess's eyes lightened as an idea suddenly struck her. Harry must be a high ranked soldier since he was seated at the head of the table beside Gaston, and he'd shown an open interest in her at the stables. Maybe she could exploit it and befriend him long enough to get the information she needed about Gaston's plans. Mal leaned towards Harry, letting a small smile pull at her lips.

"You're Harry Hook, right?" she began. "We met at the stables last night?"

"Yes, I am, princess," Harry replied with a coy smile. "Of course, I remember. How could I forget our first meeting? The luckiest hunt of my life."

Mal had to bite down the bile rising in her throat. She kept her eyes trained firmly on his face and raised a hand before letting it rest softly on his arm. "You mentioned that there were things better left unseen?" Mal paused, slowly flicking her eyes up and down his face.

"It was you, Princess," Harry laughed. His eyes lit up. "It would have been better if I had never seen you."

"So… why are you here?" Mal asked, letting her fingers rest heavier on Harry's arm. "I didn't realize Gaston was so close to his guards."

"I'm not just a guard." Harry straightened himself in his seat and thrust out his chest. "My family has served Lord Gaston for years," he said and turned his head towards the long-haired man seated across from them, right next to Gaston. "That's my father over there, Captain Hook. He's the General in charge of all of Auradon's troops and is second only to Lord Gaston himself. And one day, I'll be inheriting the same title."

Mal fought the urge to snort and roll her eyes but the knight's remark lit her with some hope. Harry could know about Gaston's plans. Now all she had to do was find a way to convince him to spill the beans.

The sound of clapping and Gaston's bolstering voice suddenly echoed across the dining room and Mal snapped her head away from Harry. "What are you doing, standing there like a statue? Do your job!" The Lord barked. Mal noticed he was addressing a long, brown-haired maid carrying a water basin, who was standing across from her on the other side of the table. The maid was glaring at Mal and a chill went down her spine. The princess removed her hand from Harry's arm.

"I'm sorry, my Lord," the maid replied in a hushed tone, dropping her head. She walked up to Gaston and lowered the basin to him. The Lord washed his hands in it. The maid straightened herself and gave Mal one last pointed look before walking away.

Something about the maid's intense glare made the air around Mal feel thick. Why had she stared at her with such a venomous expression? Who was she? "Can you believe the servants these days?" Harry commented beside her and Mal returned her attention to him. The uncomfortable moment was broken.

Harry looked at her, tilting his head as he examined the light in her eyes. "You seem tense," he murmured, taking her hand and rubbing the knuckles carefully. "Would you care for an escort back to your room?"

But that opened Mal up to all sorts of demonic fears. The memory of the alchemist Bernard's assault weeks earlier was still vivid in her head. "No," she declined, trying to keep from choking out the words. "But thank you. I have my handmaiden."

Harry's expression turned downcast, yet studious. "Is it me?" he whispered. "Is it something I did?"

Mal forced a smile. "Not in the way you think," she assured him. Mal pursed her lips as she began fidgeting with her sleeves, waiting for Harry to say something. The knight released her hand and, turning his attention to the plate in front of him, began to eat. After about five minutes of complete silence, Mal slumped in her seat and dug her nails into her hands, cursing her name for having ruined a perfect opportunity.

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Later that night, Evie studied Mal's sober expression in the mirror as she helped her out of her tunic. The princess seemed to be lost in thought. "You did well at dinner today," the handmaiden commented. Mal's head snapped up to look at her. "If you'll continue to follow my instructions properly, it won't be long before you become a proper queen, fit to rule beside the leader of these lands. And then you'll be the most envied woman of the entire kingdom with a crowd of servants following you around and obeying your every order."

Mal felt stomach acid rushing up to her throat at the thought of marrying King Stefan. Only the image of Ben and the conviction that they'll soon stop Gaston and have their happily ever after kept her from throwing up. She hummed, with a faint nod of her head. "Thank you, Evie. It's strange, but I'm getting used to having servants around. At the convent where I grew up the sisters always expected us to take care of our things. We'd have to help out in the kitchen or with the cleaning if we wanted to eat that evening."

Evie snorted. "A princess helping out in the kitchens. That's preposterous!" she exclaimed. Her face took on a far-away expression. "When I was little I had a horde of servants around me even though my family belonged to the middle class."

"You must miss it," Mal commented.

Evie sighed, running a hand through her long blue locks absentmindedly. She blinked and Mal saw her straighten herself up before her stern expression returned.

Silence followed and after a while it became uncomfortable so Mal began to talk again. "Evie?" she asked with a whisper. After her fiasco with Harry at dinner, Mal had to find a way to spark the knight's attention if she wanted to convince him to spill Gaston's secrets. The blue-haired handmaiden could surely give her some precious advice.

"Yes, Princess?" the maiden said, reaching out to help unfasten the tight cloth wrapping wound around Mal's stomach.

Mal tilted her head to the side. "How do you get a man's attention?"

Evie smiled with a proud gleam in her eyes. "I was right then. If you're asking me this question it means you've started to forget your young lover."

"I'll never forget Ben," Mal shook her head vehemently and turned to look at the spot beside her bed where they'd shared their last kiss. "We love each other. What we have is special. Nothing will ever change that."

"Love," Evie snorted. "The truth is that he's gone and he'll never return and very soon you'll be married to King Stefan."

Mal reached out for the pendant around her neck. "You're wrong. You've never fallen in love, Evie, right?" she asked. The handmaiden shook her head. "You'll never speak like that again once you've experienced something like the love I share with Ben. He'll find a way to stop this wedding. I have to believe I'll see him again someday."

Evie snorted once again. "Suit yourself," she commented with a frown. "But to answer your question, you're a beautiful woman, Princess Mal. Every man will turn to look in your direction as you pass by."

"I don't want men to simply look at me," Mal explained. "I want to learn how to bend their will and get them to do what I ask."

Evie let out a little laugh, removing the last layer around Mal's stomach.

Mal let out a relieved sigh and rubbed a hand across her abdominal. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to run out of breath," she replied, sitting down on a stool.

"Seducing a man requires sacrifice," Evie commented, packing away the wrapping. "Such as not being able to breathe."

The tension around the room seemed to clear and Mal took the opportunity to lighten the mood. "Oh, just being around them requires that," Mal quipped with a small smile, pinching her nose. Evie bent down and began to help her out of her shoes. "What else?"

Evie looked up. "You need to fall in love with your beauty," she explained. "You need to have full control of your expressions. Be exciting. Be mysterious."

Mal stared at herself in the mirror. "Okay," she agreed.

Evie stood up and went to stand behind her. "And lastly, you need to learn how to lie."

Mal's muscles stiffened. "Lie?" she asked.

Evie reached for the edges of Mal undergarment and rested her hands on Mal's tense shoulders. "You need to be cunning and deceitful. Find out the things they love and exploit them by making them think they love you because of those things."

Mal's lips pursed together and her heart quickened as she stared at her reflection. Growing up, Merlin had always taught her to be honest and listen to her heart. It was against her nature to be deceitful. The only other time she'd ever lied was when she'd met Ben. She'd hated it but back then it had been necessary to protect her identity. And now it was her only option; her only way to convince Harry of her 'genuine' feelings towards him and to get him to reveal Gaston's secrets to her. Her expression hardened.

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Mal had been unable to sleep all night and after tossing and turning for hours, she'd decided to get out of bed. She pulled a woolen robe over her night garments and walked up to her bedroom window. The sun was rising over the mountains. Guilt and doubts about her plan whirled around in the back of her mind. What would Ben think of her if he saw now? If he knew she was ready to flirt with another man even though Harry didn't mean anything to her? And what if Harry discovered her? What if he was just leading her on? What if she wasn't strong enough to pull it off? She set her jaw and swept the thoughts away. The days were passing by quickly and time was running out. She had no choice but to uncover Gaston's plans if she wanted to save Arthur. She wouldn't let Gaston kill the man who'd saved her and given her a home and love after her parent's murder. Mal closed her eyes and gripped the pendant around her neck with both hands, taking a deep breath. She wouldn't back down now. There was too much at stake.

Mal walked to her desk and sat down. She picked up a piece of parchment paper and quill from the side. The princess stared at the blank piece of paper and hesitated a moment, remembering her conversation with Evie. She had to be convincing enough to make Harry believe that she'd fallen for him. Mal took a deep breath and began to write.

"My dear Harry," the letter began, "Ever since our first meeting at the stables I've been unable to stop thinking about you." Mal stopped and let out a loud grunt. She crossed the first line furiously and put her quill down. She crumpled the paper and stood from her desk, pacing around the room in long strides as she tried to calm herself. 'Okay, Mal, you can do this,' she repeated to herself as she returned to her desk and continued writing.

"My dear Harry. There are so many things I'd like to tell you and only by using the shelter of this letter that I've finally plucked the courage to admit my love towards you."

Mal stilled, skimming through the words she'd just written. Her heart began to pound and she curled her free hand over her chest and gulped as she thought about what to write next. If she wanted Harry to unveil Gaston's plans she needed to convince the knight somehow that she was ready to turn against Arthur. She straightened herself, setting her jaw in determination. "It is with a full heart that I confess that King Arthur has kept me locked in a convent for most of my young life, keeping me away from my lands. He never allowed me to experience the world and, most importantly, discover love."

Mal paused a second time and took a final deep breath, finishing off the letter.

"I was afraid to sound too forward by writing this letter but I let my heart guide me. I felt an instant connection with you from the first moment we met in the stables. I hope that you'll have the grace to treasure this letter secretly in your heart. With love, Mal, Princess of the Moorlands."

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Uma never considered herself to be a patient woman and so she busied herself going through some documents for her kingdom as she waited for Gaston to arrive at their secret cabin. The door slammed open with a loud bang and she looked up startled when the Lord entered. He stormed up to her, stopping beside the desk she was writing on.

Gaston removed his outer coat. "I hope you've got a good reason for calling this meeting, Uma," he said with an impatient huff, tapping his foot on the floor. "I thought we'd agreed not to meet until Arthur's death. Someone could have seen us. And I'm running out of excuses to tell Claudette, especially when I have to leave the castle at such an early hour. She's going to become suspicious. So, what is it?"

Uma clasped her hands and kept them in her lap. She locked eyes with the Lord standing in front of her. "Ben and Princess Mal know of our plans," she revealed.

Gaston's face went red. "How is that possible?" he exclaimed, flinging his coat at an armchair beside him.

"Princess Mal saw the horse and the Camelot's soldier uniform in your stables," Uma said. "And told Ben about it."

"Ben," Gaston stared at her in disbelief. "Ben has been in Auradon?"

"And now he's a guest at my palace," she said, standing up.

Gaston took a step forward. "You have to bring him to me," he demanded, his voice level rising.

Uma shook her head. "I can't. Arthur asked me personally to take care of him. How would it look if something happened to him when under my care?"

"So, what do you propose?" Gaston asked, making a sound that was a cross between a snort and a scoff. "Did you change your mind? Do you want our plan to fail? Is that it?"

Uma shook her head. "No, not at all, Gaston," she replied, restraining herself from pacing and snapping back at the Lord. Why didn't the Lord trust her after all she'd done to prove herself to him? The duchess took a deep breath as she reminded herself that now was not the time to lose her cool. The power she'd always desired was there, just within her reach. Uma relaxed, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "We still have the advantage, don't forget that," she remarked with a coy smile.

A/N: Uh-oh! Gaston is now aware of Mal's discovery thanks to Uma. What does that mean for our heroes as Mal is trying to befriend Harry? You remember that game of wits I previewed...well things are about to get worse (emoticon with evil smirk lol). I'd love to hear your reactions so drop me a review if you'd like. I haven't started working on the new chapter yet and my time is still limited so my next chapter might be slightly delayed next weekend. See ya!