I hope you like it. I have read it through many times, but sorry if there´s any mistakes. Enjoy :)
It was early the next morning. Quinn could feel the coolness on her skin as the sun had barely risen yet. She liked these mornings when the town hasn't yet to woke up and it all was so quiet. The only sound was the birds singing and the sound of their footsteps on the ground. Quinn and Brittany were walking around the castle, checking if something had occurred during the night.
"So, the plan is to leave today?" Brittany asked as they crossed the courtyard.
"Yes, it seems like they´re moving the soldiers a bit earlier than expected"
"That seems a bit suspicious. Doesn't it?" Brittany asked worried.
"It does, but my sources say that we shouldn't worry about it. Apparently, Commander Lysander had been doing that a lot lately. Doing it as to make us confused by their actions. Anderson had made some investigations while we were away" Quinn answered. "And we need to make the move now"
"I understand that. Have you told the Princess?"
"Yes. I´ve told Rachel and I´ve also told her that we couldn't bring her friends"
"You did?"
"I thought that you didn't like them that much" Brittany shrugged.
"That Santana girl is alright" The archer replied. Quinn smirked as she bumped into her friend´s shoulder teasingly.
"I bet she is" Brittany rolled her eyes playfully and smiled at Quinn. Marius interrupted them, just as they got back to the gates. Queen Holly had requested a meeting with Quinn right after breakfast. Quinn wondered what it was about since they had already told her about their plans. As guessed, the Queen hadn't been totally convinced about the plan, but she trusted her Captain and decided to go with it after Quinn had told that Blaine was to stay back. She parted with Brittany who smiled at her encouragingly before Quinn walked towards the Queen´s office. Now, Quinn stood in front of the Queen, waiting for her to tell what the meeting was about. Holly put down a letter she had received and looked up at the Captain.
"I see that you´re getting closer to Rachel" Holly said. Quinn nodded in response. "What is she to you?" Quinn thought about it and answered in a professional way.
"She´s the Crown Princess of Kosmia" Holly looked at her thoughtfully, as she was seeing right through the blonde.
"Captain Fabray. I have known you since you were nine years old" The older blonde said with a small smile on lips. "You´ve always been a gutsy young woman, true to yourself and your beliefs. An honourable and trustworthy woman" Quinn bit her lip as she looked at the Queen. She knew where this was going. What a shady queen, trying to guilt trip her into telling her. "Don't stop being that now" The Queen added and looked at the young woman with a raised eyebrow.
"Rachel is my girlfriend" Quinn told her. Holly stepped around her desk and stood in front of Quinn.
"How long has it been going on?" She asked her. Quinn looked right at her as she answered truthfully.
"I started developing feelings for her when we were in Lima. We were getting closer, and Rachel is an incredible girl. I got weak and couldn't- "
"Love isn't a weakness, Quinn" Holly interrupted her. "I believe I have told you that several times by now. Your father was a cruel man and he was wrong in many things. Don't ever believe in his words" Quinn swallowed at the mention of her father. She nodded weakly. "Good. Now, continue"
"We didn't quite act on it before we got here, and that´s everything" Holly nodded as she looked at Quinn for a while. Quinn didn't look away from the Queen´s stare and only waited for her to say something.
"I don't want to tell you what to do, but I´ll advise you to think wisely about your delicate situation. Don't let it jeopardize your mission"
"It won´t, Your Majesty" Quinn answered quickly. Holly nodded and walked back to her desk to sit down.
"Good" Quinn waited for the Queen to continue but she didn't.
"Anything else I can do for you, Your Majesty?" Holly shook her head.
"No, that was all. Thank you" Quinn bowed to her and stepped out from the office to find Rachel. She hadn't seen her since the night before and needed the small brunette.
Rachel had gone back to her room after breakfast. She knew that Quinn would show up at some point and she hoped it would be soon. She needed to see the blonde. She had been quiet under breakfast and since the brunette was used to be a very talkative person, they others had certainly noticed it. Kurt had tried to pry something out of her, but Rachel had turned him down. The Queen had been absent, but by Marius´ words, that wasn't abnormal as she often got distracted by her work. Santana had just stared at her. Rachel knew that the Latina could see right through her, much to Rachel´s dismay sometimes. She pulled out her empty bag from beneath the bed and threw it on the bed. She didn't even know why she had unpacked when she knew they probably weren't going to stay here. Rachel sighed as she pulled out her clothes from the closet.
"Why are you packing?" Rachel dropped her shirt and turned around, looking as innocent as she could.
"Oh, I wasn't packing, I was just…" She looked around. "Putting the dirty clothes away" She smiled at the Latina who didn't looked amused. Rachel picked up the shirt and put it back into the bag.
"From the closet?"
"Er- yes?" Rachel said rather unconvincingly. Santana sat down on the chair with her arms still crossed. "San…" Rachel said with a small sigh.
"Were you going to leave without me?" Rachel bit her lip as she bowed her head. Santana stared at her, expecting an answer from her best friend. When that didn't come, she stood from the chair and walked towards her. "Rachel! How can you just leave without telling me? Were you just going to leave me behind in this castle?"
"It´s not like that"
"Then what is it? I though we were best friends and best friends don't leave each other behind!"
"San…"
"No! Don´t you "San" me! I thought we were into this together. You, me, and Kurt. Does he know about this?" Rachel shook her head. "So, it´s just you and Quinn going?"
"No, Brittany is going too" Santana rested her hand on her hip as she stared at her.
"Jesus, Rachel" The Latina muttered. "Leaving your friends behind for your little girlfriend..."
"Santana, that´s not fair-"
"No, what´s not fair is that I went with you to this world and why do you think I did that?" Santana asked.
"Because best friends don´t leave each other behind…" Rachel muttered as she sat down on the bed.
"Exactly"
"I just don't want you to get hurt in all of this" Rachel tried to defend her actions.
"I am already hurt" Rachel frowned as she watched her going towards the door. "By you not being honest with me" Santana said and left the room without looking at the brunette. Rachel wanted to go after her, but she also knew that Santana needed some space and perhaps it was for the best. That meant that she was sure that Santana wouldn´t go with them and could stay safe in the castle with Kurt. She should had made them stay in Lima instead. Rachel shoved the rest of her clothes into the bag, angry at herself by what had just occurred. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in" The door opened, revealing Quinn.
"Hi" The blonde said as she smiled and kissed Rachel´s cheek. "Did something happen between you and Santana? I just met her, and she glared at me, you know, that evil glare she did when we were in Lima?"
"It´s nothing" Quinn raised an eyebrow and sat down on the bed in front of Rachel.
"Babe, tell me" Quinn took Rachel´s hand and caressed it. Rachel blushed and answered her.
"She´s mad, no" Rachel stopped herself. "She´s hurt that I´m leaving without her. I told her that it was for the best, but she doesn't understand that"
"I know that I´m putting you in a difficult situation with everything and I´m sorry, Rachel" Quinn apologized. "It wasn't my intention to making a rift between the two of you" Rachel looked down at their joint hands, she knew that already, but she also knew that it was Quinn´s wish to keep it quiet that had caused the fight between her and Santana. "Do you want me to go?" Quinn asked quietly. Something told Rachel yes, but she just wanted to spend some time with her girlfriend before everything is taking off again, so the brunette shook her head and rested her arms on Quinn´s shoulder.
"No. I just want to be with you right now" Quinn wrapped her arms around the brunette´s waist and pulled her closer. Quinn looked up at the princess with a soft smile and caressed the brunettes back. Rachel smiled back before capturing the blonde´s lips and Quinn felt herself melt right there and then. The feel of the brunette´s lips was so soft and gentle, and Quinn felt herself getting intoxicated by the taste of them. Their lips only separate for a second for air, before reattaching. Rachel don't know for how long it´s been, but she knows that she doesn't want it to end. She just wants more and that´s how she found herself lying on top of the sweet knight on her bed. Quinn let herself run her tongue slowly along Rachel´s bottom lip, which made Rachel open her mouth and the blonde moaned when their tongues touched. Rachel didn't know that a moan could make you feel so much and let out a moan herself. She felt the blonde´s hand underneath her shirt, creeping up along her stomach. Not that she complained at all. Quinn rolled them over, still with their lips attached and settled herself between Rachel´s legs as the princess´s hands sneaked into the blonde´s hair. Quinn ended the kiss, only to reattach her lips to Rachel´s neck. "Oh" Rachel moaned and slipped a hand underneath Quinn´s shirt. It was a bit hard as the blonde´s leather tunic was rather tight. "God, that feels good" She whispered as Quinn continued kissing and sucking on her neck. She felt the blonde smile onto her neck and tightened her grip on the blonde. Quinn kissed her way back to Rachel´s lips and placed one gentle kiss on Rachel´s lips before she leaned a bit back to look at the girl beneath her. She smiled down at the dishevelled girl who lips were now red and swollen. Rachel let out a small happy sigh and opened her eyes to look up at Quinn. Quinn, whose lips was equally as red and swollen.
"Hey" Quinn whispered as she put a stray hair behind the brunette´s ear.
"Hi" Rachel said with a blush. Quinn let out a small chuckle.
"I think we got a bit distracted"
"I like distracted" Rachel said. "Especially if it ends in this" She added and leaned up to kiss the blonde again. Quinn responded and they ended up kissing for minutes again before parting for air. "I could never get enough of this" She whispered.
"Me neither" Quinn replied. "But" Rachel raised an eyebrow. "I really have to go meet with Brittany. Planning the last things and so" Rachel couldn't help the small pout and Quinn could only chuckle as she kissed the brunette´s lips again. "Don´t pout, baby. I´ll come back" Quinn raised from the bed and straightened out her clothes as Rachel did the same, still pouting a little.
"Yes, but that´s only because we´re leaving" Quinn only smiled as she began walking towards the door with Rachel in tow. She opened the door and turned around. Rachel sneaked her arms around the blonde's neck as Quinn wrapped her arms around her waist. Quinn kissed the brunette again before unwrapping herself from the beautiful girl in front of her.
"I´ll see you later, alright?" Rachel nodded and they smiled at each other before Quinn walked away from the princess. Rachel closed the door with a happy sigh and leaned against the door, dreaming about her knight. Quinn smiled happily as she left the room and walked down the hallway. She needed to prepare the last few things, which meant that she had to go back to her hut to pick up her armour. She´s going to need it. She´s mounted Eros and rode through the town towards the forest. She smiled to herself as she saw her small hut and stopped in front of it. She jumped down from Eros and gently caressed his muzzle as she walked towards the front door. She opened it and stepped inside her home. Quinn looked around the small room. It was exactly as she had left it a week ago. The blonde sighed and walked towards her drawer, to find the thing she came here for. She kneeled in front of it, as she opened the bottom drawer. Quinn smiled sadly as she picked up the old locket that had been hidden between her old things. Quinn held it in her hand as she inspected the old heart-shaped locket. She had kept it safely hidden in there, since she moved in here. It was her lucky charm, but she hasn't been wearing it for the fear of losing it.
"You´ll always be my little girl, Quinnie" The little blonde girl looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes.
"But mom-"
"Take this" Judy interrupted as she took of her necklace and gave it to Quinn. "With this, I´ll always be with you" A violent knocking on the door sounded. The noise made Quinn jump and she wanted to scream, but her mother grabbed her small body and hugged her tightly. "Don´t be afraid. Be that brave little girl, you´ve always been, sweetie" Judy kissed the top of her daughter's head, as own tears feel freely down her cheeks. She leaned back and looked down at the little girl. "I love you, my beautiful girl" The next thing Quinn knew, she was being pushed out of the window in the backroom, just as the door fell to the floor with a loud bang. Quinn was running away from the small house when she heard a gut-wrenching scream. The small girl stopped in her tracks to look and decided to run back. She stopped abruptly and hid in a bush as she watched her mother being dragged out of the house, screaming, and kicking by a gruff looking man.
"Did you find the girl?" Quinn´s eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She looked again and could see her own father sitting on his horse. She could barely see his face, only lightening from the nearby torches made it possible. The gruff looking man said something, and Russel gave him a kick to his face. "Then go find her, you stupid ass!" The man stumbled away as Russell jumped down from his horse and walked closer towards Judy. Quinn could see him clearly now and she almost growled. He grabbed the older woman by her face roughly and Quinn let out a small gasp. "Where is she?"
"I´m not telling you!" Judy hissed at him. Russell only answered by slapping her. Quinn felt tears run down her cheeks as she watched him hit her mother several times before leaning close to Judy´s face. Quin could clearly hear what he was saying. "Tell me or I´m going to kill you right here" The older blonde woman was gasping for air as she was kneeling on the muddy ground.
"Never" She said hoarsely. "I´d rather die than do anything to help you anymore!" Russell released his grip on the woman and stood with a vicious smirk on his lips as he looked down at her.
"Then so be it" Quinn didn't even see where he had hidden the dagger, but he laughed as he twisted it into Judy´s stomach. Judy let out a gargled sound and Quinn couldn't stop herself as she ran from her hiding place towards the man with a loud gasp.
"No, mom!" Quinn screamed in anguish from seeing her mother. Russell smirked as he looked up at her from the crying woman beneath him.
"There you are" Quinn´s eyes widened as she noticed she had blown her cover and was now in danger. "Come here, girl" He snarled. Quinn stood still as she watched her mother lying on the ground. She could see the blood surrounding her. Quinn didn't see the men slowly walking towards her, but Judy did. The woman was still alive. She was gasping for air and cried silently as the pain was too much, but she couldn't give up. Not yet.
"Quinn…" She gasped. Quinn stared into her mother´s eyes. "Run, my girl. Run…" Quinn nodded and turned around on the spot. Judy watched her daughter running away with several men on her heels. "Love…you" She whispered as the life left her body and she slumbered even more into the muddy ground.
"GET HER!" Quinn heard her father yell and the small blonde feared that she couldn't escape them. She gasped for air as she pushed her small body when she entered the forest. She hoped that she could hid between the trees. She looked back and saw no one was following her and she decided to stop by a big tree. She doubled gasping for air meanwhile crying. A shout nearby made her look up with wide eyes. It sounded like they had surrounded her, and Quinn couldn't find a way to escape. This was it. Quinn closed her eyes when she suddenly felt herself getting grabbed by someone from above her. She was about to scream when a small hand over her mouth stopped her. Her eyes widened as she looked into blue eyes. The girl in front of her put a finger over her lips to make sure that Quinn kept quiet. Quinn nodded and the girl removed her hand. They listened as the men moved around beneath them, cursing about letting Quinn escape. They shouted to another man and them walked away. Quinn couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks and closed her eyes as she held back the sobs that threatened to leave her small body. The girl moved forward and held Quinn as she cried her heart out in silence.
Quinn wiped away a tear that had slipped down, from the memory. She wished she could have saved her mother, but what could a six-year-old have done? Her mother didn't do anything wrong, beside marrying the wrong man. Quinn cursed the man who once was her father. She put on the necklace and gripped the steel heart tightly in her hand as she took a deep breath. She needed her mother´s strength for this mission. Quinn closed the drawer and walked back outside. This was the only thing she needed here. She didn't even know if she was to return here, so she looked around once more before calling Eros to her. He was immediately by her side and the blonde wrapped her arms around the black stallion's neck as she nuzzled her face into his mane.
"You always make it better, my friend" Quinn smiled at him before mounting him. "Let´s get back" She said, as they rode back to the castle. Rachel had been wandering around the castle since Quinn left her and were now walking down the hall lost in her thoughts. Kurt had reacted poorly about her decision, just as Santana did and the boy had now sought out the Latina to sulk with her. The small brunette sighed heavily as she stepped into her own room.
"Princess Rachel" Rachel jumped and saw Maggie standing in the room with her hands full of clothes. "My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you"
"It´ alright, Maggie" Rachel said and walked towards her. "What can I do for you?" She asked with a smile. Maggie faltered a little and Rachel frowned. "Did I say something wrong?" Maggie shook her head quickly.
"N-no, not at all. I- Lady Quinn asked me to deliver these clothes to you" The young servant motioned on the bed where the clothes were spread out. Rachel walked closer and saw the strange garments. The looked like the ones Quinn also wore.
"Quinn gave this to you?" Maggie nodded. "Did she say anything about it?"
"No, Princess, but I believe that it would be more practical for your journey"
"You know about that?" Maggie gave her a small smile.
"News travels fast in this castle"
"Just like gossip in a High School" Rachel said and chuckled. "Never mind" She added when she saw the confusion on the girl´s face. She turned to the clothes. There was a pair of black fitted tights, a long cream coloured undertunic, next to it a dark green short tunic which had long sleeves and a collarless V-neck. There was a pair of brown boots on the floor and a belt on the bed with the clothes. Rachel was biting her lip. "Well, it´s very different than my normal clothes" Maggie smiled at her as she gave her a small nod. She understood why Quinn had given this to her. She wouldn't stand out as much a she did now, and she needed to lay low. She sighed and began to undress. She picked up the pants and put them on.
"Shall I help you?" Maggie asked and took a step towards the brunette. Rachel shook her head.
"No, I think I got it. Just take a seat and relax a bit" Maggie´s eyes widened but sat down in the chair as she watched the Princess change her clothes on her own. She wasn't used to this at all, this wasn't her job. Rachel struggled momentarily with the green tunic, but finally she got it on right. Rachel picked up the leather belt and put it on. "How do I look?" She said as she stood with her hands on her side.
"You look good, Princess" Maggie said with a sincere smile.
"Just call me Rachel, please"
"But-"
"No, Maggie. I´m not used to this princess thingy. Please, use my name" Maggie nodded in understanding and Rachel flashed her a smile. "Great! Now, let´s take a walk and you´ll tell me about yourself" Rachel said, and Maggie stood up following the brunette out of the room still baffled by the situation. Quinn found the two women in the garden where Rachel was telling Maggie about Lima. Maggie was fascinated by her stories and listened intensely to everything.
"There you are" Both women looked up.
"Lady Quinn" Maggie stood and curtsied shortly. Quinn nodded to her before she looked at Rachel. Maggie got the cue and turned to walk away.
"Thank you for today, Maggie. I really appreciated your company" Rachel said with a bright smile as she raised from the stone bench. Maggie blushed a little as smiled.
"It was my pleasure, Pri-"Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Rachel" Maggie corrected herself and then turned to walk away. Quinn raised an eyebrow as she looked after the servant and then back at the brunette.
"Kurt and Santana won´t talk to me and you weren't here. I needed something else to think about and Maggie is a sweet girl" Rachel said before Quinn could ask. "Thank you for the clothes. It´s a little big, but I think it will do" Quinn looked the Princess over and chuckled a little as she agreed with her.
"Yes, sorry. I couldn't find anything else, so it had to do. I had a thing to do, so I couldn't bring it to myself"
"What did you have to do? If you don't mind me asking" Rachel asked curiously. Quinn smiled and offered the brunette an arm, which Rachel took. They walked slowly among the flowers.
"I went back to my home to pick up this" She said and showed her the necklace.
"It´s beautiful"
"It was my mother's" Quinn replied with sadness. "She gave it to me before she died" Rachel noticed the change of mood in the blonde. She wanted to ask, but she could see it was a delicate subject. "It´s alright, Rach. I´ll tell you about it, just not now" Quinn said and looked at her with her a small smile. Rachel nodded shyly. Quinn decided to change the subject. "I came to get you and your things. I know it´s sudden, but everything is set for our depart and Brittany is waiting"
"Already?" Rachel asked sadly and looked around the beautiful garden. Quinn stepped closer to her and took her hand.
"I know it´s soon, but it´s now or we´re missing our opportunity. I´m sorry, Rach" Rachel sighed and followed Quinn back to her room to pick up her bag. "Do you want to say goodbye to your friends?" She asked as they walked into Rachel´s room.
"I don't think they would want to talk to me right now" Rachel muttered as she hastily picked up her bag and marched out of the room again. Quinn looked after her and shook her head as she followed the small brunette.
"This way" Brittany said as she motioned for them to follow her. "I spent some time last night, figuring out the easiest route to our destination. We just have to follow this way" The taller blonde moved flawless between the trees with Rachel and Quinn on her heels. Quinn could easily follow her friend, while Rachel was struggling and tumbling over small branches. Quinn watched her blonde friend walking ahead of them. Brittany had changed since she left. She was serious before, but now everything was… Quinn couldn't describe it. She just knew that Brittany had changed. They have been walking for almost an hour when Rachel stopped.
"I just need a minute. I might be in a good shape, but I´m not used to be walking in these kinds of terrains" Quinn chuckled and stopped next to her, looking around the clear area they were in.
"We shouldn't stay here. It´s too open"
"You´re right" Brittany said as she kept an eye on the trees. They were startled by twig that snapped from behind them. Quinn quickly shielded the Princess behind her as she raised her sword. Brittany had her bow raised too towards the bushes.
"Reveal yourself!" Quinn yelled. Three people walked sheepishly out from their hiding. Brittany sighed as she lowered her weapon.
"I tried to stop them" Tina said as she trailed behind the two others.
"What is it with you people and not following a simple order?!" Quinn asked annoyed. Santana only shrugged as she walked by the blonde.
"We can´t"
"I see that" Quinn deadpanned, which earned a small chuckle from Rachel. Quinn glared at her. "This is serious, Rachel"
"I know, but what can I do about it?" Quinn groaned and shook her head.
"I just-gah. Come on. Let´s go and don't stray! Stay right behind either myself or Brittany. Got it?" Quinn asked and received two nods from the newcomers. "Tina, I know you can take care of yourself, so please, keep an eye out?"
"Of course," Tina replied and smiled at the frustrated knight.
"Now, walk" Quinn said and motioned for them to walk. Brittany sighed heavily and caught the eye of Quinn, who rolled her eyes. Quinn knew what her friend was thinking and tried to communicate with her. She knew it was to dangerous to bring them all with them, but right now it was too dangerous to let them walk back to the town on their own again. Quinn trailed behind the group, watching the princess talking quietly to Tina and then at Santana and Kurt. A bump on the road, and a big one. Two people who had zero experience in battles and weapons, they would only get in the way. She just hoped that it would go smoothly from now on. Rachel looked back at the knight and then back to the front as she sighed.
"Don´t worry, Rach. She´s just worried about our protection and about the quest" Tina said as she smiled softly at the brunette. She looked her up and down and let out a small chuckle. "You look good, Princess" Rachel rolled her eyes as she consciously pulled at the brown cape that Quinn had giving her.
"Quinn told me that I needed to blend in. I couldn't do that with my own clothes and please, don't call me Princess. I´m just Rachel"
"Nah, you´re my Princess" A voice said which made Rachel look up. Santana walked beside her with a small smile on her lips as she wrapped an arm around the smaller girl. Tina smiled and walked faster so she could walk next to Kurt. Santana held back a branch so Rachel could pass. The Princess smiled gratefully at her friend. "I´m sorry".
"I´m sorry" They both spoke in unison and then shared a chuckle. "No, Santana. I´m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did, and I should have talked to you"
"You should, but after a good pouting, I understand your reason" Santana explained. "And you know me"
"Yes, I do. You couldn't stay behind and then forced Kurt and Tina to join you"
"Exactly! Best friends don't leave each other behind" Santana grinned. "You´re stuck with me, baby!" Rachel laughed and held onto Santana´s arm as she moved between the trees. Quinn had watched them from behind and shook her head as she smiled. She was happy that they had buried their fight and could move on. Quinn walked slowly as she tried to figure out how the three newcomers could fit into their plan. They could act like their prisoners and important ones, so they could walk straight to Kosmia without being caught as fraudsters.
"Are you alright" Rachel asked the blonde. Santana had walked up to Brittany and left Rachel with the other blonde. Quinn looked at her and nodded.
"Yes, I was just thinking"
"I´m sorry about all of this-"
"Don't, Rachel. You couldn't have known this would happen. Let´s just make the best of this and follow the plan" Quinn interrupted her and smiled down at the Princess. Rachel nodded and then kept her eyes on the ground, as not to fall and make a fool of herself. Quinn took a deep breath and followed the brunette. A few hours later, Quinn was at her wits end. "I don't understand it. We should have encountered the soldiers camp by now" Quinn told exasperated by the situation. Blaine had assured her that they should have been at these coordinates and they´re not.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Brittany asked the Captain.
"We went over it several times!" The Captain pulled at her hair. This was not going the way she had planned. "We need to keep going, we´re too much at a risk here. I know that darkness is falling, Britt"
The blonde hadn't said a thing, but that was that she was thinking.
"We still have some time before we for sure need to stop" Tina said looking at the sky.
"Then let´s keep moving. I know you´re tired and need the rest and something to eat, but we can´t stay here" Quinn said as she looked around. "If this is the place where the soldiers should have been, we don't really know where they are instead. We should stay in the forest and try to find a place where we can camp out for the night. Britt-"
"I´ll go ahead" The archer nodded and disappeared between the trees. Santana had looked after her impressed by the quick movements. Quinn grabbed Rachel´s hand and pulled her closer to her.
"Let´s move. Brittany will find us" Rachel walked closely to the blonde. She was a bit afraid of the dark and the idea about being outside when it hit, scared her. "Don't be scared" Quinn whispered. "I´ll be here to protect you" Rachel smiled nervously. They had been walking for almost thirty minutes when the blonde archer suddenly stood with them again. Kurt had let out a girly shriek when she appeared next to him. He was scared enough as it was and then this.
"Stop that" Brittany had whispered.
"Don't do that" He whispered back to her. Brittany only shrugged and walked towards Quinn. Santana snickered.
"Don't do that, arrrh" She mocked his scream. He slapped her shoulder before crossing his arms with a huff. Rachel rolled her eyes at them and told Santana to stop.
"We need to go in the other direction" Brittany had whispered to Quinn. "Shadun's soldier has set up their camp close to here"
"Who´s there?!" A voice yelled. Rachel stared panicked at her Latina friend. Quinn quickly turned to the others.
"Get down!" She whispered harshly. Rachel felt herself getting pulled down in a bush by Santana. Brittany had managed to grab Kurt and Tina and pushed them down, while Quinn was on her own behind a log. They heard footsteps getting closer to their hiding and everyone held their breath. Quinn kept an eye on Rachel, hoping that she was safe with Santana.
"I know I heard someone" A soldier said to his comrade as they stood next to where Santana and Rachel where hiding. The girls could see the boots of the soldiers as they tried to keep quiet. Santana squeezed Rachel´s hand reassuringly.
"Probably an animal. You´re hearing things, buddy" The soldier looked around the small area. He was sure he had heard someone screaming.
"Yeah, that might be" He said. "I´ve been too long on the road" The soldier turned around to follow his friend back to the camp. The group all felt relieved when he turned to leave, only to look up when Kurt let out another scream. Said boy tumbled out from the bush and lay on the ground. The soldiers immediately marched towards him with their weapons pointed at him. "Stay there!" Kurt stared at them in fright with his hands raised. The scream had made another group of soldiers come running towards them. Tina looked at Brittany, trying to figure what they could do, but the blonde had shaken her head. They couldn't win this one since there was too many.
"There´s more!" Santana and Rachel were being pulled out from their hiding place. "Show yourselves!" Brittany and Tina shared a look before coming out from the bush. Brittany had glared at the boy on the ground, but she couldn't do anything about it now. Quinn watched from her hiding, how her friends was being captured. She saw as Rachel was being manhandled and wanted to jump out and save her, but she also knew that she was the only one who could rescue them, and revealing herself now, would be stupid.
"Who are you?!" The first soldier asked them as he pulled Kurt up by his arm. Kurt was about to answer when Brittany interrupted him.
"We´re no one!" A soldier looked her over.
"A no one with the Queen of Everdale´s cross on her chest and weapons? I don't think you´re a no one" He said harshly into her face, but Brittany wasn´t intimidated by him. "Let´s get them back to camp. I think the Commander would like these" They pushed their prisoners in front of them as they walked away. Quinn watched as the last soldier left with Tina in tow and slowly came out from her hiding. She couldn´t help the groan that escaped her lips. This was so not going according to the plan she had from the beginning. Quinn followed the soldiers back to their camp, but decided to keep her distance, so she wouldn't been seen and caught. She hid between the trees as she stopped a few feet away to figure out a plan. She had to think quickly and the only thing she could think of would be taking out the soldiers closest to her and sneak into the camp. She crouched and slowly found her way to the soldier standing by the tree. He was leaning up against it as he could be bothered to look out for anything. Quinn rolled her eyes at him. If they all were this lazy, it would be easy to get to the camp. She sneaked up behind him, and quickly wrapped her arm around his neck, kicked his legs out under him and hit in his face. He had let out a surprised cry before she had silenced him. The Captain dragged his heavy body behind a tree and crouched down behind the nearby bush. The commotion had another one of them walking towards her. Without a beat, Quinn stood and slammed her elbow into his face. He felt to the ground with a huff and looked groggy up at the blonde woman.
"What the- "Another hit to his face and he was gone. Quinn struggled with moving his body towards the other guy and hoped she would have enough time to free the others before they woke up. Quinn moved stealthily towards the tent. She saw some guards standing close to her. She couldn't knock him out without alerting the others. She kept an eye on them as they stood with their backs towards their prisoners. She watched as Santana was huffing loudly as she tried to squirm out of the tight rope without luck. Kurt was shaking as he sat with his eyes closed and Brittany was looking around the small campsite. Quinn knew she was thinking about a way to escape. Tina was looking around frantically, and Quinn knew something was very wrong, beside the situation they were in. She couldn't see Rachel anywhere and she didn't like that one bit. Why wasn't she with the others? Quinn panicked for a moment, before she shook her head. She needed to focus and not panic. Quinn scanned the area once again and luckily for her, they had tied their prisoners to each of their own tree. The knight looked up at the tree she was leaning against and decided to climb it. She could get a bit closer to her friends by slowly crawling from this tree to the others. She balanced on a thick branch as she jumped from one branch to another, and stood still, hoping no one had heard her. She breathed out slowly as she continued moving around silently. A branch snapped under her feet and she almost slipped but caught another one and held on tightly as she held her breath.
"What was that?" One of the guards said as he turned around.
"That was me" Brittany answered quickly and left her right leg to show them a small twig. The guard rolled his eyes.
"Be quiet" He said and turned around again. Quinn released her breath and caught Brittany looking at her. Of course, she would know she was there. Quinn silently asked how many of the soldier were there and Brittany motioned that three men around them now. Quinn frowned as she tried to see the third man. Apparently, Brittany had read her mind and turned her head towards the tent. Quinn nodded and then moved her hand in a forward motion. Brittany gave a quick nod as she understood what Quinn wanted her to do. Santana stared at the blonde girl next to her as she tried to figure out what was going on with her. Santana kept trying to untie the ropes, but she couldn't and swore to herself.
"Distract them" Brittany muttered to the Latina.
"What?" Santana whispered confused.
"Distract them!" Santana blinked and then nodded.
"Hey you fuckers!" She yelled. The guards turned around. "Yeah, you two. Guess you got the boring task, huh? Looking after the chicks. Bet you´re too dumb to do anything else"
"Shut up, woman!" One of them said as he moved towards her.
"Can you even use that sword?" She said with a laugh. Quinn used the distraction to get down the from tree and move towards Brittany without being seen. The guards walked closer to Santana who just kept smirking at them.
"Are you stupid?!" Kurt shrieked to her.
"I bet you can´t even use that sword you got there. Hell, can you even lift it?" Santana said as she kept their attention.
"I said, shut the- ow!" The guard slammed to the ground face first right in front of Santana. Brittany had tripped the guy and was now on her feet.
"What?" Santana said confused as she and Kurt started up at her. The guard was equally as surprised and didn't noticed Quinn coming from behind him with a knock to his head. He slumped the ground unconscious.
"Quinn!" Kurt said and smiled at her. Brittany had quickly untied them and all four of them was now standing on their feet.
"They know who she is!" Tina said quickly as she hurried towards the blonde Captain. "One of the guards had seen the paintings in Kosmia and brought her with him. Quinn eyes widened as she took in Tina´s words. "He somehow figured it out"
"Where did he go-"Tina didn't get a chance to answer before they were interrupted.
"What is going on-?" A soldier came out from the tent and stopped when he saw the prisoners was free. He turned to run, but Santana had been quick and had tackled him to the ground. He struggled but Santana managed to knock him out.
"Tie them up against the tree" Quinn ordered and ran towards the tent to look inside. She felt relieved when she saw her girlfriend sitting tied up against a small chest, looking wide-eyed at her. "Rach!" She hurried to the girl and ripped out the cloth she had in her mouth. "I´m so sorry, baby. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" She said as she freed the girl.
"No, he didn't" Rachel´s voice was trembling, and Quinn could see that she had cried. She immediately wrapped her arms around the shaking girl. "I- "Rachel stopped talking as she tried to calm down and leaned heavily on the blonde.
"You´re okay. I got you" Quinn kissed the brunette on her neck and held her tighter. "I´m sorry". Rachel calmed down in the blonde´s arms as the knight whispered her apologies in her ear. Quinn released her gently and leaned a bit away. "Are you ready to get out of here?" Rachel nodded and Quinn stood up with Rachel. As they stepped out from the tent, they were immediately met with a worried Tina, Kurt, and Santana.
"Rach!"
"Are you hurt?"
"I´m going to-"
"I´m fine. Please, can we just go?" Rachel asked as she held onto the blonde knight. Quinn squeezed her hand and nodded. She looked at Brittany and then saw the small pile of armour lying on the ground.
"What did you do with the soldiers?"
"We decided to go with the plan and use their armour. They´re tied up to a tree, so they aren't in plain sight" Brittany explained. "We also looked through their things but didn't find anything we could use" Quinn nodded. Kurt turned to Tina with a question that had been on his mind and apparently now was the time to ask.
"Why didn't you use your magic to help yourself?" He asked. Tina bit her lip as she looked away momentarily before looking back at the boy.
"The truth is that after not using it for years, I can't really control it like I want to. I was afraid to hurt you. What I did in Lima was pure luck. I need to get in sync with my core" Tina explained. Quinn nodded as she understood the reason. "I´m practically just a burden for you all"
"No, you´re not. We will train with you. I don't know much about magic and so, but we will help you" Quinn assured her. Tina smiled at the Captain. Quinn turned to the rest of her group. "We have quite the journey ahead of us. The walk to Kosmia is about three or four days away. This was a bump on the road, and I hope we could avoid others" Quinn picked up a satchel. "It´s getting darker and we can´t continue our journey in the dark, but we can´t stay here. I don't think they would stay here without anyone knows of it. We can use the last of the sunlight to pack up everything we can use and find another place to set up our camp for the night" Quinn looked at them and they nodded in understanding. "Great. Let´s get started".
Rachel stayed by Quinn´s side, not the knight minded, she wanted Rachel close to her. Soon, things were collected, and the group stood with several satchels and bags with armour and food inside of it. "Let´s go then" Quinn picked up her satchel and grabbed Rachel´s hand before she led the way towards the woods. They still needed to stay off the roads, so they didn't make themselves known to others. Rachel held on strongly to the blonde as she walked quietly beside her. She had been terrified by what had happened and surprised by the gravity of it all. It hadn't quite hit her before she had been captured and tied up. If she didn't do what Quinn said to her, she could be in danger, hell she already was. Rachel couldn't believe what she had decided to put herself through. Right now, she wanted to be back home in Lima, with her fathers and her modern technology. With nothing to think of than being a teenager and how she´s going to be on Broadway. That would be less stressful than this. She felt herself being guided between the trees by the woman next to her. She looked up at her and received a soft smile before Quinn looked forward again. Now she knew why she was here. Because of the beautiful blonde next to her. The blonde who had told her that she liked her, they have shared sweet kisses and Rachel couldn't disappoint her, not now.
"Rach?"
Rachel just stared ahead of her, lost in her thoughts. She wasn't sure she was fit to do this, what did they expect of her. She was just an ordinary girl, not some superhero that can save the day or in this case, an entire kingdom if not many more. A hand on her cheek made her look into worried hazel eyes.
"Rachel? Are you okay?" Rachel focused on the woman in front of her and nodded. When the brunette didn't continue, Quinn spoke. "We have decided to set up camp for the night. Do you want to go with me and find some firewood or would you like to stay here- "Rachel just turned and walked a few feet away from the blonde to sit down on the ground. Quinn nodded in understanding and turned to the others. Santana wanted to go after her friend worried by her silence, but Quinn stopped her.
"What?"
"I know you want to talk to her but give her some time" The Latina glared at the blonde momentarily before she relented and nodded. "Let´s get some wood, so we can start a fire and something to eat. We´re going to need it" Soon they sat around the fire, eating the food Tina had prepared for them. Quinn glanced at Rachel who was poking her food around on her made shift plate, not eating anything. So far, she hasn't said a word to neither of them and it worried the blonde, but she also knew that what had happened had scared the Princess and there was an opportunity that Rachel would regret this and back out and Quinn would fully accept that even though she was their saviour. Quinn would never force anything on the girl.
"I think we all need some sleep after tonight" Tina said as she swallowed the last of her food. Several nods followed and Santana couldn't stop the yawn that left her lips.
"I-´"
"I´ll take the watch tonight" Brittany interrupted before Quinn finished. Quinn frowned but nodded. Usually Brittany wouldn't be the first to take the nightshift as she hated them. Again, the woman in front of her had changed in the last days. Brittany stood up, threw the tree plate into the fire, and strolled away. Quinn followed suit and walked after the other blonde. "Go sit with Rachel, Q. Let her know you´re there for her" Quinn stopped in her track. "I´ll make sure nothing happens tonight" Brittany said with a small smile and then sat down on a big log.
"Thank you, Britt" Quinn said. Brittany acknowledged her with a nod, before she pulled out a knife and picked up a piece of wood. The Captain walked back to the others and passed Santana on the short way. She looked back and saw the Latina sitting down next to the blonde and Quinn smiled at them. She found Rachel sitting in a blanket on the ground. It was all had to protect them from the cold ground. Silently, the blonde sat down next to the girl with her legs crossed. Rachel glanced at the woman next to her but didn't said anything. The girl knew it was a bit silly of her to ignore Quinn, as she hadn't done anything else than protect her. Rachel had been thinking a lot the last hours, mostly about the experience in the tent. They sat next to each other for a while and the camp had mostly gone silent as Tina and Kurt had decided to call it a night. Except that Rachel could still hear the boy, sighing and moving around on the ground, probably trying to find comfort. She really appreciated that Quinn didn't bombarded her with questions, but just sat next to her. It brought a bit of comfort and safety to the brunette.
"He just sat there, looking at me and then he talked to himself. He said that he would bring me to someone called Lysander. How did he know me?" Rachel asked quietly. Quinn turned her head to look at her, blinking a couple of times as she was surprised by her talking. She bit her lips as she thought about Commander Lysander. He was not one to take lightly, just like St. James.
"Everybody who has been to the Kosmia knows how the former Queen, your mother, looked like" Quinn answered as she leaned back on her hands. "You´re a spitting image of your mother, Rachel"
"I wish I could have seen her" Rachel whispered.
"The Queen didn't show you one of her paintings?" Rachel shook her head. "That´s too bad" Quinn looked at the brunette. "I wished I would have thought of it" Rachel sighed heavily as she rested her head on the blonde´s shoulder. Quinn smiled softly. She had missed the closeness. They sat together before Quinn felt the brunette getting a bit heavier. "You should get some sleep, love" She whispered and slowly moved so Rachel could lay down. Rachel nodded sleepily as she felt Quinn putting a blanket over her. The Captain leaned down and kissed the girl on her cheek and turned to give her some space.
"Please, stay with me" Rachel whispered and reached out for the blonde. Quinn nodded and lay down behind her. She wrapped her arm around the brunette and held her closely to her. Rachel moved into her and sighed contently as she fell asleep. Quinn slept lightly as she was always aware of her surroundings, even though she knew her friend had it under control.
Rachel opened her eyes and was standing in an unfamiliar garden. Someone stood in the middle of it, but Rachel couldn't figure out who as it was only a silhouette. It moved around, never away or too close. Rachel began walking around, as she tried to figure out where she was. but the silhouette followed her and somehow, she wasn't afraid of it, curious yes, but not afraid. She felt safe and warm. As she turned to look at the person again, she noticed the female forms, but she couldn't figure out who it was. The garden was absolutely beautiful, and Rachel smelled the flowers that was closest to her and then stood up. She turned to the woman, curious about who she was.
"Who are you?" She asked, which made the woman look at her. It didn't answer but turned to walk away. "No, wait! Don't go!" Rachel yelled and wanted to run after her, but she couldn't. Everything around her disappeared and she felt herself fall.
"Rach, sweetie? It´s time to get up" Rachel´s eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Quinn who smiled softly at her. "The sun is almost up, and we need to be on our way. I´m sorry" Quinn apologized. Rachel sat up and Quinn kneeled next to her, giving her some time to wake up.
"I had this weird dream" Rachel said as she stretched her sore body. She couldn't recommend anyone to sleep on the ground.
"Will you tell me about it?" Quinn asked and Rachel nodded.
"You said something about how we had to leave now?" Rachel said as she crawled off the blanket and packed it in her bag.
"We do. It´s going to be a long day" Quinn replied and stood up, followed by the brunette.
"I´ll tell you on the way then" Quinn nodded and picked up her own bag. They turned to the others, who were already packed and ready to go. "You´re only wating on me?" Rachel asked, feeling a bit stupid.
"We wanted you to get some sleep, Rach" Tina answered and smiled at her. Rachel smiled at her and then looked at Santana who looked worried at her. Rachel gave her smile that told her she was fine. Santana nodded and smiled back at her. Reassured that her friend was alright after yesterday.
"Well, I´ll not let us be tardy. Which direction?" Rachel asked as she grabbed Quinn´s hand. Quinn smiled down at her, happy that she was in a somewhat good mood again. Brittany motioned for them to follow her and the group began their journey again.