Welcome back to the new chapter. It's a little shorter than usual but rl commitments got in the way this week. Once again thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and follows.

Chapter 7

There were voices around him, and for a long moment, Ben lay quiet, listening to the dreamy, faraway noises. His senses began to return, and he felt the familiar, comfortable, and warm sheets around him. A gentle hand pushed the hair back from his forehead and pressed a soft, damp cloth to his brow.

The young prince groaned. His head was pounding, and vague images flashed through his mind as he tried to bring them into focus. He tried to blink his eyes open, but the movement did nothing but intensify the pain in his head. Ben persisted and, opening his eyes to slits, saw that he was back in his room at the castle. How did he get there? What's going on? The last thing he remembered was leaning on Doug's shoulder as he was carried away. Ben struggled to clear his mind of the dense fog that embraced it. He wished he could sink back into the dark folds of unconsciousness where it didn't hurt so much, but he knew something was wrong. Someone needed him. Purple filled his vision as his eyes adjusted to the light around him, and it all came back to him in a rush; the Black Arrow, the cave, the blonde boy on the bridge. Mal! Panic rose in his veins, causing his heartbeat to start pounding in his neck. Ben's brown eyes snapped open as he bolted upright, a sharp pain shooting through his right arm.

"Ben! Darling…what are you doing?" Claudette exclaimed, her voice cracking as she jumped back a little in surprise. "You're injured!" Ben turned to his left side to see his mother's worried expression. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. "We've been so worried." She pressed her hand to his left shoulder and gently lowered him back down on his bed and adjusted the covers.

Ben caught a shadow on his right-hand side right before Gaston came into view. "You're safe now, my boy. The doctor said the wound isn't deep, but you still need to rest," the Lord informed him with a little smile. The prince looked at himself, noticing his bare torso and bandaged right arm for the first time. Gaston sat down beside Ben on the bed and stroked his hair in a gentle caress. "You'll be as good as new in no time at all."

Ben pulled himself back up, and Gaston jumped up, startled at his son's sudden movement. "I have to go. There isn't a moment to waste," the prince cracked in a hushed tone.

Gaston wrinkled his brow. "Go where?" he asked, exchanging a bewildered look with Claudette across his son's shoulder.

"I know where the Black Arrow's camp is," Ben whispered. "Princess Mal is their prisoner."

Gaston's eyebrows shot up. "Princess Mal? The heir to the moors?" he repeated, straightening himself as he took in the revelation. Ben nodded, pushing the covers off his frame a little and making to plant his feet on the ground. Gaston rested his hands on the prince's shoulders and stopped him. "We'll go look for her first thing tomorrow, once you're better. Now rest, son," Gaston assured him.

"I don't have time to rest," Ben retorted back in a whisper. The prince successfully managed to move Gaston's hands away from him and, ignoring his adoptive father's warning, scrambled to his feet. He took a tentative step forward but an intense pain burned through his right arm and he swayed to his side before toppling backward.

Gaston caught hold of Ben's left arm. "You see! You're in no condition to move around," he scolded, guiding him back to his bed and pushing him down onto its soft cushions.

Ben groaned and closed his eyes, and, too weak to protest, offered little resistance. Claudette's gentle touch returned to wipe his brow and the prince, exhausted, fell instantly into a deep slumber.

The following morning…

Gaston observed his son's slumped shoulders with tight lips. The rule of Auradon wrinkled his brows in worry when a wince contorted Ben's face as he rode his horse beside him. Claudette had argued that he needed to rest for another day, but Ben had refused, claiming that he was fine. "You're sure of the whereabouts of the Black Arrow's camp? You seemed quite out of it yesterday." Gaston asked. He pulled at the reins of his horse, slowing it down to a trot as they made their way out of Auradon Castle's main gate.

"Yes, I'm sure," Ben replied, a hard edge in his voice. "Matthew told me before he died." He felt his jaw, and facial muscles tighten at the memory of his captivity and the tax collector. The prince hadn't been able to see the woman who'd entered their cage, but he'd been surprised at the hint of concern in her voice as she'd bend down to help Mal. She was part of the outlaws who had killed his father while Matthew hadn't thought twice about suggesting to leave the unconscious Mal behind them to save themselves. Were all the people working for his adopted father this cold-blooded? During his captivity, Ben had had time to think about all that he'd seen outside Auradon's castle, how it was nothing like the just and fair kingdom he was brought up to believe in. What if Mal was right after all?

"Another victim of those ruthless criminals," Gaston snarled.

An icy chill ran through Ben's spine. Ruthless? How could his father talk about ruthless? The failed execution of that little boy in the village which he witnessed a few days ago flashed before his eyes, and something in Ben snapped, causing him to clench his fists. "And what's your definition of ruthless exactly, father?" Ben asked, anger brimmed in his voice. Gaston stopped his horse and blinked in surprise, startled by Ben's accusatory tone. He'd never used that tone with him before. Silence fell between them as the air grew heavy with the rising tension. "The Black Arrow might be criminals, but Matthew wasn't a saint either. He didn't think twice before shielding himself with a defenseless woman to escape," the prince continued when Gaston didn't answer. "He was a coward! How did you let a man like him, without a trace of integrity and honor, work for you, father? What could have stopped him from abusing his position and robbing innocent people?" Ben accused.

Gaston locked gazes with Ben and gave him a stern look. "Matthew didn't need courage or honor, Ben. He wasn't a soldier but a tax collector." Ben remained silent. The prince's lips pursed in a thin line as his eyes narrowed. "He had the right qualities to do his job," Gaston rebutted.

"Right for who?" Ben challenged.

Gaston frowned. "Right for Auradon's laws!" the Lord snapped back. "What's gotten into you, son?" Ben opened his mouth to retort an answer, but Gaston raised a hand stopping him. "I'm the ruler of this land, and I demand respect. I don't need to explain or defend my decisions with anyone, not even you. And now's not the time to talk about this. We've got those outlaws to take care of so let's go," he ordered. He gave Ben one last stern look, ending the conversation, and hit the side of his horse, continuing his journey towards the Black Arrow encampment.

Ben felt his throat go dry, reeling from what Gaston had just said. What sort of laws required a man like Matthew to be enforced? He had to have misunderstood him. They couldn't be Auradon's laws …that's not what Gaston had taught him all these years. Ben let out a forceful breath as he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. But Gaston had just defended the tax collector without batting an eye. Could it be? Could it be that Gaston had lied to him all this time? And if Gaston had lied about Auradon's laws, could he have also lied to him about the death of his father? The prince curled his hands into tight fists as he peered at his adopted father's back with a deep scowl splitting his face.

̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- THE BLACK ARROW ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-

The ground shook with the thunder of hooves. Gaston crashed through the trees, followed by Ben and his soldiers. The group left the forest and slowed down once they reached the valley. They slowed their pace and made their way across a wide opening before stopping at the foot of a low mountain.

Ben looked around him with a furrowed brow. Silence reigned over the deserted campsite. No living thing was in sight, and the valley had a rather ghostly feel to it. Abandoned carts, broken pieces of furniture, and personal possessions littered the terrain, and the poles on which the tents had been raised lay scattered on the ground. Hastily extinguished fires still smoked and rose into the air. "That's not possible!" he cried. "There's no one here!"

"We're too late," Captain Hook commented.

"Damn those outlaws! They'd planned everything; kidnapping, exchange and escape!" Gaston snarled. "Move, you fools! What are you waiting for? Comb every inch of this forest if you have to, but find those criminals!"

"They must have left some clue," Ben whispered. He then made his way to the cave at the bottom of one of the mountains. Several people followed, their footsteps causing water to drip off stalactites in rhythm. The prince gazed at the empty wooden cell inside. His shoulders drooped as a deep heaviness settled in his chest. He turned to look to his side where Doug stopped beside him. "This was our prison. Mal and I were tied together to the cage's center beam." He whispered.

Gaston pulled the reins of his horse and stopped a few meters behind Ben and Dopey's son, careful not to be seen. He kept a safe distance but was still able to hear their ongoing conversation. Ever since his return, Ben had been acting strangely. Gaston knew that the prince had a strong sense of duty, so he hadn't given much thought to Ben's sudden interest in finding the princess. But now, his adopted son had openly defied him in front of his men. The Lord narrowed his eyes. Something must have happened to Ben while he was away and Gaston was determined to find out what it was. Capturing the princess could shed some light on what was wrong with him. "We'll find her, son," Gaston exclaimed, deciding it was time to make his presence known.

Ben turned his horse around to face his adopted father. He took a sharp intake of breath. The anger from their previous argument still burned into his soul, but the prince pushed it aside for another time and place. Finding Mal was his priority now. Thoughts of the princess made him feel incredibly guilty. She would have never been captured in the first place if he hadn't asked her to take him to Camelot. "I promised her that I'd return to save her. She has nothing to do with the Black Arrow. If something happens to her, it'll be all my fault," the prince gritted his teeth. He had to keep his promise and find her before those outlaws could hurt her or worse. "I have to find her before it's too late. They could hurt her if they discover she's a girl." Ben set his jaw and locked eyes with Gaston. "Father I'm going to continue searching the area. They can't be too far away."

Gaston examined Ben's determined features with an intrigued expression. There was something different about him. His eyes shined with an intensity he hadn't ever seen him display before. Gaston wondered whether his adopted son could have fallen in love with the moorland princess during the time they'd been together. That was a surprising turn of events, but it would certainly explain Ben's sudden odd behavior. The Lord nodded, giving his consent. "Be careful," he replied.

"I'll go with him, Sire," Doug stated.

Gaston nodded. "Let's go," he ordered, and the group dispersed.

- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴

The archer held his breath and kept his position, crouched down behind a tree on top of the mountain. He waited until Gaston, and the rest of the Auradonian soldiers cleared the valley before he turned around and shot one of his arrows towards a group of trees a few meters away from where another of his comrades was waiting for the signal. The second archer didn't waste time and shot his arrow towards the Black Arrow's hiding spot.

Friar Tuck turned his head to the side when an arrow whizzed past him and hit the bark of a nearby tree. He walked up to it and extracted the arrow, examining its black fletching. "It's one of ours!" he exclaimed, turning to the rest of his companions. "It's the sign! Lord Gaston has retreated!" he shouted. The group, taking cover within the thick forest, erupted in loud cheers at the news.

Robin examined the forest around him. His eyes stopped to gaze at a small clearing a few meters ahead from him. "We'll stop here for tonight!" Robin instructed. "Let's set up camp!" The archer turned around and walked up to two of his men who held the bound Mal between them.

Mal glared at the approaching leader of the Black Arrow and twisted her hands in their bonds. After they'd left her alone in the cage for a few hours, two outlaws had entered the cave and freed her from the pole, pulling her up to her feet. They'd led her outside, and, after waiting for the rest of the Black Arrow to clear the camp, they'd made their way deeper into the woods and waited. No one spoke directly to her, but Mal had heard one of the outlaws talk about Ben and an exchange with someone called Chad.

"Secure him to one of the tents," Robin ordered.

The men nodded, dragged Mal inside a small tent, and bound her to its supporting post before leaving. The princess was once again alone. "Ben," she whispered, bowing her head with a forlorn, sad expression.

̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- THE BLACK ARROW ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-

For what felt like several hours, Mal rested her back against the center beam and stared out of the tent. It was a small teepee-like structure with a wide opening, and she could see the now-darkening skies above her. The princess watched the sky change colors and music from the Black Arrow's encampment reached her ears. They must be celebrating their victory against Gaston. From what she'd manage to gather, the outlaws had ransomed Ben for one of their own. They'd gotten what they wanted, which meant that she was now alone and trapped.

Mal hated to admit it, but the sudden and brutal murder of that tax collector had left her shaken to her very core. She felt a chill run down her spine as the image of the lifeless man falling to the ground played before her eyes. In the murder's aftermath, Mal had let her fears get the best of her, and she'd leaned on Ben in a moment of weakness. The Fae princess wondered why this had shaken her so much. Was it because she'd been powerless to stop it? Yet Mal knew she wasn't one to be easily scared. She'd left the convent's safety and joined the battle at Bald Mountain without hesitation, so Mal shook her head and squared her shoulders. Ben was now gone, and she knew she couldn't rely on him anymore. She'd have to find a way to escape on her own. The princess started to twist her hands behind her, determined to free herself. She discovered that the knots weren't too tight and moving her fingers around, they brushed against a rough-edged stone. A small smile lit her face.

- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴

Robin gazed at a group of his men as they lifted Chad of the ground and threw him into the air and his smile broadened. "Let's celebrate!" he stated, raising his hands into the air and gestured to his comrades. "Louder with that music," he continued before joining his men, who were dancing around the large, blazing fire.

"That's right, Marian. Everyone is dancing while I'm the one cooking," a dark-haired elderly woman commented, the soft laugh lines around her eyes and mouth stretching as she smiled.

Marian laughed in response. "You're not alone, Godmother. I'm helping you, ain't I?" she replied, brushing her long brown hair away from her eyes before dusting her hands against her brown kirtle dress.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Godmother, but this lady owes me a dance," Robin cut in the conversation, pulling Marian away towards the fire. The older woman rolled her eyes and smiled as the couple joined the festivities around the campfire. Robin twirled Marian around with a broad smile before stopping to catch their breaths. The archer traced a finger along the woman's jaw in a gentle caress before lowering his head to kiss her. They broke apart, and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. Robin let his gaze flitter across the campsite's festivities until they fell on Chad, who was embracing his girlfriend Audrey. A warm feeling of weightlessness overtook his body, and the archer let out a contented sigh. "For a moment I was scared we could lose Chad Marian, but our family is back together now, and nothing is going to break us apart again."

̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- THE BLACK ARROW ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴- ̴-

"Ben, we've been searching the forest for hours. We haven't found anything!" Doug exclaimed, pulling the reins of his horse. He stopped and lifted his gaze at the bright morning sky filtering through the tree branches above their heads. "We should return to the castle," he continued, turning to address the prince beside him.

"I can't, Doug," Ben replied with a wince. He lifted his hand to clutch his right arm. "Go back on your own if that's what you want."

"What's wrong with you, Ben?" Doug asked, running a hand through his hair.

"What's wrong is that I've got to find Mal," Ben gritted his teeth.

Doug raised an eyebrow at his best friend's statement. "Is she that important to you?" he continued.

Ben stilled at his best friend's question. His pulse pounded like a drum in his ears, and his mind started to race as he thought about the Fae princess. It was his fault she was now in harm's way, and it was his duty to free her. But something felt different now. Images of what those outlaws could do to her flashed in his mind and caused his body to tremble. Mal opened his eyes and showed him a different side to the world, and he'd come to respect and care for her in the short time they'd been together. The prince lowered his hands to grasp his horse's reins in a tight grip and sighed. "Ever since I've met her Doug, I've begun to look at my life differently."

Doug's head flinched back in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"All I've done in my life is live inside the safety of the castle, and prepare to be king of these lands, without actually knowing anything about my kingdom. I've trusted all that the people close to me have told me without a second thought," he replied in a clipped tone.

Doug narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "What are you referring to exactly, Ben?" Doug inquired.

The young prince squared his shoulders. "Gaston, and all that has been happening in Auradon!" Ben said directly at him, his lips pressed together in a slight grimace.

Doug frowned without taking his eyes off his best friend. "Don't let anyone confuse you, Ben. She's only a girl!" he exclaimed.

"No, you're wrong. Mal is the first person who ever really challenged me and told me things for what they are!" Ben's voice increased in volume. He blinked, coming to his senses, and cleared his throat. "She's isn't just a girl, Doug. She's lost someone, just like me," he whispered.

Doug examined his best friend's sudden distant, empty gaze and sighed. "Yes, I know," he exclaimed, nodding his head. "I heard my father talk about Princess Mal once. She became an orphan at a young age when her parents disappeared without leaving a trace. No one knows what happened to them exactly, even though rumors say that they were hiding in Grimsville at the time."

"Everything about them is mysterious," Ben stared at his best friend, lost in thought. "Even my father's death is shrouded in mystery, Doug," he whispered a moment later. "Even my father's death."

A/N: So Ben is really starting to question all that he was brought up to believe and his relationship with Gaston has reached an important turning point. Meanwhile Mal is back to her resourceful self...you didn't think she was a damsel in distress waiting for Ben to come rescue her didn't you ;) We've also had another short glimpse at the Black Arrow and I've also briefly introduced Audrey. But what is the granddaughter of King Stefan (the ruler of the East) doing with the group of outlaws? You're going to have to read the future chapters to find out.

Until next week's update. Next weeks chapter should be a longer one.