A/N: Thank you so much to SparkyGurly 227, AmethystDragon14 and jasmine. goradesky for leaving a review for the last chapter. Feedback is always appreciated and is a great motivational boost for me to continue writing.
So in the last chapter, Ben came a further step towards the truth as his blind allegiance towards Gaston started to crack. Meanwhile Mal and Merlin where reunited at the Black Arrow's camp and the old alliance between the elderly Fae and Robin was rekindled. Robin offered to escort Mal and Merlin back to the convent, unaware that Gaston's best mercenary is waiting for them. Will Mal and Merlin survive the ambush? Read the chapter to find out. Enjoy!
Chapter 10
"This is the convent's back entrance," Mal said with a smile, turning to face Robin. She pulled on the reins of her horse to bring the animal to a stop. The bright morning sun was high above their heads, giving them a clear view of the Notre-Dame Convent. The princess's smile grew wider at the thought that she'd be soon reunited with Carlos. She'd missed her childhood home and her white-haired little friend more then she cared to admit.
"Then we'll leave you and Merlin here. It's better if we're not seen around too much," Robin replied.
"I can't thank you enough," Mal beamed, her gaze flittering between Robin and Chad.
Chad stared lost in thought at the purple-haired princess, feeling mesmerized by her intense, almost electric green-eyed gaze. The blond broke out of his daze and blinked. "Let us know should you one day decide to live in the forests," he joked, finding his voice and returning her smile.
"I will," She replied and gave them one last smile. "Goodbye!" The princess hit the side of her horse and made her way towards the convent, followed by Merlin.
With one last glance at their retreating backs, Robin turned towards Chad and stopped, his eyes narrowing at the blonde's faraway gaze still fixed on the princess as she rode away. "Let's go," the leader of the Black Arrow ordered and turned around his horse. Chad hummed and followed him back towards the forest.
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"Slow down, my child," Merlin said with a smile in his tone as he tried to keep up with the excited princess. "I'm an old man, you know." They'd ridden to the front of the convent and entered through the main door and were now walking along the main corridor.
Mal stopped and turned towards her guardian. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a giggle. "I guess I'm more excited to be back home than I thought. I never imagined I'd miss this place so much," the princess confessed, looking around her with a fond smile. "Besides, I can't wait to tell Carlos all that has happened and all that I've seen since I left the convent…fighting in the war, meeting Prince Ben and being captured by the Black Arrow until you found me."
"Prince Ben?" Merlin asked, wide-eyed. "The adopted son of Lord Gaston?"
Mal gave her guardian an incredulous stare. "Yes, Prince Benjamin of Auradon. I know we didn't have much time to catch up since last night, but didn't Lancelot or Arthur tell you that I was with him when we were captured by the Black Arrow?"
Merlin shook his head with a frown before furrowing his brow. "They must not have wanted to worry me," he reasoned. "I'll have to have a word with Arthur about this sometime." The elder Fae paused to lock gazes with his young charge. "And how exactly did you end up with the man our enemies wanted you to marry?" Merlin paused again as a worried expression crossed his face. He lifted his hands and gripped her shoulders. "Did he hurt you?"
Mal shook her head, and her expression softened as her thoughts wandered away to the young prince. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later, but no, he didn't hurt me. On the contrary, he was kind and gentle and took great care of me during our journey." Mal stopped noticing her guardian's shocked expression. "He's different from what I imagined an heir of the Eastern Kingdom to be, Merlin. He's brave, honorable and noble," Mal sighed, lowering her head, and gripped the end of the bow which was slung across her torso in a tight grip. "I'll never understand what keeps him loyal to Lord Gaston." The princess didn't move and stared at a spot ahead of her with a blank, serious expression for several seconds. But then her smile returned, and she looked back up at her guardian. "Let's go, Merlin. I need to find Carlos," she continued, letting go of the bow and taking Merlin's hands before guiding him through the quiet corridor.
The pair walked along the dark corridor until they found themselves besides the inner courtyard. A thick, stone wall enclosed the side of the yard closest to Mal's side while an open-arched, three-corner corridor led to the convent's living quarters and eventually to the convent's back entrance. Light filtered from the open roof which made the trees and flowers sparkle with fine drops from the mist left behind by the rain that had fallen the previous night. Mal stopped to scan the empty square enclosure and then turned to her guardian with a confused expression. It was almost lunchtime and at this time the kids were usually running and playing around the yard while they waited for Mother Superior to call them to the kitchens. "Where is everyone?" she asked, resting her hand on the stone handrail.
"They might be having lunch already. Let's go see," Merlin suggested.
"Mother Superior! Carlos!" Mal called out as she rounded the corner.
"It's so nice for you to join us, Princess Mal. We've been expecting you," a loud voice mocked, making the princess jump.
Meanwhile…
With a sigh, Chad continued to follow Robin through the forest. His face was a mask of calm, betraying nothing of the inner turmoil he felt inside as the image of a smiling Mal kept flashing before his eyes. The young outlaw didn't know what to make of the fluttering he felt in his belly or the almost electrical feeling which had jolted him every time he met her eyes.
Chad pushed his lingering thoughts about the purple-haired princess away as he focused on the road ahead. Whatever feeling Mal had stirred in him didn't matter anymore. Their paths wouldn't cross again, and he loved Audrey. They'd given up so much of their past lives to be able to stay together, and he promised himself he'd never do anything to hurt her in any way.
The blonde lowered his head, his eyes tracing the brown autumn leaves underneath his horse. Something reflected the sun, just briefly, then stopped. Chad's eyes narrowed when a moment later, it reflected again, longer and brighter. "Robin, wait!" he called. He brought his horse to a stop and dismounted, approaching the spot that caught his attention.
Robin pulled the reins of his horse before getting off and joining the blonde outlaw who was now crouched on his knees. "What is it?" he asked.
Chad did not answer and instead began to brush aside the dead leaves and twigs with his hands, revealing a human hand. The pair exchanged a shocked look before returning to push aside the rest of the leaves in a frantic manner until they uncovered two dead bodies clad in metal armor.
"Camelot's soldiers," Robin revealed, recognizing the familiar golden and red colors of their tunics. His eyes widened. "The guards assigned to the convent."
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"Carlos!" Mal exclaimed. Her heart lurched at the sight of her four orphaned friends and Mother Superior being held at knifepoint by a group of five men who'd appeared from the opposite side of the corridor, their backs to the courtyard's stone handrails. The man who had spoken, dressed in a long dark cloak, pressed Carlos further against his side. The boy let out a loud whimper; the knife was held mere centimeters away from his throat. "Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded, removing the bow from her shoulder and drawing back an arrow. She pointed it at the man's head.
"It doesn't matter who I am, Princess," Cecil Clayton replied, tightening his hold on Carlos. "It's their lives in exchange for your freedom. So, put down that bow and those arrows and come with us quietly."
Mal's eyes blazed. "If you harm them in any way, I swear I'll kill you," she snarled.
"Shoot your arrows if you want, but think of what will happen to the children or to your guardian if you do," the mercenary taunted.
"Mal," Merlin's called in a strained voice beside her, and the Fae Princess turned to look at her guardian and discovered him now restrained by a sixth man who'd sneaked up behind them.
There was a freezing silence for a moment as Mal's eyebrows pulled together like a drawstring purse, and then her focus was shattered by the sound of arrows whizzing through the air. "Argh," one of the attackers cried, before falling to the ground.
A thundering voice boomed across the courtyard. "Chad! Tuck! Spread around!" Robin ordered, sword in hand. "The rest of you follow me!"
The assailants, startled, turned to look behind them. Members of the Black Arrow appeared from the living quarters and raced across the yard. Chad charged towards the dark-haired bandit closest to him and aimed his weapon against his head. Cornered, the aggressor shoved the child he held in his arms aside and unsheathed his sword to block the fatal blow. Metal clashed against metal as all hell broke loose and the courtyard quickly turned into a battlefield with children screaming as they ran for cover.
Mal faced the man holding Merlin and shot him in the arm with one of her arrows. The elderly Fae, now free, joined her side.
Cecil watched his men fall victim of the Black Arrow and grit his teeth. He spotted a side door at the edge of the courtyard. The mercenary lifted the struggling child in his arms and hauled him over his shoulder. Using the raging battle as a distraction to escape, he broke off in a run.
"Let me go!" Carlos yelled. "Mal! Help me! Mal!"
Mal whirled around and her eyes widened. She bolted after them, bow and arrow in hand.
Carlos's screams for help echoed across the valley below the convent as Cecil made a beeline for his horse, which was waiting several meters away. Mal dashed through the trees surrounding the convent and reached the ridge overlooking the ravine. She stopped and drew her bow, aiming at the bandit at the bottom of the valley who'd just climbed onto his horse.
Cecil was still trying to lift the struggling Carlos onto his horse when an arrow pierced his shoulder from behind. The mercenary let out a loud shout in pain and slumped forward. Cecil released Carlos and managed to turn his head despite his injury. He glared at the princess on top of the knoll before hitting the side of his horse, riding away.
"You shot him, Mal! You shot him!" Carlos shouted in joy, racing back towards the princess.
Mal scrambled down the hill and met her young white-haired friend half-way, falling to her knees and engulfing him in a tight hug. Her face relaxed into a relieved smile as she held Carlos in her arms.
"Over here! Follow me!" a familiar voice shouted from behind her. Mal stood, and holding Carlos's hand, led him back up to the convent.
Robin's gaze swept across the valley. He spotted the mercenary riding away, an arrow sticking out of his back and his eyebrows raised in wonder. The leader of the Black Arrow heard the rustling of tree leaves to his side, and his face broke into a smile when he spotted Mal and the little boy walking towards him. He exhaled.
Mal returned his smile, stopping at his side. "I wouldn't have managed to save everyone without your precious help, Robin. Thank you," the princess beamed. Her gaze fell on the retreating bandit, almost away from view, and her smile turned into a scowl. "The problem is that he'll also survive."
"I hope you're wrong, princess," Robin replied, affectionately patting Carlos's shoulder. "I hope you're wrong."
Later that afternoon…
After rounding off the remaining bandits and securing the convent, the Black Arrow offered to house the children in their camp for the night until they could move them to the safety of Camelot Castle. Although shaken by their recent ordeal, the nuns refused to leave the religious house, convinced that the bandits would not return now that their plan had been foiled. So while the children were busy packing their belongings, Merlin and Mal volunteered to help the nuns settle back in the convent.
The bandits had left the dining room in complete disarray. Merlin and Mal spent the good part of an hour sweeping the floors and returning the furniture back to their original place before decided to take a break. The princess pulled a chair close to the hearth. She stared at the blazing fire in front of her, deep in thought. An odd sort of silence enveloped the pair. "This convent has been our home for so many years, Merlin," Mal whispered, breaking the quietness.
The elderly Fae's facial expression softened. "It's not the places that matter Mal, but the past, happy memories we'll forever treasure in our hearts," he replied in a soothing voice.
Merlin's brows furrowed when he saw a wayward tear making its way down his young charge's cheek. He picked up and straightened a chair, which the bandits had overthrown during their assault, and set it down beside the princess. "What's the matter, child?" he asked Mal, sitting down and resting a comforting hand on her knee.
Mal did not answer straight away and continued to stare at the fire in front of her. The princess sniffled and then brushed the tear off her face with the palm of her hand. "The past scares me, Merlin," she whispered. "Horrible things happened in the past, and I know I was there when they happened." Another tear found its way down her cheek.
"What do you mean, child?" Merlin asked. "I don't understand. Did something happen while you were away?"
Mal shifted slightly in her seat while debating whether to tell him about her recent trip to their birth land. She sighed and nodded her head. "There's something else I haven't told you," she revealed, turning to face her guardian. "I've been to the Moorlands, Merlin," she whispered.
The Fae's eyebrows drew further together in worry when he noticed her sunken, shadowed features and her dull, tormented eyes. He lifted his arm from her knee and reached out to rub her back with small, gentle strokes. "Now I understand," he replied in a soft voice. "You want to talk about it?"
Mal nodded. "We found refuge in some castle ruins one night. A group of fugitives running away from King Stefan's armies use the remains as a safe-haven. They told us we'd arrived in the Moors and welcomed us, offering us food and shelter for the night." She paused. "The place was run down and appeared to have been abandoned for years, but something about it felt oddly familiar. Like I had been there before." Mal stopped, taking a deep breath. "Jasmine, the daughter of the fugitives' leader, led me to the faded portrait of a woman. The woman had long dark hair and bright green eyes. It felt like I was staring at my reflection – like I was in a waking dream. Then a sudden memory of myself as a child hit me, and it all made sense. That woman in the portrait was my mother and those ruins, that deserted castle, was my childhood home." Mal returned to stare at the writhing flames in front of her.
A sigh whispered past Mal's lips as the disjointed images that had haunted her sleep since that day unfolded right before her eyes — a tall man, hidden in the shadows walking through a corridor and calling out her mother's name. A steady hand, gripping a delicate and petite wrist wielding a blade. The image of a green lizard engulfed by raging flames. The smiling face of a brown-hair man suddenly contorting in pain before falling to the ground. Mal's head started to spin, and her gaze became unfocused.
The princess blinked and returned to the present when Merlin squeezed her shoulder. "It must have been hard for you, coming face to face with the past in such a harsh and unexpected way," Merlin soothed, his voice lowering to a whisper. "You shouldn't have dealt with it on your own, my child. I should have been there. I'm sorry."
"It wasn't your fault, Merlin. It's okay," Mal shook her head with a little smile. "And I wasn't alone. Ben was with me."
Merlin opened his mouth to reply when they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Their heads whipped around to face Chad. He was standing by the kitchen door's frame. "I'm sorry to barge in, but the children are all set, and we need to leave the convent now if we want to reach the camp by nightfall," the blonde announced.
Mal nodded, and the outlaw walked away. The princess stood and wiped away the last remnants of her tears, turning towards her guardian who remained seated and was still looking at her with a concern expression. "I'm fine Merlin. Don't worry about me," she reassured him with a smile. "What's important now is to take Carlos and the other children to safety. We can continue talking about the Moors another time. Now let's go."
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Gaston took a long sip of his wine, enjoying the warm feeling in his throat. He lowered the silver goblet back onto the table, and returned his attention to the plate laid out in front of him. Claudette sat on the opposite side of the long dinner table which was covered in a white, pristine silk cloth. She stared forlornly at the empty plate and vacant chair a few meters away from her.
The sudden loud pounding of heavy, hurried steps across the stone floor alerted Gaston to the presence of someone else in the area. The Lord looked up and watched as his adopted son barged into the dining room, eyes blazing, skidding to a halt a couple of meters away from him.
"Down at the village they're saying that a group of bandits attacked Notre-Dame's convent," Ben thundered.
Gaston narrowed his eyes at the young prince, and his lips pursed into a thin line. "Your mother and I were waiting for you for lunch, Ben," he stated in a sharp tone. Ben threw a glance in his adopted mother's direction before returning his attention to Auradon's ruler. "I know about the attack," Gaston replied in a calm tone, picking up a piece of bread from his plate.
"Then why didn't you tell me anything?" Ben retorted, taking a further step towards his guardian. "What is it that I mustn't know?"
Gaston's expression darkened. "What are you saying? What do you mean?" he asked, gritting his teeth. Silence followed the tension in the room so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Claudette straightened herself on her chair, running a shaking hand through her hair as her gaze flittered between her husband and Ben.
"Did you order the assault?" the prince questioned.
Gaston said nothing for a few moments, but his rigid composure, the tight set of his jaw, and the firm grip on his chair's armrest made it quite clear that he did not approve of his adopted son's accusations. He rose to his feet with a stern expression and closed the gap separating him from the prince, locking eyes with him. "Not so long ago, I used to see the admiration in your eyes. Now I only see suspicion." Gaston sighed and shook his head. He raised his arm and gripped Ben's shoulder. "Come with me!"
Ben followed his adopted father down the stairs leading down to the castle's dungeons in silence. They didn't utter a word to each other as they walked along a long corridor until they reached a locked iron-barred door. Gaston brought out a key from his pocket and unlocked it. As they entered the prison, Ben heard a noise. It seemed like a soft groan. The moaning sounds became louder as they walked further down the short corridor. The pair turned a corner, and Ben's eyes widened.
"It's them," Gaston stated, gesturing to the four men chained to the two large beams across the cell's ceiling, the toes of their feet barely brushing against the floor. "Tomorrow they'll be hanged but not before they tell us the names of their accomplices."
The prince's gaze darted between the four assailants and the two muscular Auradon soldiers standing in the corner of the small room. Ben walked up to one of the bandits. He was half-conscious and bleeding from a head wound, blood soaking his clothes from the stomach downwards and dripping onto and staining the rough terrain underneath them. "Did they say why they did it?" Ben asked.
"No," Gaston replied, shaking his head. "And that is why justice must sometimes be exercised the hard way. Do you understand now?"
Ben nodded, his hard expression relaxing into a relieved smile as he approached Gaston. "Father, I'm so happy to know that you weren't involved with the assault."
Gaston smiled back and patted the young prince on the shoulder before walking away. Ben threw one last glance at the criminals before following his adopted father out of the cell.
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Gaston continued to stare out of the dining room window at the darkened skies and took a long drink from his wine goblet. The pale moon cast shadows over the forests below Auradon's castle. No sound disturbed the stillness of the night, and as he stood there, the Lord's soul burned with the desire to rid himself of the shame and regret which he'd buried deep inside his heavy heart. He lowered his shaking hand to his chest before walking away towards the table. Gaston swayed and sank into his chair with a hollow sigh and rested his head against the wooden headboard, closing his eyes.
Claudette stood by the door and glanced at her husband with a pinched, tension-filled expression. She squared her shoulders and strode into the room. Gaston opened his eyes and turned to greet his wife. "Gaston, you need to talk to him," Claudette stated, resting her hands on the table. The Lord shook his head and turned away to look at his side. "You need to tell him the truth," she pressed on.
"I can't," he whispered.
"But you killed his father, Gaston." She paused, noticing her husband's bright eyes and slumped posture. "Find the courage to admit it, face to face. It's the only way he might be able to forgive you. Tell him the truth," she argued.
Gaston's head snapped to the side, and he rose to his feet, staring at Claudette for a few moments. "The truth does not exist," he replied, walking away to leave the room.
"Yes, it does," Claudette's voice boomed across the room, and Gaston twirled around to face her, startled by her uncharacteristic loud and angry tone. "And if you don't tell him, someone else will reveal the truth to him."
Gaston's eyes hardened, and his lips flattened in a thin line. "No one is going to tell him anything," he glowered, his face turning a bright shade of red.
Claudette bit her lower lip and reached out to touch the Lord's shoulder with trembling hands. "Gaston, I beg you," she pleaded.
Gaston grabbed Claudette's arms in a tight hold and pulled her towards him, and they locked eyes. "I told you that no one is going to tell him anything," he stated, his voice rising in volume. Claudette stiffened in her husband's vice grip, a tear sliding down her cheek. Gaston's eyes widened. He loosened his hold on her and used his right hand to brush it against his wife's face. The Lord released her and took a few steps backward, swaying to his side, before abruptly turning around and storming out of the room. Claudette wrapped her arms around herself before dropping to her knees with a soft thud.
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The loud sounds of voices and horse's hooves merged into one tremulous rumble as the Black Arrow returned to their camp. The group of outlaws, followed by Mal and Merlin and a wagon carrying the orphaned children, stopped in a small clearing, a few meters away from the tents.
"Robin!" Marian called out to their leader, getting hold of his horse's rein. She waited for Robin to dismount and enveloped him in a tight hug. "How did it go? What happened? Are you hurt?" she asked when they broke apart.
The archer smiled, waving her concern off. "We were ambushed at the convent by a group of bandits looking for Princess Mal. But we're fine. No one was hurt and what's important is that we've managed to save the children."
Marian turned around and exchanged a look with Godmother. The weathered woman approached the wagon. "Come with me, children. Let's help you settle in," she smiled, starting to help them out. "You must be hungry. It's time to eat."
Mal's face broke into a smile as she watched the older woman lead the children away. She blinked and furrowed her brow, noticing the absence of a particular white-haired child. The princess twirled around and scanned the entire campsite. "Merlin, where's Carlos?" she asked her guardian in a concerned tone. "Carlos!" she called. "Carlos! Where are you?"
Meanwhile….
Grey light seeped through the curtains. The windows of the small house opened with a cracking sound, and Lonnie jerked awake, startled by the sudden noise. She blinked against the dim light of the room, and her eyes widened as she sat up in her bed. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest as she glanced around the room, no sign of anything out of place. The black-haired maid climbed out of the bed and put on her shoes. A soft, banging noise came to her attention.
"Who's there?" she called, taking a few tentative steps towards the door. The banging noise grew louder. "Who's there?" she repeated, looking around her. A dog barked outside and Lonnie brought a hand to her heart, letting out a long sigh. She took a long breath to calm her nerves and approached her door, smiling when she discovered it was still locked. She turned around to walk back to her bed while running her sweaty palm against her face.
"Pss…Pss…" a quiet voice rang out.
Lonnie jerked around, and from the corner of one eye, she saw a dark shadow move. "Ah!" she screamed.
The shadow jumped down from the windows ledge, landing a meter away from her before stepping into the light. "Are you crazy to scream like that?" a young voice asked.
"How could you scare me like that, Carlos?" Lonnie accused. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice way of greeting your little brother!" the young white-haired boy quipped with a little mischievous smile.
"You come here like a thief in the middle of the night, and scare the living daylights out of me, and you expect me to throw you a welcoming party," Lonnie scolded in a stern tone.
Carlos's smile turned into a frown, and his lip started to quiver. "A group of bandits assaulted the Notre-Dame convent. The Black Arrow turned up to save us, and all hell broke loose," he explained. "It's a miracle I'm alive, and you don't even want to hug me," his voice cracked.
Silence followed as Lonnie stared at her little brother, her pallid face turning into an even whiter shade of pale. "Are you hurt? Are you sure no one followed you?" she asked, finding her voice. Carlos nodded and Lonnie glanced around her before pulling his shaking frame into her arms with a frantic tug. "Come here. Tell me what happened exactly."
A/N: Well done to HarryPotterFan1994 for guessing that Carlos is indeed Lonnie's little brother in this story. I'm curious to find out if anyone else saw this twist coming.
I don't know about you but seeing (and writing) Mal kick some villain butt is so so satisfying. We might not be on the Isle but this princess can still hold her own against anyone. We haven't seen the last of Cecil Clayton either and he'll have a pivotal role for the plot. I hope you've caught the foreshadowing in the fragment of Mal's vision - we've only scratched the surface of Mal's story until now and her past will have a significant impact on the second half of the story.
And it seems the guilt for his past actions is finally starting to catch up with Gaston as Ben drifts further and further away from him.
So was the chapter up to your expectations? Let me know what you think by dropping me a review.
See ya next Saturday. All I can preview is that Mal and Ben will be reunited...you'll have to tune in next weekend to find out where and how ;)