A/N: Welcome back to the next chapter of the Black Arrow.
A special thank you goes to my beta Wanderlustandfreedom. I wouldn't be able to write this story without her precious help and support.
I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading my story. Every new fav and follow means so much to me. Thank you to SparkyGurly 227, AmethystDragon14 and fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night for having left a review for the last chapter. Feedback is always appreciated and is a great motivational boost for me to continue writing.
AmethystDragon14: I'm happy you've enjoyed the Bal in last week's chapter. It seems I managed to make for chapter 15 then :D I actually can't wait to read your reaction to this chapter! As for the ring, I'm afraid I won't be able to satisfy your request but Mal's necklace will be just as important as Ben's ring is in the canon franchise...you'll see ;)
fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night: My wrist is better, thanks. Yeah it would have been nice for Mal's parents to have survived somehow but their death, especially Maleficent's, will be the driving force of Mal's story moving forward in this AU. As Maleficent told her before dying, Mal is the future Queen of the Fae and her people are depending on her. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story. I'm slowly approaching the half way mark.
SparkyGurly 227: Thank you so much for the review. I know you're so busy at the moment. Thank you for the compliments. I'm so happy you're liking the story
Okay guys. So in the last chapter, Ben took Mal to Grimsville Valley and Mal remembered her past. Driven by the desire to honor her mother's death and put an end to the war, Mal volunteered to lure the alchemist of the Knight's monastery in order to gain access to the maps of Auroria's Castle. But the plan backfired and the alchemist has blackmailed the Black Arrow to steal a secret relic for him.
I must admit I'm quite nervous to see your reactions to this chapter. You'll understand why once you've read it...
Chapter 17
The monks of the order of St Augustine were a small congregation who lived a simple life of prayer and manual labor. Their monastery stood on top of a small hill overlooking the quiet banks of the river Bayou. Outside the monastery stood a few impressive private tombs topped with high crosses and carved with fading inscriptions in Latin, but Robin ignored them as he rode past them. The archer pressed on, his focus on the large, closed wooden door of the church in front of him. He stopped and dismounted his horse, tying the reins to one of the posts.
"Wait for me here," Friar Tuck instructed, joining his side before turning and slipping inside the small place of worship. Robin had sent Chad, Ben, and Mal back to the camp. It would be easier for the two older and more experienced outlaws to sneak inside the sanctuary undetected.
Robin's hands felt chilly. The thought of having to steal from a place of worship didn't sit well with him, and the archer felt nervous. He looked around him and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The area outside the monastery appeared deserted.
The door opened, and Robin spun around. Friar Tuck walked up to him and smiled. "Apart from the priest, there's no one else inside."
Robin lowered his head in understanding. "Good. Go then," he instructed. Tuck nodded and hurried back inside the church.
Robin gave one last look around him and followed his comrade inside. The dimly-lit church smelled of incense and burning candles. The archer took small, short, and soft steps, gazing around the house of prayer. The few lit candles on the main altar cast a flickering glow across the front pews, and Robin walked along the central aisle before taking a seat in the second row. He knelt on the padded bar and threw a side glance at the confessional where Tuck was still keeping the priest busy. Robin continued to inspect the area around him until his gaze fell on a little alter off at his side.
Robin made the sign of the cross before standing and hurried towards the small shrine. Careful not to make any noise, the archer lifted the white silk cloth that covered the altar and began to run his hand across the smooth sides, looking for the compartment where the monks could've hidden the sacred relic. He smiled when his hand met an alcove at the back of the table. Robin dipped his hand further, his fingers closing around what felt like a large goblet wrapped in a cloth. He pulled the object out to examine it and unwrapped the protective material to reveal the golden chalice. The archer wrapped the fabric back around the relic and hid it under his arm before spreading the silk cloth over the stone surface.
Robin turned around and started to walk back up the side aisle when a loud ringing noise stopped him. Another priest entered the church and began to make his way towards the archer. The monk's right hand was leaning heavily on a long cane as he walked, causing the bells tied to the top of the walking stick to jingle with every step. Robin stiffened for a moment, staring at the approaching monk, unsure of what to do. The elderly monk kept on walking with slow steps, resting his left hand on the wall for support. He didn't seem to acknowledge Robin's presence even though Robin was merely two meters away from him. Robin leveled his gaze to the man's vacant expression and blinked as the sudden realization hit him. He let out a deep breath. The monk was blind.
Robin turned on his heels and hurried towards the exit of the church, brushing past the monk. Robin had to suppress a startled gasp when the monk abruptly twirled around and gripped his arm. "You're not Father Luke, are you?" he asked.
"No, I'm not. Father Luke is giving…" Robin replied.
"Giving confession, I know," the monk interrupted the archer. "I'm blind, but I've still got a good hearing. I can hear it all - Father Luke giving confession, the sounds of your steps as you walked away from the side altar."
"I was only looking at the mural, father," Robin explained.
"When we're close to our last living breath, death becomes our only comfort," the priest began to mutter.
Robin furrowed his brow. "What are you saying, father?" he asked.
"In the old Latin scriptures, the poor and the sick, welcome death as an escape to their torment," the monk replied. He raised his cane to show an inscription on the painting beside the altar. "It's written here, on this mural." The monk paused. "You don't have good eyesight," he commented.
Robin looked at the painting. Several skeletons holding a scythe surrounded a group of bedridden peasants. The archer paled, as a shiver ran across his entire spine. Something about the menacing scene made him want to tremble where he stood. "I have to go, father," he stammered before pulling his arm away and dashing towards the door. Tuck joined his side.
"No one can escape death, but we have a choice on how to live our life before our time is up," the monk called out. Robin and Tuck jerked around. The monk stretched his hand out in Robin's direction. "Don't fear death. Those who outlive us are the ones left behind with the sadness."
Robin stilled and took a long breath. Tuck's hands went clammy, and his eyes went wide. Had the monk discovered their theft? Was he sentencing them for their crime? "Let's go! Now!" Tuck exclaimed, pushing the frozen archer out of the church.
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Robin and Marian were getting married. The news that the leader of the Black Arrow had finally proposed to his long-time partner spread around the camp like wildfire, and everyone busied themselves preparing for that's evening's celebration. A makeshift altar was set up using spare wood, and colorful ribbons were tied to the four supporting wooden beams encircling the area. There were bright country flowers, carefully picked and arranged to create the bride's bouquet. Godmother took charge of the kitchen, bossing the other outlaws around as she prepared the feast's dishes.
The day turned into night, and everyone gathered around the blazing fire to watch as Marian, beaming brightly with happy tears blooming in her eyes, walked towards Robin. "It's just the pollen," She insisted, wiping her eyes and hiccupping a little bit.
Tuck brushed the dirt off of a bible to read a few lines. Maybe people wrinkled their noses at the unfamiliar jargon, but Ben nodded a little as he listened. He'd grown up with coronations and other ceremonies and had come to respect the words so long as he wasn't required to hear them every single day.
"You may now kiss the bride," Tuck announced with a wide smile. The outlaws surrounding the couple broke out in loud cheers and clapping as Robin bent down to kiss Marian, signaling the beginning of their married life.
Music from the lutes and tambourines filled the air, and the camp erupted in joyful dancing. Robin led his wife to the center of the clearing and pulled her towards him.
"This is the best present you could've ever given me," Marian smiled.
Robin shook his head. "No, you gave me the best present ever. You waited for me. Forgive me; I was a fool," he replied, leaning in to kiss her.
Mal grinned, her eyes glittering with exhilaration she couldn't suppress as Ben's arm circled her waist. He gently lifted her off the ground before twirling her around in a half-circle. She laughed and wrapped her right arm over his shoulder to keep her balance. Ben set her down in front of him and released her, and the princess rested her free hand on his shoulder. Her hand lingered there for a few more seconds. Their eyes locked, and Mal's adoring smile seemed to light up the entire camp. A happy bubble was about to burst in her chest. This was the first time since she'd remembered her past, that Mal felt content and at peace. The prince's close presence soothed her soul.
The pair broke apart, and Mal grasped Ben's hand before pulling him to join a group of outlaws who were dancing in a large circle at their side.
Mal stepped to the right, following the other outlaw at her side. She twisted her head to briefly look at Ben and was unable to hold back a giggle when she noticed his serious expression as the prince concentrated on his footwork. Ben looked back at her, raising an eyebrow before throwing her a stern look when he caught the teasing sparkle in her eyes.
The song came to an end, and the circle broke apart, and the pairs moved away. Mal curtsied playfully to him, while the prince bowed to her with a mischievous grin. Another song began, and Ben offered his hand to her, but the princess shook her head with a smile. "I need to catch my breath, Ben," Mal panted with a little smile. "I'm going to rest for a little while," she explained.
"I'll come with you then," Ben offered with a grin, but Mal shook her head again.
"There's no need," Mal replied. Her lips stretched into a little smirk. "Besides, I think you could benefit from dance practice."
Ben snorted and crossed his arm over his chest in mock indignation. "So you're implying I'm a bad dancer?" he asked, his voice laced with mirth. "Go rest, then princess, but consider yourself took for the next dance," he quipped, his eyes dancing with mischief. "We shall see who the better dancer is," Ben challenged with a bright smile before turning away. Mal watched him join a group of outlaws before making her way towards the tables.
Across the clearing, Chad chugged back his fourth or fifth drink and then stumbled to find his bearings with a bright, silly smile on his face. The blond looked around the campsite and grinned when he spotted Mal a few meters away from him. She was on her own, resting against a wagon. He walked up to her, stopping on the way to pick up some purple geraniums. He offered them to her. "Why don't you marry me?" he joked with a crooked grin. "Every woman wants to get married one day, right?" He leaned towards her.
Mal scrunched her nose. The blonde outlaw smelled of alcohol. She frowned. "Getting married?" she repeated. "Maybe," she continued. A blush colored her cheeks when an image of Ben came to her mind. The princess lowered his hand to refuse the flowers. "But not with you."
Chad began to laugh out loud. "Okay, so what about we start all over again? I'm Chad," he stated, picking up her hand and squeezing it.
The princess's scowl grew deeper, and her eyes subconsciously sought out Audrey, remembering their last confrontation at the lake. The brown-haired girl was dancing a few meters away from them and had not noticed the blonde boy approach her. "Let me go," Mal snapped, pulling her hand away from him.
Chad grabbed her other hand and pulled the princess to him. In her mind's eye, Mal suddenly relived her mother's dying moments in the knight's tight grip, and her heart began to hammer in her chest.
"I told you to let me go," Mal barked, raising her hands to his chest and pushing him away. The princess began to breathe slowly as she glared at the blonde outlaw.
A strong hand gripped Chad's shoulder and spun him around. Chad came face to face with an enraged Ben. "Didn't you hear what she said?" the prince demanded, glaring at the outlaw.
Mal brought a hand to her chest and took a deep breath, trying to regulate her heartbeat back to normal. She exhaled a relieved sigh when her eyes focused on the Auradonian prince.
Chad brushed Ben's hand off. "It's none of your business!" he exclaimed, turning around to face Mal.
Ben snarled and gripped Chad's shoulder, pulling him away from her again. The prince took a step forward and locked eyes with the blonde outlaw, their noses a few millimeters away from each other. "You ought to learn never to force a woman to do something against her will!" he growled.
A memory forced itself in Mal's consciousness as her world stilled. 'Love can't be forced,' echoed in her head. The princess recognized her mother's voice and a brief image of Maleficent sitting by her bedside, with a book in her hands, as she read her a story flashed before Mal's eyes.
"I've had enough of you, Benjamin of Auradon!" Chad puffed. "Always the knight in shining armor." The blonde lunged at Ben. The backward momentum knocked the prince to the ground, and Chad landed on top of him.
All of the air left Ben's lungs as he hit the ground hard. Rocks dug into his back as someone shouted in alarm. He seized the front of Chad's shirt, and the two rolled over and around on the earth, trying to gain leverage on each other. They hit a wayward branch, and Ben dug his elbows into the ground to stop himself from rolling over again. He shifted all his weight forward and pinned Chad against the ground underneath him. Chad let out a list of profanities, partially centered on Ben with a few jabs thrown in towards Mal here and there.
The moment Ben heard Chad cursing Mal's name, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself. As the second wave of threats began to leave Chad's mouth, he drew back and punched Chad across the face. Blood surfaced as Ben's blow drove Chad's upper lip straight into his teeth. The blonde roared, jerking upwards, and Ben fell off him. All the wind left his lungs as he hit the ground hard. Chad scrambled to his feet and dove for the recovering prince, lifting him off the ground with both hands.
Mal's head snapped up at the mention of her name, returning her to the present. Her gaze focused on the two outlaws, and her eyes grew a little wide as she watched Chad lung at the still dazed Ben. "Ben," she whispered and took a step forward towards them.
The music stopped, and a small group of outlaws gathered around the fighting duo. Robin ran up to see what had caused the commotion. "What's happening here?" he shouted. "Enough, you two!" Robin ordered, reaching out to separate them. Chad ignored Robin's order and drew back his arm, ready to punch Ben in the mouth until the leader of the Black Arrow grabbed his arm and shoved him away. "I've said enough!" he roared.
Both boys breathed heavily, and Chad wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve as they continued to glare daggers at one another. "Do you know what a man needs to be able to reach his objectives? Robin bellowed. Silence followed. Chad's eyes continued to blaze as he glared at Robin while Ben lowered his gaze to the ground. "A man needs self-control, determination, and love!" Robin breathed heavily. Ben shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked up to level his gaze with the archer. "But nothing ever comes out of hate. Hate only destroys and tears down all that we've build, making us weak!" He paused, staring at the two young outlaws. "Now shake hands!"
Ben stared at Robin for a few moments before his shoulders relaxed slightly, and he held out his hand in Chad's direction. Chad's gaze flittered between Ben's face and his outstretched hand. "Shake hands, I said!" Robin repeated. There was a moment of tense silence until Chad reached out and clasped Ben's hand, giving it a small shake. "I don't want ever to have to repeat that," Robin stated. "Do you understand?"
The young outlaws nodded. Satisfied, Robin threw them one last stern look before whirling around. He held out his hand for Marian to join him. "Tuck, Godmother, let's continue dancing. Where's that music?" he asked before the sound of lutes and tambourines echoed once again throughout the camp.
The crowd around them dispersed, and only Chad, Ben, and Mal remained. Audrey walked up to them with a steely expression, and Chad scowled at the prince, stepping forward and slamming his shoulder into him. The blonde then walked away, followed by King Stefan's granddaughter.
Ben remained stone-faced as he watched Chad leave. Then he shook his head and, without uttering a word, set off in the opposite direction. Mal froze, too caught up in the whirlwind thoughts and emotions that where searing through her mind to stop him and could only watch dazed as the young prince stormed off.
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It was a cloudless night, and the moonlight glittered off a million water droplets in the waterfall, but Mal didn't stop to admire the enchanting sight. The sound of her heavy footsteps echoed through the night as she hurried towards the stone ledge overlooking the lake. Her face broke into a small smile, and she clutched the object in her right hand a little tighter when she spotted Ben a few meters below her, sitting on a boulder.
She set off towards him. The prince didn't hear her approach over the noise of the falls. He continued to stare at the silver cascade in front of him, lost in thought.
Mal dropped her hand on his shoulder. Ben jumped and turned around but relaxed when he realized it was only her. She briefly examined the mostly-healed cut on his cheek. The princess smiled at him. She ran her hands across his collarbone and then fastened a chain behind his neck. Ben lowered his gaze and raised a hand to finger the shape of a familiar silver pendant. He leveled his eyes with hers and furrowed his brow in confusion.
"They're two spirals that conjoin. I divided them, and I want you to have one of them," Mal smiled with a slight blush, coloring her cheeks.
"But it's the symbol of your family," Ben stammered, his mouth opening as his heart began to race.
Mal's smile grew wider. "It represents my present now and also my future," she paused, watching Ben gape at the trinket. "And I want to share my future with you," she confessed. Ben swallowed before returning her smile, and the princess sat down beside him. Mal leaned towards him, and they locked eyes. "It was really impressive – what you told Chad," Mal confessed.
Ben looked away with a downcast expression. "I shouldn't have attacked him that way," he blurted out.
Mal shook her head, lifting her hand to his cheek, and the prince returned to look at her. "You did nothing wrong," she reassured him. "I'm grateful you did. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up. I had another flashback," she confessed, taking a deep breath. "Thank you for coming to help me." Ben's expression relaxed.
Silence enveloped them. Ben's eyes roamed over her features. Her green eyes and short purple locks. Her pale skin seemed to sparkle under the night sky, and his heart caught in his throat. She was so beautiful.
The pair continued to stare at one another for a few long moments until a slow smile stretched across Mal's face. "What you told Chad….that love can't be forced," she murmured as her heartbeat began to quicken. "They're the same words my mother always used to tell me as a child." Mal leaned further towards Ben, and her eyes lowered to his mouth as a hot feeling began to burn in her belly. She felt the air change around her and, unable to stop herself, she brought her mouth to his and closed her eyes.
Ben put his hands on her sides and pulled her against him, his lips parting to accept the kiss. Mal arched into him subconsciously, wanting to be closer to him. Her arms rested on his broad shoulders. They continued to work their mouths against each other as the princess's hands began to journey along Ben's arms. She felt his body start to tremble in desire. They broke apart a minute later, breathing heavily and rested their heads against each other.
"I love you so much," he whispered. Mal smiled, and her gaze didn't leave Ben's as she lowered her hands to his chest and began to pull at the front ties of his doublet. The prince pressed her even closer to him, body to body, and lowered his head to capture her mouth.
"I want you," Mal admitted with a blissful sigh against his lips.
Ben pulled back, brow furrowed a little as he examined her. "Are you sure?" he whispered.
"Yes," she murmured, staring into his eyes. There was a hesitation between them as Ben considered her words and then made his own decision. He lowered his hands to her hips and crushed her against him, dropping his mouth to her neck and leaving a trail of fiery kisses that made Mal gasp. The world around them disappeared and reappeared in brief flashes as Ben pressed her to the boulder beneath them. Mal couldn't have even testified that there was a world around them and that they hadn't been in some third dimension with all sorts of bright colors exploding in front of her eyes.
"I love you," Ben promised again, leaving the evidence of his words on her skin and then looking up to make sure the words had registered as the moon continued to cast its glorious light and warm wind shielded the two lovers from everything around them.
A/N There we go...AmethystDragon14 are you still alive? lol.
The outlaws have managed to get their hands on the chalice while Marian finally got married to her Robin. And Bal have taken an important step in their relationship. I'd love to hear what you all think about the chapter in a review. I know it is a little short but I hope that the Bal inside made up for it.
I have a little announcement to make. I'll taking a week break from posting so the next chapter should be out on the 23rd November. I have a couple of stressful things going on relating to work in RL which I'm feeling are not only impacting my free time but also the quality of my writing. So I'll be taking a few days off fanfiction to sort things out. I'll do my best to make up for it with a long chapter next time and maybe even a double weekly posting.
Until next time :)