A/N: Surprise :) As promised I'm back with a mid-week update - a little bonus chapter!
I'd like to thank my beta Wanderlustandfreedom for her precious help and support and SparkyGurly 227, AmethystDragon14, fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night and Carvie16 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: Well...technically you can say it was the morning after even though Bal returned to the BA camp for the night. At least they were clothed when Claudette found them...now that would have been definitely awkward lol!
fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night: I'm afraid you'll have to continue reading to find out what happens to Robin and Marian. But everything has a purpose - it's all a big chain of events revolving around Ben and Mal. I hope you'll continue enjoying the future chapters :)
SparkyGurly 227: Your reviews always leave me with so much motivation and gratitude - thank you so much for the amazing compliments.
Carvie16: I'm just loving your reactions to my chapters - I'm still so overwhelmed. As for Gaston & Uma...well they're the villains in this story - my aim is to make them as despicable as possible - looks like I'm doing something right lol :D
Okay guys. So in the last chapter we took a break from the Black Arrow action and returned our attention back to Auradon where Gaston and Uma continued to scheme against our heroes while Claudette, devastated with the guilt of what they'd done to Ben, managed to find and talk to the prince one last time thanks to Lonnie. But now it's time to return to the action and the Black Arrow's mission inside the Knights Monastery. Will they succeed in stealing the maps? It's time to find out...
Chapter 19
Tuck guided the small group of outlaws, made up of Robin, Chad, Ben, and Mal, across the stone bridge leading to the Knight's Monastery. They'd left the camp early that morning, Robin having decided that a small party held a better chance of sneaking into the Monastery undetected. The outlaws made their way through the Monastery's main gate before stopping at the side of the outer courtyard - the spot they'd agreed to meet with Bernard.
Loud murmurs echoed throughout the busy square. Ben glanced around the courtyard, shifting his weight from one foot to another before a tall structure in front of him caught his attention. A large group of peasants from the nearby villages had gathered around a wooden stage set up in the center of the courtyard, too busy to notice the group of armed outlaws. The stage was five feet in height, and a tall, slim wooden stake attached to the top of the stage, stood ten feet into the air. Large bundles of sticks surrounded the base of the stake. The prince tightened the grip of his bow.
Ben heard a noise coming from his right. Two well-built monks, wearing the distinctive robes bearing the Knight's order red coat of arms, exited from the Monastery's Great Hall and made their way to the pyre. One of them was dragging a bound woman with him. The villagers parted to let them through as the monk dragged her up the steps of the stage. He hoisted her up against the stake and tied her to it. The woman's long, dark hair covered her face, hiding her identity. Ben felt his stomach churn as one of the monks began to speak.
"Pray for your soul, oh child of sin. Beg God for his forgiveness! Atone for your sins!" the monk shouted, looking around the gathered crowd. "God despises you, woman, daughter of the devil. Very soon, he'll come back on this earth to save us from your kind. His wrath will be a sweeping storm that will purify our souls! He'll have no mercy for those who dare to oppose him!" He returned his gaze at the woman. "Confess your sins! Save your soul, Witch!" he ordered.
Mal stared at the scene in front of her with wide eyes, shuddering as she felt the burn of bile rise in her throat. She took a step towards the crowd as they began to chant a prayer in Latin. But Ben's sudden hand on her shoulder brought her back to their mission. "Mal, we have to go," Ben whispered. The princess turned and noticed that the alchemist had joined Robin, Chad, and Tuck, and the group was a few meters ahead of them.
They crossed the square, keeping to the side. Bernard led them through a small side door, and the group descended a short flight of steps before they found themselves in a small storage room.
"Where are you taking us?" Chad asked.
The alchemist stopped beside a large wooden chest at the side of the room and opened it. "If you want to pass through undetected, you'll need to wear these," he instructed, indicating the robes inside the chest. The man picked up one and took a step towards Mal. Ben snatched the garment away from him.
"You're taking such great care of us. How noble of you!" Ben spat, putting himself between Bernard and Mal.
Bernard threw him a look of utter venom before walking up to Robin. The man reached out to grab the chalice from the archer's hand. "Now give me the chalice!" he ordered.
"Not before you take us to the archives," Robin countered. "An agreement is an agreement!"
The group began to make their way back to the outside courtyard.
"What's going to happen to that girl?" Mal suddenly spoke up, looking at the alchemist. He snorted and threw back his head, laughing. "She might be able to save her soul, but she'll burn as all the witches should!" Mal stilled for a moment, her eyes growing bright before continuing to follow the group outside.
The alchemist led them away from the central courtyard. The group lifted the robes' hoods over their heads as they entered through the Great Hall. After walking through an infinite series of corridors, Bernard stopped in front of a large wooden door. He pushed it open and signaled them to enter. "Go in, quickly," he ordered in a hushed tone before shutting the door behind him.
Two large bookshelves filled to the brim with thick, leather-bound ledgers, scrolls, and books lined either side of the spacious stone room. Robin felt his stomach tighten. It'd take forever to get through everything.
"The chalice!" Bernard demanded. Robin blinked and turned to the alchemist, wordlessly offering it to him. Bernard examined the relic, and a smile lit up his features. "Time flies down here," he grinned at the group of outlaws. "No one will disturb you, but the warning bell will signal the approaching sunset and curfew. Find the maps and leave the Monastery before then," he warned, spinning around. The alchemist hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"How can you trust that man?" Chad asked, turning to Robin.
"He's too greedy to share his treasures with anyone else. We're safe," Robin replied. "We've got no time to waste. Let's get going," he instructed. The group split up around the room, each taking a section of the vast archive. Ben pulled a battered book from the shelf behind him and opened it on one of the tables, using the light coming from the candle sconces above him to examine its contents.
The hours dragged on as Ben, Mal, Chad, Tuck, and Robin carefully examined the contents of each shelf with no success. The group had no way of knowing how much time had passed until the sound of the Monastery's bell echoed outside the library. Mal's head snapped up, lifting her gaze from the book in her hands, and she glanced around the room toward her companions. "It's the signal," she announced, looking at Robin. Chad slammed his hand against the table in frustration. What were they going to do?
A/N: So has this little teaser sparked your curiosity? Well...you've got to tune in to the regular weekend update to find out what happens next ;) Till next time!