A/N: Thank you GuestM, Buckhunter, Guest, and SnidgetHex for reviewing!


Chapter 4

Gwen struggled as Sarrock dragged her down a dark stone passage, partly in defiance and partly in hysterics with the image of Elyan bleeding out on the floor burned into her memory. Sarrock opened a large cell door and flung Gwen inside. She landed on her hands and knees on a layer of hay.

Sarrock shut the door behind him and strode to the other end of the cell. Gwen's eyes widened when she saw a unicorn lying in the corner, an iron collar chaining it low to the wall so that there wasn't enough slack for it to stand. The creature tried to jerk away with a whinny as Sarrock approached, but it had nowhere to go. He grabbed the base of its horn roughly to hold its head in place, and then pulled out an iron file, which he began to rub vigorously against the top of the horn. Glittering granules fell into a bowl directly beneath it. The unicorn let out a distressed sort of squeal.

Gwen flicked an anxious look at the door, but she knew she'd never make it in an escape attempt. She didn't even know where Sarrock had magically transported them to.

Sarrock finished filing down the top of the unicorn's horn and picked up the bowl, then went over to a worn table against the wall where a collection of vials sat, along with an ornate goblet. Sarrock added the shavings to the cup, and a sharp odor filled the room. He took the goblet and turned toward Gwen.

Heart lurching with terror, she scrambled backward, but Sarrock uttered a spell, and chains suddenly jumped up from beneath the hay and snapped manacles around her wrists. Gwen let out a helpless cry as she tugged against the chains and Sarrock marched toward her, eyes hard.

"What are you doing?" she stammered fearfully.

He didn't answer and grabbed the back of her hair, wrenching her head up painfully. He brought the goblet to her mouth.

"No, please," she begged. "I-I'm pregnant."

"I know."

He pushed the rim against her lips, and Gwen tried to clamp her jaw shut, but a painful yank on her hair drew forth a cry, and then he was forcing the liquid down her throat. Gwen choked on the potion and her own tears.

When the goblet was emptied, Sarrock drew back, and Gwen dropped to the floor wracked with coughs. It was too late, though, she'd swallowed the potion. Sarrock set the goblet back on the table and then left, the sound of the lock clicking behind him.

Gwen doubled over with guttural gasps, clutching her stomach and sobbing for both her unborn child and her brother.


Arthur ordered every knight not seriously injured in the fight with the golem to go out and search for Guinevere. They had no idea how Sarrock had gotten her out of the castle or what direction they'd gone, so every inch of the kingdom needed to be scoured. Arthur even rode out himself, pushing an urgent pace as they tried to cover as much ground as possible. There was no sign of them. Arthur wanted to smash something.

"He probably used magic," Merlin spoke up. "They could have gone anywhere in the five kingdoms."

"Then use magic to find them!" Arthur snapped.

Merlin looked away, and Arthur clenched his jaw. He knew Merlin would do so if he could.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just worried."

"I know," Merlin replied quietly.

They rode on for a while longer until it started getting dark.

"Sire," Leon said gently, and Arthur knew they needed to turn back, but he was loath to abandon the search with his love and unborn child still out there.

"He took her alive," Leon continued. "He must have a reason, and it wouldn't be to kill her."

"There are other things he could be doing," Elyan said, distraught.

Arthur's chest constricted. He didn't want to imagine what Sarrock might be doing to Guinevere right now while they ran in circles. How was he supposed to return to the castle without her?

But he was king and as much as it pained him, he had to think like a ruler instead of a husband. So he nodded and turned his steed back toward the city. They would resume the search tomorrow, and the next day, for however long it took.

The knights moved their horses to follow, but Merlin didn't. He looked distracted as he canted his gaze through the trees.

"Merlin, what is it?" Lancelot called.

"I don't know. I think I hear something."

"Guinevere?" Arthur asked, a flicker of hope zinging through him.

Merlin slowly shook his head.

"A trap, then," Leon said.

Gwaine nudged his horse up alongside Merlin's and reached out to grab his arm as though he might ride off any second. Merlin didn't react to the knight's move.

"I think…maybe I should take a look," he said.

"And if it is a trap?" Percival asked.

Arthur turned his horse around. "It doesn't matter, not if it means we find Guinevere."

Merlin led the way deeper into the forest, following a sound apparently only he could hear. The knights all rode tensely, braced for an attack. But none came. They found no sign of Gwen or Sarrock, or anything else. When full night blanketed them in darkness, it was Arthur's turn to call it quits.

"Merlin," he called in defeat. "There's nothing out here."

Merlin's mouth pinched into a tight line as he scanned the woods. "I know there was something."

"There are any number of magical creatures in the forest," Lancelot pointed out. "Maybe you heard one of them."

Merlin frowned in thought.

"Let's head back," Arthur said, turning his horse around. "We'll return tomorrow."

And with that, they abandoned their search for the night and headed home in absolute dejection.


At first, nothing happened after Sarrock made Gwen drink his unknown potion. She cried herself out until her throat was raw and her head pounding, and then she drew herself up to lean back against the wall, the shock of everything leeching the strength from her. She looked over at her fellow prisoner. The unicorn was looking back, an entire universe in the depths of its mournful eyes. Gwen didn't know much about them, only that they were said to be rare and sacred and that killing one was a grave offense against the fabric of nature.

She now understood why Sarrock hadn't been cursed when he'd attacked and killed Anhora—he hadn't come to slay a unicorn but to capture one.

She wasn't sure how much later it was when a crippling pain gripped her stomach. She screamed and doubled over, arms wrapped around her belly. The spasms continued, cramping and crunching, and tears streamed down Gwen's cheeks in helpless despair for her baby.

When the pain finally petered out, she lay on the straw, body wracked with tremors and sobs. She lifted a shaky hand to her stomach. It felt a little firmer, possibly rigid from the muscle spasms. Another broken sob choked its way out of her throat.

Gwen didn't bother pushing herself off the floor, her grief a suffocating weight physically bearing her down into the stone. She had felt so hollow when her efforts to get pregnant kept failing; she had never imagined she could feel even more bereft. She cried for the child she'd wanted more than anything until her tears ran dry.

The door opened and Sarrock entered with a plate of food. He set it down within Gwen's reach without a word and left again. She didn't bother with it. What was the point? Sarrock had killed her baby and it was only a matter of time before he killed her too.

The unicorn let out a soft nicker, and Gwen lifted her head toward it. The creature shifted its legs through the straw bedding but couldn't stand. It nodded its head at her as though trying to reach out. Gwen finally pushed herself up with effort and dragged herself across the floor to the unicorn's side. It gently pressed its velvety muzzle against her face.

She reached up to stroke its forehead, and the two of them leaned into each other, mutual commiseration the only comfort they could offer. Night fell, and Gwen curled up against the unicorn's side and silently cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, Gwen was woken by the sound of the cell door grinding open. She bolted upright as Sarrock entered. He went for his work table and grabbed the bowl and iron file, then came over to the unicorn, who futilely tried to shy away. He grabbed the base of its horn again and wrenched its head down to the side at a painful angle.

"Stop it!" Gwen shouted reflexively and lunged to pull the man off.

It was a foolish move, as he simply backhanded her hard enough to send her to the floor. She heard him utter a spell, and her chains suddenly whipped up and around her waist and chest, binding her completely. She bit back a cry as she lay immobilized and Sarrock began to file more shavings off the unicorn's horn.

He took the bowl of powder to the table and dumped it in the goblet, then mixed in one of the vials. Gwen frowned in confusion when he brought the cup over to her. He'd already done his worst…

Bound as she was, she couldn't struggle as he gripped her face and pinched her cheeks, forcing her mouth open and pouring the liquid in. She coughed and choked; lying on her side made swallowing difficult and painful. But Sarrock had clamped a hand under her jaw and the other over her mouth, holding it closed as she bucked until everything had gone down. She broke down into sobs as he finally released her. The chains slithered off, and the sound of the door slamming shut resounded through the cell.

Gwen lay there for several long moments, bracing for the pain, or death, or whatever it was Sarrock wanted. Nothing happened right away. The unicorn whinnied, and Gwen finally pushed herself up and crawled back over to its side. When the pain came an hour later, it was excruciating. Gwen writhed in agony for hours, sweat drenching her dress and plastering her curls to her face. She wanted to die, but it never came. The unicorn nuzzled her face and snuffled in sympathy, unable to offer more comfort than that.

At long last it finally stopped, and Gwen moaned in abject misery. Why couldn't Sarrock just kill her? Why torture her like this?

She pressed a hand to her throbbing stomach, only to find a small bump. Squinting in confusion, Gwen slowly sat up and ran her hands over her rounded belly, unable to process the change she was feeling in her body.

The door opened and Sarrock brought in another plate of food and a pitcher of water.

"You need to keep up your strength," he said as he set them before her.

"What are you doing to me?" she rasped.

"I can't very well keep you imprisoned for several months waiting for you to give birth," he replied. "This way, Arthur's child will be mine in a matter of weeks."

Gwen's heart almost stopped beating as she looked up at Sarrock in horror. He smirked and then left, and Gwen wrapped an arm around her swollen baby bump protectively. Her child wasn't dead. It still lived inside her. But Sarrock was using magic to do something to it, to change it.

Fresh terror flooded through her, and Gwen once more broke down into gut-wrenching sobs, praying for Arthur to find her before it was too late.