You're a Queen

by AFY2018

*UPDATED* "Maybe like a Royalty AU?" paradox1n *UPDATED*

6. Chapter 6

"So, I was not able to find Apotho-Gary, but I did happen upon a few bandages and a jar of… something Stephani recommended to use," Waverly explained, walking into Nicole's room, "Did he recommend anything?"

"Yeah, I just needed the bandages," she shrugged.

"Oh, I guess it's just extra, then." Waverly placed the jar of salve on her desk and crawled onto the bed with Nicole, waiting as she pulled off her shirt. She removed the bandage from her back, "Ew, gross."

"What?"

"The cloth is just gross," she brushed aside, taking a wet rag to wash off the old salve and blood. "Have you been scratching it?"

"It's so itchy," she complained.

"It doesn't look worse, but it'd probably be better if you didn't pick at it, Nic," she informed her, drying off the water and applying some fresh salve. Waverly gently pressed the bandage until it stuck to her back, taking her bindings and wrapping her back up. She brushed her thumb against the part of her bandage that was sticking out, looking at another large scar that transversed her shoulder blades. "What happened here?" she asked, tracing the deep discolored scar with her finger.

Nicole pulled on her shirt and rested against the headboard. "An old scar I got while I was fighting in the Royal Army."

"You were in the Royal Army?"

"Everyone is, it's the King's Soldiers that get more of the elite training," she explained. "I got it in Italy, my only deployment out of the country. I was fighting in the Alpines when it happened. It's really beautiful, despite most of it being the backdrop of the Croats and Spaniards."

Waverly wiped her hands of the salve and laid down next to her, "How did it happen?"

"Some Uskok cavalryman got a good hit. I don't know why I didn't just unhorse him, I played dead and when the dust settled I stumbled into Lugano. This really nice Swiss family took me in for the night and redirected me to Gradisca so I could return to my commander."

"You went back to fight?"

"I had to. They all thought I was dead and ready to tell my family, so I returned so I wouldn't be disgraced and after three days I was in battle-ready condition," Nicole explained adding, "A very kind family to take me in."

"Who wouldn't want to take you in?"

Nicole picked up a book from the side table, flipping through it before continuing, "We painted those hills red that day, us and the Croats. War is ugly… scary… and I don't think Wynonna's ready to lead us into battle, not yet, anyway."

"What makes you think that?"

Nicole furrowed her brows and claimed, "I just feel it. Nevermind what I said. Thank you for the book, it's been a nice way to pass the time until I can patrol again."

"Really?" she tried to dismiss. "I can always get you new ones?"

As Waverly stood, Nicole dragged her back in bed, "You know, maybe I could give you a visit, have a reason to get out of my room other than food." She playfully pecked her forehead and cheek before pulling away. "Wait."

A brief knock on the door and Waverly slid off the bed and to the door to answer, her sister on the other side. "Hey, Wyn."

"Hello," she greeted. "Team Earp round-up, now. You don't have to hobble over, Haught."

Waverly nodded and closed the door as she left, turning back to her partner, "Don't push yourself, we need you. I need you."

She quickly gathered her bearings and joined the team in Curtis' office where a map was laid, markers placed just like old times. Wynonna stood between Dolls and John Henry, waiting on her sister to join.

"Now that everyone's here, what did you want to say?" The older Earp inquired.

John cleared his throat and placed a marker by their old cabin, "I saw a few Revenants prowling around the cabin. The good news is they have two fewer soldiers."

"Bad news?"

"They raided my liquor stash."

Waverly rolled her eyes at his plight, "Nicole wants to be ready for the fight, and her back is healing really quickly, so some more good news."

"Good because I did a body count. Svane has seventy-four to seventy-three soldiers," Wynonna noted from her journal.

"I still have a few more people who are almost in Purgatory on top of the ones who arrived yesterday," Dolls informed her. "But I have no idea if anyone else is coming to the rescue."

"Great, anything else?"

"Well, we can prepare the battlements while you guys infiltrate the camp, I mean a great scout who knows the area and a trained knight should help," Waverly suggested to them.

"Talking about trained soldiers, how many do we have?" Wynonna inquired, her sister's plans not relieving any of her anxiety about the battle.

"We have twelve trained citizens, ten guards, Team Earp and five knights," Dolls recited from memory, "So, thirty-two."

"Against seventy-four trained killers, great."

"Have hope, anything can happen. Especially with us training archers, I think we have a good chance of getting them to surrender."

"We need them to submit," Wynonna muttered, she covered her face with her hand and sighed, "Maybe we should push back the attack until Nicole's better. I think we'll have a better plan by then." She glanced at the doorway, seeing Nedley approach them. "How is the day treating you, with sweetcakes, I assume?"

"Svane's here, Wynonna."

"What?" she breathed, trying to regain composure as her sister watched her with wide eyes. "Okay, I'm on my way."

"What does he want?" Holliday asked.

"I don't know," her sister whispered as they followed Wynonna to the throne room.

They entered the main hall, the man in question standing with two burly henchmen by his side. It had been years since either Earp had seen him and he still evoked fear with his thin eyes and close-cut hair, now speckled with gray. Waverly always imagined him as a wolf, prowling and picking off the weak to feed his pack of ravenous Revenants. The henchmen were as imposing as their leader, their sunken eyes casting dark shadows in the light so they looked like bearded skulls on bloated corpses. Robert skulked to the throne until he was a mere yard from the ruling lady. Waverly stuck to the wall with John, trying to stay silent as the scene unfolded.

"Earp," he greeted in his gruff tone.

"Svane."

"So, are you willing to save your people and give me my rightful place or are you going to risk every innocent soul to prove a lost point in this senseless war?"

"You're right, this is a senseless war, we can compromise."

"Compromise," he chuckled. Svane pondered the thought for a moment and proposed, "Well, why don't you place your head on the block. No war, no scuffle, I let the rest of your family go. I'll give you until noon tomorrow to come up with an answer. If you say no, we'll go back to camp and prepare to storm Purgatory." Svane bowed, "M'Lady." As he stood, Robert rounded up his two goons and headed for the main entrance, snarling at Alonzo, who flinched.

Once the doors were closed behind him, Wynonna relaxed in her chair, pondering her choices while she heard John and Dolls bicker in the back of her thoughts. Her sister slid into view, holding her hand and trying to gain her attention. A moment passed of incoherent murmuring when her sister gently tapped her face.

"Wyn, are you okay?" her sister pleaded.

"Yeah," she whispered, the word just a ghost as she said it.

"What are you going to do, because you can't place your head on the block alone," she emotionally explained.

With all eyes on her, Wynonna stood up, looking at the guards, then her aunt, Nedley, the worried face of John, the deep and dutiful eyes of Dolls, and finally Waverly's petrified expression. "I haven't decided, but I do not plan to place my head on the black. We could always just kill him where he stands tomorrow," she suggested.

Unsettling silence echoed in the chambers, leaving Wynonna truly speechless as her sister wouldn't even return her gaze. Deciding to let them come to terms with their thoughts, she walked out of the main hall, letting the harsh slam of the door echo in the enclosed hallways. She listened to the voices that slipped through the cracks of the main hall, mostly Xavier and John still arguing about her from the coherent words she could pick up. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing anymore and escaped to the west wing, spotting Nicole picking at a piece of bread.

"Wynonna," she nodded, reading her expression as she got nearer. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, Svane popped by for a nice ultimatum chat. How's the bread, not moldy?"

"I mean, I would hope not- Svane stopped by, Robert Svane?"

"Son of Ulf Svane, bulky, hunch back, yes," she sighed. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," she whispered, pulling the door closed behind them.

Wynonna flung herself against the banister, gagging and retching until a bit of spit dribbled out of her mouth. Let go of the metal gate, trying not to accidentally break the only thing between her and the two-story fall. She closed her eyes and slid into the ground.

"Woah, woah," Nicole instantly cut in, kneeling by her side. "What happened, what did he say?"

"Oh god," she mumbled, "He gave me a chance to save everyone by sacrificing myself. I don't want to… but if I don't go along with him, he might kill everyone."

Haught nodded and placed her hand on her shoulder, "Okay, it's going to be okay. We will think of a way to get you out of there. We can trick them… or ambush them."

"There are seventy trained soldiers and only thirty of us. I would rather risk one life than that of truly innocent people," Wynonna choked out. "I've lived a good life." After a moment of solemn silence she groaned and muttered, "Oh god, Waverly, what do I tell her?"

"Nothing," Nicole assured her, "If we want to ambush the camp then we need them to think we aren't planning anything."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, switching topics.

"Oh, better, but I'm willing to fight for you two if it means possibly bringing peace to this area," she tried to explain.

"Can I stay here for a while? John and Xavier are fighting and I think Waves in shock still... I don't even know how to console her."

"Yeah, stay as long as you need to."

Nicole rested next to her, silence buzzing through the air as they stared ahead of them. The young knight glanced at Wynonna in her emotional state, holding her hand as they waited for the other to ask or respond to the event. She glanced at the scars on her arms then back to the young mistress of the manor.

Wynonna met her gaze with teary eyes, quickly wiping them away, "I guess storming the camp is dramatic enough for me."

"Of course you'd want a dramatic rescue," she snorted.

"I do have a flair for it," Earp bit the inside of her lip and shook her head.

"Are you afraid of dying?"

"Oh, why did you have to ask that?" she tried to laugh it off as tears came streaming down her cheeks. "Why am I crying, I'm not a fucking wuss."

"You're not a wuss for thinking about your mortality, Wynonna, because being vulnerable doesn't mean you're weak," she tried. "Only real cowards hold everything in. Just know that we're here for you, you are our leader, we are prepared to fight for you."

Wynonna stood in the throne room with Team Earp, closing her eyes as she tried to calm herself. Dolls placed his hand on her shoulder and handed her a dagger.

"No, I won't need it," she whispered to his shock.

Earp led them out of the manor and to the main road where Robert stood with a team of his own. He had his hands on his belt, a surprisingly tranquil demeanor to match his stance. Spectators waited behind the safety of their walls, blissfully unaware of their leader's sacrifice, and watched in silence. Robert stood his ground, impatiently looking at his palm and nails before letting out a loud sigh to signal the Earp's waning seconds. Wynonna approached her enemy until they were almost face to face. She saw every crow's talon in the corner of his eyes, the scars that littered his arms and face, and the queer ink designs that had been etched into his skin. He reeked of the woods and sweat from where she stood even though his skin was relatively clean. Standing before him, Wynonna found that he was not as intimidating as she had previously believed, the boogeyman was just that, a man, and all of the dim memories she had were too crowded in blood and misunderstandings from her fellow subjects for her to effectively reflect upon what truly occurred that night in the cabin, tearing Waverly from the arms of a Revenant before escaping to the safety of the manor.

She looked at the men behind him, then back to Robert, "Sacrifice one to save the many."

"Very poetic, Lady Earp, just like a real… Gibson," he tested, turning her around and tying her hands behind her back. As he wrapped the rope around her wrists and neck.

"WYNONNA!" the younger Earp called with a blood-curdling scream. She ran towards her sister, instantly getting yanked back by Holliday and Nicole. Frustrated tears trickled down her cheeks as she struggled in their vice grip on her shoulder and wrists.

"Your leader has decided to be so gracious to you all in sacrificing herself. Consider yourselves lucky, for now!"

"For now?" the older Earp choked.

Robert guffawed, leading his new prisoner to camp. "You really didn't think I would just leave this place be, did you?"

"You're a fucking liar," she seethed, spitting on his face.

"Cheeky," he turned back to the remainder of Team Earp, announcing, "Five days, we will bring your prized savior home for her execution. Just in time for Sunday Services."

"Like you believe in God, Robert."

"I must believe in something if I get the honor of ending your family's reign," he scoffed, before adding, "Besides I have a flair for the dramatic."

"Figures you're like Alkibiades."

Waverly bit John's hand and rammed her knee into Nicole's abdomen, sprinting to her sister before they could grab her again. She wrapped her arms around Wynonna's bound body, tears streaming down her face, "Please don't do this. I can't lose you again."

"Stay strong, baby-girl," she nodded, trying to keep herself together. One of Robert's goons roughly grabbed the rope around her neck and hands to lug the young lady over his shoulder, walking out of the town. "I guess you get another chance to rule."

Waverly sank to her knees, weeping as her sister was taken away. She watched as they disappeared over into the forest while Nicole helped her to her feet, walking her back into the confines of the castle. Her heartfelt heavy with grief at her sister's stupid decision while resentment filled her thoughts as they made their way to Curtis' Office. Dolls handed her a handkerchief while Nicole soothed her.

"We can't fight without Wynonna," Holliday sighed, glancing at the bite imprints on his hand. "And I don't think Lady Waverly is up to the task."

"I would agree that we need a leader in her place," Dolls agreed. "But we need to break her out."

"That's suicide, we're no better defending Purgatory with no army."

"So what, we just let her die, then?"

"Obviously she would rather us be here than risk the lives of her people."

"So you're just giving up, then?"

"I'm just not being impulsive."

"Like you would know anything about not being impulsive."

"I would think that a royal guard would be smarter than this," John spat back.

"Both of you silence yourselves," Nicole angrily interrupted, "We are going to infiltrate the camp on Saturday night and kill two birds with one stone. We take out the Revenants and save Wynonna in one fell swoop. The first attack will be executed by assassins to thin the herd of the sleepers and the second attack will be louder and finish off anyone else who poses a threat to us then release Wynonna."

"So a suicide rescue mission," Xavier broke down.

"I thought you wanted a suicide mission?" John sassed back.

"Okay, fine, this is an actual plan. Wait," he thought, "this is an actual plan."

"How did you prepare a plan so fast?" Waverly inquired, looking up from her stoop by the window.

"Look I-"

"Ser Dolls," Crofte asked from the other side of the door, opening in after a second, "You have guests."

"Thank you, Crofte," Xavier noted, ducking out of the meeting as prying eyes glared at Nicole.

"We need to focus on saving Wynonna, we'll regroup tomorrow," Nicole dismissed, leaving to tend to her burning back.

Waverly briefly followed her, "How are you so calm when all of this is happening around you?"

"Because it's my job to keep my head on straight."

She took the words to heart and closed her teary eyes, "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow, then."

"Waverly, I-" Nicole shook her head and focused on the more important task rather than trying to mend her love's feelings for the time being. "Fine, if that's what you want."

She sat by the window, watching the sun hide behind the mountains, waiting to feel any sense of sluggish slumber creep into her mind, but failing as she thought more about how her friend was fairing in enemy territory. Nicole sat back in the creaky chair, now partially fixed thanks to John's carpentry skills, closing her eyes as she visualized her plan, the fallouts and the sure holds that she felt they could rely upon. She thought about how Robert would prepare for any attack with ramped up security, but then pondered any sort of late-night event that might set fire to their only safeguards. Nicole counted the aid they had gained, only five soldiers but better than just her and Dolls.

Haught leaned forward, regretting the strain it put on her back but willing to take the slight pain as she got lost in thought about how to deal with Waverly in her emotional state. It saddened her deeply to see her so hurt and to feel powerless as she seemed to only add to her stress. Her mind fought against the love and heartache she felt for the younger Earp sister and the logical side that felt as though they must part until this moment had passed.

Nicole sat back in her chair, her mind flooding with the memories she had with Wynonna, the moments they seemed to get into trouble, tomfoolery that would have surely would have left her more familiar with the local pillory than she would have preferred. The jokes said over exhausting duels and games of chess, then the playful banter they would have for the next few hours until the sun rose. The books they poured over to learn what mess her ancestors had left behind and the carefully accounted treaties that bound the Revenants to the mountains and resulted in the Earps with power over the land. Ward had left behind a fragile tower that toppled the moment he died and now there was only the tiresome Carlos, stretched too thin in their own affairs to aid in such an intimate issue.

Her heart rate spiked when a loud knock broke her out of her thoughts. Nicole stood up and answered, Waverly on the other side. "Hi, would you like to come in?" she carefully offered.

"Yes, please," she murmured. Waverly closed the door behind herself and explained, "I can't sleep."

"Oh, what time is it?"

"Around eleven."

"I guess I can't either then," she breathed in surprise.

"I can't stop thinking about her being trapped with those berserkers."

"She's fine, Robert wouldn't let them harm her before… besides, she's strong, they're probably pissing themselves." Seeing that her words did nothing to console her, Nicole grabbed a book, "Maybe a bit of reading will help, it puts me right to sleep."

They sat in the bed, fleeting looks passed between one another as they crawled under the sheets. Waverly took a book from the nightstand, Tom a Lincoln, and flipped through it, skimming the first chapter to see if it seemed interesting enough. Nicole held the candle while her partner recited the novel, rarely pausing except to blush at a few risque passages. She scooted closer to her, keeping the candle close enough to read the words in the darkroom, with an arm wrapped over her shoulder as they settled into bed. Her eyes glanced over the script to keep pace with Waverly, every moment or so getting distracted by her illuminated profile.

At the end of the chapter, Earp closed the novel, replacing it where she found it while Nicole blew out the candle. She felt Waverly curl into her, an arm draped over her stomach as she tried to rest. Nicole found Waverly's hand in the darkness, lifting it to her lips as a sign of sympathetic remorse, and traced the lines in her palm she wanted to memorize. Waverly carefully lifted her head from her lover's chest and tipped her head down, her lips drifting from her chin until she found her lips. Nicole felt warm tears fall from her eyes then between their kiss, mixing as they held onto one another. Waverly pulled away first to wipe away her beloved's tears and rested her head against her sternum. With eyes wide open, Waverly looked at the pitch-black silhouette above her that began to visibly nod off. Morbid curiosity began to eat away at her while the night encroached upon her until she could hold in her question anymore.

"What if we fail?" she whispered into Nicole's collar bones.

"I don't plan on letting that happen."

In the early hours of their first day without Wynonna, Nicole stirred awake from a stray ray reflecting off of her mirror. She turned away from the light, now face to face with her partner, and pecked Waverly's cheek. Upon recalling the previous events that led to them in the same bed, Haught's stomach began to churn again which made it harder to fall asleep again. She carefully slid her arms from under Waverly's neck and scooted away until she was out of bed. Nicole grabbed her clothes and escaped to their washroom to change, busying herself with perfecting her plans while sorting through her other affairs before yesterday's traumatic incident. As she pulled on her trousers, Nicole focused on figuring out where she came from. She had approached the question from multiple angles from the brief excerpts of Curtis' writings of Bulshar, her previous run-ins with the name, and debating whether to write to her parents about the cultist in question or to perform her own investigation. Now, she pondered if Dolls may have known something else about him, curious if his work with the King may have exposed him to more information. Nicole knocked on Xavier's door, waiting patiently as he appeared dressed professionally for the day.

"Dame Haught, good morning," he neutrally greeted.

"Good morning, Dolls," she nodded, "I was wondering if you could help me with something personal."

"Right now?" he asked with a dramatic yawn.

"You, tired?" Nicole joked.

"Um," Dolls pondered before closing the door behind himself. "What seems to be bothering you?"

They began to walk to Curtis' office, "Do you happen to know anything about Bulshar or his cult?"

"What do you know of him?" he inquired, closing the office door.

"Not much, Wynonna mentioned that he was a cultist, Lord Curtis mentioned that he was in this area, and I can't stop thinking about that name. It has something to do with my childhood and to be completely honest, I am quite tired of running in a circle."

Dolls nodded, standing at attention, "He is a cultist from Inis Mor. It is only a rumor, but apparently, he has an army of Cannibals he brought back from the New World."

"Okay," she sighed, "that sounds like a huge stretch, but thank you."

"Be wary, Haught, because while the cannibals may be a rumor, his power is most certainly not."

"What else do you know?"

"It's only word of mouth, but I do know someone who knows much more than I," Xavier explained, taking a moment before promising, "I will ask if they are willing to speak to you or at least tell me what they know of him."

"Thank you Dolls," she nodded.

"Are you sure you want to explore this path?"

"Why is everyone so cryptic about him? What has he done? Why haven't I heard of him?" Nicole impatiently inquired.

"He has committed hundreds of massacres, a mercenary turned cultist," he explained, pulling out a map of the valley. "How is Lady Waverly fairing?"

"Not well," she honestly admitted.

"Maybe she needs a guiding force to help her right now," he suggested, glancing up as he found a few weights.

"Okay," Haught reluctantly agreed, making her way back to her room.

The young knight crept through the halls to her door, quietly slipping through the crack and taking light steps until she was by Waverly's bedside. Nicole leaned over, pecking her temple, and gently stirring her awake. She watched as her teal eyes peacefully fluttered open, trying to brush away the filter of slumber. Regarding the sleeping beauty before her made her heart swell with affection, forcing the corners of her mouth perk with excitement and her heart to pound in her chest. Taking the time to memorize every feature reminded her of the imminent danger they were to face, the possibility of losing her, it was enough to give her an anxiety attack.

"You waited," Waverly joked, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing new," she hummed.

"Yeah, I understand. I wish yesterday was a nightmare. I just- I wish I knew what to do," she finished in a whisper, adding after a momentary breath. "I also wish I would stop getting so emotional."

Nicole furrowed her brows and shook her head. "It's okay. We have an idea of what we want to do and people to help."

"It's going to take a miracle."

"Well then that's what we'll pray for," Nicole stated with a shrug. She glanced around the room, looking for Waverly's coat and asked, "Would you like to go to the atrium with me?"

"Isn't it snowed shut?"

"Most definitely, but I'd like to make sure it's not in horrid shape by the time Spring arrives."

Waverly smirked and shook her head, "No thank you."

"What about the ballroom? I know the servants have been sprucing it up a bit since you mentioned hosting again."

"I just… I need some time to think, sweetie," she murmured.

Nicole respectfully nodded before mentioning, "I'm going to be in the atrium if you need me, then."

She meandered to the atrium's door, pushing it a few times until it cracked open. Nicole glanced down to the snow blocking the entrance and pushed it until it finally cleared a path. She stumbled through, hearing the doorway crack as a piece came loose which she tossed to the side before looking at the white blanket that covered the garden and gazebo. The old trench shovel had been covered by a pile of snow in the corner of the atrium. She climbed over the stack and yanked it from its spot, tumbling back as it came loose, and began to dig a path through the atrium. It surprisingly cleared her mind to perform such a menial task but something about packing a barrier flat and keeping such an important space clean for Wynonna gave her hope for their hail-mary strategy. She sat on the steps of the gazebo, only distracted when she saw Waverly in the North passage doorway.

"Hello," she greeted in surprise. "You know, I think Wynonna has taken time out of her winter to keep the Gazebo clear. It's actually quite nice, even though I feel like I'm freezing my… brain off. Oh, and the door needs to be repaired… I don't know how it happened," Nicole squinted her eyes as her partner seemed to refuse to enter the atrium. "Are you alright?"

Waverly shook her head, "How can you be so calm when all of this is happening. Wynonna could be getting tortured as we speak and you're cleaning an ancient gazebo. We don't have time to waste, Nicole."

The young knight rose to her feet, taking a few tentative steps towards her, "I mean, people are coping in their own ways. And besides, we can't just storm the camp five different ways, we need to be unified in our plan."

"Well, then why aren't we doing that instead?" Waverly took a breath, turning her head to no longer meet Nicole's gaze, like a resentful child. "Let's gather the troops," she firmly commanded. Nicole followed her out, closing the doors behind herself as their leader collected her soldiers. They passed the office where Dolls and his colleagues poured over a map of the area, arguing over the capabilities of the citizens. "Dolls, bring your teammates to the main hall."

"Ma'am, what seems to be the matter?" he inquired.

"We're rounding up Team Earp," she informed him, going to her next destination.

"Yes, ma'am."

Without turning around, she asked Nicole, "Do you know where John might be?"

"In Shorty's?"

"Go fetch him, drag him by the collar if need be."

Nicole nodded, concerned by the new tone her beloved took. "Yes, ma'am."

She glanced over her shoulder, watching as she confidently strode through the halls, before continuing to Shorty's tavern. Just as she thought Doc sat at the counter with a few locals and chatted up the bartender with a brew in his hand. He turned his head in Nicole's direction, nodding at her before continuing to partake in his social hour. Once she told him about Waverly's meeting, though, he finished off the stein and followed her to the castle, being late as the others- including Dolls colleagues and their guards- filled the room. Nicole joined her fellow peer by Waverly's side before the throne, noticing how she momentarily glanced at the chair behind her with a faltered frown. Earp turned back to the group, standing much more confidently than she had the previous months.

"We have four days until Wynonna's execution, so we need a set plan on how we can retrieve her. Sneaking her out would prove near impossible without a skirmish, so I propose sticking with Dame Haught's plan of assassinating sentries and storming the camp. John Henry, what do you know of the camp's whereabouts?"

"It's situated in the center of Lovers' Pass, flanking is impossible. They have archers on either side of the pass with alarms. We can only hit them from the West or East entrance so if we put archers on the peaks, it'd be like shooting fish in a barrel."

"Do we have enough archers?"

"Only the Sawyers, other than that, no one trained enough with a bow and arrow," Nedley informed her.

A young brunette soldier of Dolls spoke up, "Since storming seems to be our main option, I insist that we surround your guards to protect them from sparring against the Revenants."

"Well, this is still an uneven match. They have sixty-seven soldiers, I count nineteen in the room," Xavier cut in.

Waverly nodded and explained, "If we slip a few assassins in through the peak and storm in the morning. Does anyone have anything to comment or say in protest?"

Doc nodded, "How are you planning on getting your assassins in there, the peak is jagged and forty feet high."

"Ropes."

"Then who are you planning on sending in there, because I must point out that neither you nor I are trained to be silent, Dame Haught is far too injured, and Dolls' single thing going for him is that his skin is as dark as the night," he candidly stated.

"Yorkie and I can slip in," a blonde woman from Dolls' troop volunteered. "We're small enough they wouldn't even notice. You could lower us into the peak and we'll hide there until morning."

"Waiting until morning is far too dangerous, we could use the darkness to our advantage," a greying soldier piped in.

"I agree, take out the sentries and a few other soldiers then signal us when we should storm," Dolls concurred.

"Any further questions?" Waverly inquired, earning no response, "Alright, you are all dismissed."

As their soldiers retreated to their quarters to regroup, Waverly faced her sister's throne which sparked another wave of insecurity with her plan and power. She looked at the new scuff marks her sister had added to the old chair and smirked at the placement, knowing her sister never sat properly, her usual rebellious nature towards their father. Earp's attention was drawn to John as he tried to grab her attention.

He glanced around the room before whispering, "I know it isn't my place, but not all of those people deserve to be harmed. There are some good people who have made a family with Robert and his men."

"Doc, I appreciate your input, but Svane doesn't want to compromise, and to be completely honest, they are just as guilty as their family who has attacked us and now kidnapped Wynonna."

"Where will the survivors go once this is all said and done? They are not welcomed here and their home will be completely destroyed by the end of this."

"You're right they won't have a place here," Waverly confirmed, "because even their least imposing members are just as big of a threat as Svane himself."

John nodded, taking umbrage from her words, "Do you find me threatening?"

"I assume you've picked your side, John Henry, and I suggest that you stick to it," she finished. Holliday took a deep breath and escaped the chambers. Waverly approached Dolls and requested, "I want you to keep an eye on him."

She watched as he left, catching Nicole in the corner of her eye. The last thing Waverly wanted was to be guilted by someone else she loved. Continuing on her previous task, she began towards her sister's room, hearing Nicole follow her. She gritted her teeth as she ran through the possible statements her partner would say about her newfound aggression or her hostility towards an ally. At the foot of her sister's bed, she stared down at the letter, having not dared touch it when she first saw it and picked it up. It frustrated her to see another letter possibly filled to the brim with bad news and depressing farewells. She let out a shuddering breath, tearing apart the thick paper until it was just stripped in her hands. Waverly turned around, dropping the pieces as she came face to face with her young guard. Nicole closed the door and picked up the fragments, looking down at the product of her anger.

"I never thought I would see the legendary Lady Earp," she chuckled. With the levity aside, Nicole furrowed her brows and asked, "What happened with John?"

"Don't worry about it," she tried to assure him. "I have it under control." Waverly picked the pieces from her hands, tears forming in her eyes as she caught a few of the words.

Nicole reached out to hook her hand around the back of her neck. "Hey, baby, what's going on?"

Shoving the pieces in her pockets, she tearfully seethed, "Why is it always letters?"

"Okay," she comforted, pulling her into a loose embrace. "What do you mean?"

Waverly squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight back more tears as she pulled away, "My mother wrote us all letters when she abandoned us, Wyn did the same thing when she originally left, and now it's another fucking letter."

Nicole nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks, and waited a few moments before stating, "You know, I wish it were different, that we didn't have to be stuck with all of this, but… if she wrote you a letter, it might be important?"

Waverly considered her opinion but still couldn't muster looking at the words, so she simply intertwined her hands with her partners, trying to breathe evenly in her first truly lucid moment since she originally noticed the letter. She felt her tears dry to a thin saline crust and wiped away the remains with Nicole's eyes still very much transfixed on her.

"I'm just not ready to say goodbye."

"No one is, but we keep moving on because that's what we do," Nicole assured her.

Waverly stood up on her toes and pecked her, slinking her arms around her neck as her partner tentatively slid her hands down to her waist to hold onto her slim frame. It felt affirming, being able to cling to her, even though she knew the younger Earp, and her older sibling for that matter viewed her as the rock of the manor. Nicole felt unsure, for the first time, about the future, and having so much responsibility for this band of misfits was not what she originally signed up for.

Waverly pulled away and gently placed her hand on Nicole's neck, her thumb brushing against her cheek, "I'm just- I need to, I don't know."

"It's okay, come on, let's go for a walk," she suggested. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, or you can say everything you're thinking about."

Waverly agreed and chuckled, "Do you think I scared them?"

"You scared me a bit, too. It's kind of enthralling, I must admit."

"Really?" she cheekily teased.

Waverly pulled on her nightgown, emptying out the pockets of her dress. She retrieved the scraps of paper and laid them out on Nicole's bed, glancing up at her for any response at all.

"How good are you at puzzles?"

"Not great, but I'll help," she shrugged. Waverly shrugged and began to unravel the letter, placing the edges down and filling it out. "You really did a number on this letter."

"I'm stronger than I look."

"That's for damn sure," she murmured.

"Wyn's had a bigger effect on your speech than my books, I see."

"She's a bad influence," Nicole joked as her partner read through the letter.

"Wait, wait…"

"What?"

"Come on," she invited, throwing on a thick coat.

"What is it?" Nicole called after her as she headed to the atrium.

"There's a reason why the gazebo looked so good," Waverly explained. Once enclosed in the garden, she continued, "Wynonna hid Peacemaker in there."

"Where, under the floorboards?"

"That's what she said," she confirmed, kneeling on the ground to search for a loose board. "Can you help me?"

Nicole looked around the dark gazebo, wishing she had brought the candle. After shifting and pulling at the boards, she found one the steps that she had to shimmy from its place. Waverly rushed to her side and removed the wrapped weapon, kneeling on the damp ground as she pulled Peacemaker from the sheath.

"Wait, wasn't Peacemaker a firearm?" Nicole inquired.

"It was, but Wynonna had it turned into a short sword," she explained, turning it in her hands, looking at the name pressed into the blade and the belt that garnered the names of previous leaders carved into the leather.

"Where's your name?"

"I never had it in my hands," she shivered as she looked at the old metal.

"Let's go back inside," Nicole suggested, shoving the plank back in place and leading her back to her room.

It called out to her, echoing in her thoughts like an enchanted item from old English folklore until she couldn't help but stare at Peacemaker at the foot of her bed. She glanced at Nicole, who was still fast asleep, then to the brightening day before looking back at the sword. Waverly wasn't sure why it drew her so much or why it seemed to be calling out to her. It was originally an ancient gift Wyatt was given when he ascended the throne, but in its new form, something about it seemed familiar, almost calling out into a lost void.

"Hey, sweetheart, are you okay?" Nicole whispered.

"Yeah," she murmured.

"Okay… I mean, I love you too, but you're starting to hurt my hand," her partner responded.

"Oh, sorry." Waverly let go of her hand.

As Nicole began to assure her, Crofte knocked on their door so she quickly covered herself up and answered. He seemed completely wiped from running around the day before as he informed her about guests that arrived the night before. Baffled, she requested to meet them in their quarters at the inn, letting him go as she dealt with whatever misunderstanding had occurred. Nicole turned back around, quickly changing into her uniform, while Waverly watched her.

"I thought no one accepted your letters?" Earp asked and tossed her belt at her.

"I have no idea," she pondered while pulling her scabbard back onto her belt. "Would you like to join me?"

"I guess I should if they claim to want to help?" Waverly agreed, sliding out of bed.

She began towards her room, pulling on clothes while Nicole waited outside. As she exited, she was handed Peacemaker which she quickly tightened around her hips.

"Don't want anyone to get their hands on it," Haught reminded.

"Thanks, sweetie," she nodded, punctuating her gratitude with a quick peck.

They sped walked to the local inn, Nicole taking the lead as she found their obvious guests eating around a table. None of them were familiar to her. They all wore varying fashions as they talked and bantered in a foreign language. The man who seemed to be the leader sported a finely groomed light brown mustache and goatee- like the others- but wore finer clothes than the others with a high lace collar that delicately fell over his neck. He had a sash of blue white and red which seemed to be sewn from his shoulder to his obliques. Nicole cleared her throat, standing tall as they looked at her and Waverly.

"I assume you to be the Lady of this fief," the blond soldier inquired, looking between the two of them.

"Yes, and who might you fine gentlemen be?" Waverly answered.

The eldest guest stood before them and nodded, "I am Ser Hendrick de Behr. This is Heyman de Jong, Allard Jansen, Seurt Bakker, and Ser Wyd van Dijk," he introduced in order of a greying blonde man, a black-haired gentleman who hadn't spoken a word to anyone, the bare-faced blonde kid who had addressed them first, and another brunette with a full beard. "Madame Shaelynn Rede of Leeds told me of your situation. She seemed correct in noting that it would only get worse."

"Candidly put, but I must admit that she was correct. I plan on bringing the team together by noon in the throne room where we will brief you on the situation."

"Yes, madam," he agreed with a polite nod.

Walking back to the manor, Waverly mentioned, "I guess you and Shaelynn are on good terms."

"Madame de Behr," she noted.

One midnight left and even with a solid plan in place and a larger army with the element of surprise on their side and a flare for the dramatic couldn't dissipate Waverly's lingering fear. She finally escaped her bed in the pitch-black room and used the light from the moon to find a spot by the window. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about her possible demise at the hand of a revenant. She closed her eyes, feeling her head buzz from slight drowsiness and fear, while she waited for the minutes to pass. Her sister's farewell echoed in the back of her mind, clouding her thoughts until she couldn't help but look at the dark silhouette of her partner in their bed. Nicole slowly sat up, her eyes darting around as she approached her, kneeling by her side.

"Hey," she whispered, "come back to bed, you need to sleep." Haught found her hand and kissed her knuckle, looking up at her to read her expression.

"In a while, I just… I wish I could be as confident as Wynonna. She would be able to lead us without a second thought and I'm just unsure if we'll succeed?" Waverly confided in her. She took a deep breath, pecking Nicole's forehead before regarding the moonlight that glanced across her features. "I'm just tired of regretting things, and that includes how I've loved you." She stood up, helping her to her feet, "I love you, really, and I would do anything to protect you from all of this. I don't want you to get hurt again, because it killed me the first time."

"I love you, too," Nicole whispered through another more heated kiss.

Waverly stood by her partner's side as Dolls and Hendrick prepared their soldiers for the first half of their plot. She noted Xavier's lingering eye contact with the blonde soldier she learned to be Eliza, taking a moment to hand her a token before the four soldiers left. The remainder of the Purgatory army began to pack their personal totems and prepared their weapons while they waited for the sun to set, finally making their way towards Lovers' Pass. Trudging through the low snow that covered the woods, now freezing over as the day grew dimmer. Nicole could hear some of her soldiers praying, some joking in a hushed tone while many of the other more professional knights silently focused on the plan, running through their duties as to not get murdered.

Finally in the clearing before the pass, waiting for their signal to attack, everyone went silent. Hunkering down in the trees, they would momentarily trade glances with one another, those who had never fought now realizing the reality of their situation that even the experienced soldiers felt in their bones. The numbers echoed in Waverly's head, her hand clamped around Peacemaker to stop it from calling out for blood. She took a few slow breaths that seemed to only exacerbate her panic until Doc knelt down next to her, giving her a firm nod. He was still a mystery to her but as he looked at the pass, she felt that he was on their side, whatever that meant in the long term. Waverly took one final breath as she listened in for any kind of disturbance that might have signaled their assassin's job being foiled, but nothing came.

Nicole peered around the top of the mountain, her eyes never leaving until the beacon was lit. She felt every ounce of blood pump through her body and the winter air that chilled her windpipe as anticipation itched at her muscles. Unable to hold still, she slowly stood but got stopped by Xavier, he shook his head, putting his finger to his lips and held out a small handful of leaves, placing one between his teeth to chew as Nicole accepted the other one and copied his actions. The bitter leaf stayed mostly intact as she chewed it, becoming slightly gummy before they both spat it out. They could hear a ruckus from the camp, music blared from the pass which only increased her agitation until all she could do was dig her feet and hands in the snow to prevent herself from flying in there. Rustling and shifting grew as even the Dutch soldier became restless waiting for their brother to light the brazier and Nicole couldn't help but share their worry when the music pouring from the camp grew more impassioned.

In a swell of adrenaline, everyone tore into action once a bright green light burned from the top of the peak. Waverly and Doc flew in, protected by their comrades with a satchel containing the proper arms for their assassins. Racing through the snow, leaving dark footprints behind as they stormed the moderately empty looking camp. They happened upon the scene that had previously provided folk music, drums laid out, and barrels of lager as the soldiers watched the Purgatorian knights storm their land. A few watched in wonder while others ran to arm themselves in the chaos. Waverly couldn't make sense of what was happening, her first time on a battlefield and the guerilla tactics they had planned seemed to be too rampant an approach for even her. A rough hand grabbed her as Yorkie pulled her into the bushes, taking her bag and pulling out the meager armor they had packed in it. She turned her around for a brief second, speaking to her through the young Lady's frightened reaction, finally punching her shoulder enough to almost dead arm her.

"Cover us," she barked.

Waverly nodded, getting pushed back out into the bloody mess before her. Doc grabbed her arm and dragged her into the fray, digging his knife into the back of a Revenant's neck. With a firm grip on the handle, he ripped it out with a firm kick to his back.

"Come on," he called to her, ducking as a Revenant swung an ax at him.

Waverly rammed Peacemaker into his stomach, quickly pulling it from his gut, watching blood pour and pool on his shirt. In horror, she stumbled back only to be stopped by Eliza racing from her spot in the bushes now clad in her armor, weapon drawn to protect John and the Earps.

Another burst of energy quickly heated her blood when she followed Eliza into the fray, searching for her sister. She spotted Dolls and Nicole fighting to push the revenants back, leading their guards in a blurry haze of metal and gore. Waverly slipped through the cracks of legs and bodies, deflecting the falling bodies until Nicole was only a meter away.

"Hey, Nicole," she called out, tossing Peacemaker to her.

The young knight fumbled with the blade, catching it before it hit the ground. She watched as Waverly disappeared once more into the fight behind her soldiers who were quickly getting overwhelmed. Nicole deflected an attack from a lanky Revenant and quickly kicked him to the ground while her mentor pushed them forward once more to a small clearing.

"There!" Xavier called, pointing to a vertical log that had been driven into the ground. "By the bonfire, come on!"

Nicole quickly nodded as they fought their way to their leader, dodging and striking whatever stood before them until they got to Wynonna and cut her free.

"Took you guys long enough," Eart chuckled while pushing the ropes off of her lap.

"I thought you wanted it to be dramatic," he jibed.

Nicole spun around as another Revenant fell at her feet and tossed Peacemaker at her, "Wanna join in?"

"Didn't your mom ever warn you about playing with knives?" she teased. Wynonna hopped out of the way of another opponent's longsword, driving her trusty weapon through his ribs, tearing it out fast enough to shock herself. "I will never know why my Grandfather turned it into a firearm."

"Little help, here!" Nicole called when a Revenant had her pinned on the ground.

Dolls rushed over, kicking him to the ground while Wynonna defended his back, deflecting the brute attacks of a young man with a shortsword and shield. As the tides turned, Wynonna regarded the torrid assault of blood sweat and screams that filled the pass. Bodies covered the camp enough to create puddles of blood from Purgatorian citizens and defectors. The trio looked at one another before turning to find Robert. With most of the herd thinned, they wove through the wreckage, finding Robert sparring with Alonzo, taking him to the ground with a swift knee to the groin and driving the blunt end of his ax into the young guard's face. Nicole looked away, sickened by the brute way he ended her colleague's life, but not before she caught a glimpse of the two corpses already at his feet. Yorkie was just a limp body, her head partially decapitated as her blood still spurted from the open wound, and another much older guard, Paul, who squirmed and cried from his mangled leg.

Once Alonzo sank to the ground, Robert looked up at the trio. "Is it too late for a truce?" Wynonna stormed at him, blade at the ready as he swung at her. She slashed his knuckles while she smashed the hilt of Peacemaker into his nose, making him stagger back. "That was smart."

She drove her knee into his groin while her teammates pulled him to the ground, leaving their leader to talk to him. "You lost your fucking chance to a truce a long time ago, Robert."

"God damn you, Earps," he chuckled, spitting a mouth full of blood in her face.

"Tie him up," Wynonna ordered over his low voice still spitting out curses.

Dolls hit Svane in the back of the head with his sword's hilt, watching him slump while he tied him to a pole. He watched his friends regard the bloody scene before them. Some Revenants fled to the woods, racing past them in a flurry of snow and blood as a loud cloud covered the moon, leaving only red flames to illuminate the night.

"This is a mess," Wynonna admitted.

"It's not over yet," Xavier informed her.

"Then let's finish what we started. Nicole and I are going to search the tents. I need you to help them out on the front lines," she commanded.

Haught briefly reveled in her leader's sure tone and attitude in the wake of such turmoil, how composed she was in the face of her captor who most definitely allowed his men to lay hands upon her by the bruises that raised over her skin and the slices that scabbed over her arms. They ran through the smoke-laden snow that enclosed the pass in a suffocating blanket of hazy adrenaline. With no one seeming to hide within the enclosed area, Wynonna inhaled the tense air as she took inventory of the carnage. Two knights and four guards lost in the battle, not bad considering how one-sided it seemed. They returned to the pole they had tied Robert against only to find it empty. Bind rage filled her veins as she looked around the pass to find where that snake was hiding.

"Gather the troops to return home," she blankly ordered, "and get Doc."

"Yes ma'am," Nicole agreed.

Once the young knight had disappeared, Wynonna seethed out a strangled scream of anguish. She stabbed Peacemaker into the ground over and over again until she was forced to stop.

"He left a trail," Holliday assured her, pointing at the blood.

"How can you tell it's his?"

"It leads away from the fight," he confidently guessed.

He followed the bloody path that weaved through broken pavilions and opened to the Talliner woods. As the blood ran dry, they followed his tracks a bit further until those too seemed to stop. John looked around the trees to search for any kind of marker or hint of Svane's whereabouts. With no luck, Wynonna once again gave into her rage by punching a tree, recoiling in pain against another solid oak.

"I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL FIND YOU, SVANE!" she wailed into the pitch-black night.

John guided her back to the camp where they packed up their gear and headed towards the Earp manor. The sun began to rise, signaling for those who remained to begin digging makeshift graves for those who were lost. Nicole and Xavier pulled out their soldiers, doing their best to clean their faces and make them partially presentable before moving onto the Revenants. As they searched through Robert Svane's tent, Nicole sorted through a few letters between Robert and a man from the Isle of Man.

"What is this?" she whispered, looking at the cultist items that littered the area. Xavier picked up a branding iron, showing it to his partner, "Wait, I recognize that."

"I was afraid you would," he mentioned. Dolls bound Robert's journals and letters in twine, then handed them to Nicole. "When we get back to Purgatory, I want you to ask Eliza, she knows much more than I."

"Thank you," she breathed, packing the evidence in her satchel. "I need some fresh air..."

Nicole walked out of the gruesome leader's quarters, looking to the sky for any sort of divine sign of her desires. She closed her eyes at a stray snowflake that fell on her cheek, before feeling it get wiped away. She dropped her head to Waverly's teal eyes, a soft smile spreading across her lips.

"Thanks," she chuckled. Waverly nodded and pulled her down into a gentle kiss. "Mm, maybe when we don't have someone else's blood on our faces." Waverly knelt down and grabbed a handful of white snow. "No, no, you are an adult-" she tried to protest before getting a face full of icy water then a warm soothing kiss from her lover.