Chapter 16 – Life and Death

Thomas quickly made sure that no one was following him and began rushing down the corridor to his right. He didn't have long to pull this off. He had lost all three of his prisoners and he was going to make sure he didn't leave this castle empty-handed. He was disgusted by all the happy pictures lining the halls as he made his way, left and right swiftly moving along the path Salazar had given him.

He could see the doorway now; it was slightly ajar, obviously not locked. He smiled to himself thinking that Max just makes things too easy sometimes. He drew his wand and crept forward slowly sliding the door open further. He could see James standing over the figure in the bed. Thomas grinned maliciously as he brought his wand down in a violent slashing motion and laughed as a great bloody gash opened in the back of James' robes revealing a deep cut.

"Too easy." He mumbled as he stepped over James' body and severed the ties holding Salazar to his bed. "You are beginning to be more trouble than you're worth boy. Enervate."

Salazar's eyes opened and he sat up. Thomas just glared down at him and ordered him to move now. Salazar could see the fury in Thomas' eyes and did not wait to be told a second time. He quickly jumped off the bed and ran to the door. Thomas moved to follow the boy but stopped and turned back looking at James. He smiled again as he pocketed his wand and lifted James' body, dragging him over to the doorway. He propped the body against the back of the door and drew his dagger from its sheath and drove it through James' wrists pinning him to the door his feet dangling several inches from the floor.

"Goodbye James," Thomas cackled as he closed the door and hurried for his carriage outside.

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Alexandria sighed as she looked at Godric's limp form lying in his bed as the two servants who had put him there left the room. She closed the door gently and locked it magically.

"Come on Helga. I think you should go and get some rest as well. That must have been very traumatic, sweetie." She hugged Helga tightly and walked her to her room tucking her in.

"I love you so much, mum," Helga said as a tear leaked from her eye.

"I love you too sweetie." She replied as she kissed her on the forehead and got up walking to the door. "Sweet dreams."

The door clicked as it shut and Alexandria rested her head against the wood for a moment, gathering herself. Then she briskly walked down to Rowena's room to help her husband treat her wounds. The halls seemed dark and empty as she walked, without the laughter of the three happy children to brighten them up. When she arrived at Rowena's door she swung it open to find no one else in there. She walked over to the bed and sat next to Rowena who stirred.

"Godric?" She asked softly, the sound cracking slightly as it passed her dry lips.

"No dear it's me Alexandria. Everything is going to be alright." She replied softly running her fingers through Rowena's dirty hair.

"Thomas," Rowena started as Alexandria places her finger against her lips.

"Ssshhh. You need to rest."

Max entered quietly behind her walking over and resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Alexandria. I can't find James. Have you seen him?" He asked quickly.

"He went to check on Salazar dear."

"Please," Rowena whispered gently reaching for Alexandria's hand. "It's important. Thomas said once he finished with us, he was going to come back here and get Salazar. He's going to..." Her voice trailed off as she passed out again.

A terrible thought passed through her mind as she considered what Rowena had just told them. "Oh, Max. James."

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Max didn't need to hear any more than that and quickly ran out the door rushing towards Salazar's room. He threw the door inwards seeing an empty room. But he heard a low moan coming from inside. He looked down at the floor and saw that blood was slowly spreading outwards from the door. He stepped over the scarlet pool and looked around the room again, pushing the door further as he moved.

There was an almighty yelp as the door struck the wall. Max turned and looked, but the door hadn't hit the wall. Something was stopping it reaching. He reached out and swung the door closed and gasped loudly as he saw James dangling by his hands blood flowing from where the dagger held him to the door.

"Oh James. I'm so sorry. Hold on." He said as he grabbed his friend around the waist to take the weight as he pulled the dagger from his wrists.

James screamed as the jagged blade tore at his flesh on its way out. His arms fell to his side as he lacked the energy to hold them up himself. Max quickly carried him over to the bed and tore the hangings from the bed and tied them over the wounds trying to stay the bleeding.

"James? Can you hear me?" Max questioned gently tapping his friend's cheek. "Please stay with me." He begged.

James opened his eyes and looked up at Max as a small smile spread gently across his features. "Don't worry my friend. I am happy to have spent my life serving you." Alexandria walked into the room as Max knelt beside James crying. "I'll be sure to say hello to Nicole for you. Goodbye, my friend." James said as he closed his eyes and leant back and took his final breath.

"Goodbye, my friend," Max said as he broke down.

Alexandria walked over to his shaking form and slid her hands around him holding him closely.

ϟ

Godric woke up slowly, his body aching as though he hadn't moved in days. He noticed that his clothes had been changed and someone had washed him. He wondered how long he had been out for. He got out of bed slowly. His whole body ached as he walked over to the door. His anger boiled to the surface when the handle would not turn. He began beating on the door.

"Let me out now. You can't keep me in here forever. MAX!" Godric shouted through the door determined to get free.

No one seemed to hear him and this only made him madder. Suddenly he spun about as he heard something at his window. He smiled as he opened the window and let Pyre swoop inside.

"At least you're free my friend." He said as he stroked Pyre. "I can't even go and check on my friends."

Godric huffed as Pyre looked up at him. As Godric's hand touched Pyres feathers he felt a large warmth spread rapidly throughout his entire body as a bright flame engulfed him. His heart caught in his throat at the sight but a moment later it disappeared as he glanced around. He was in Rowena's room, and she was lying in her bed sleeping contentedly. Godric smiled at Pyre and scratched his head.

"Thanks, buddy."

Pyre just cooed and flew out through Rowena's open window. Godric turned to face Rowena and saw that she still had signs of the cuts and bruises from Thomas' torture. But they were healing well. James must have done a really good job, Godric thought as he ran his fingers softly through her hair which glinted just like it had the day they first visited the unicorns. She had also received a new set of clothes and a wash. Not that Godric minded. She was always beautiful to him. He felt a single tear run softly down his left cheek as he watched her sleep.

"I will never again let anything happen to you again Rowena. I promise." He whispered as he closed his eyes.

Rowena gently opened her eyes and looked up at Godric. "Hello there." She said startling Godric as he hadn't noticed her wake.

"Hi." He replied. He was so happy that she was ok that he could have cried. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore." She said smiling at him. She ran her hand down his cheek tracing the path of the tear. "Why were you crying?"

Godric couldn't help but laugh. Even as bad as she felt, she still worried about him. But the laughter soon passed as he remembered the feeling in his chest when he had found her in Thomas' office a few days earlier.

"I failed you, Rowena. I promised your father I wouldn't let anything happen to you and I failed."

Rowena slowly lifted herself up until she was sitting level with Godric as tears began to stream down his face. She reached forward and drew him closer to her, kissing him softly yet lovingly on the lips. Godric melted against her as she drew all the pain and anguish from him. He could taste his own tears on her skin as she continued to kiss him. When she finally pulled back he couldn't even speak.

"You didn't fail me Godric. You saved me. Helga told me all about how you saved all of us. If it wasn't for you, we would all still be Thomas' prisoners."

Godric smiled at her and gently brushed aside a solitary hair that fallen across her face as they kissed. He just looked deeply into her eyes, losing himself in their depths

"If it wasn't for me you never would have been caught in the first place." He replied.

"You're right." She said back hurting him slightly that she would agree. "I would have died that day in front of you and my father when that dragon ate me."

Godric found himself laughing in spite of himself. He cared for her so deeply. And she knew just how to make him feel better. They just sat there in each other's arms losing all track of time until they were shocked back to reality by someone throwing the door open. Godric was on his feet in seconds wand pointed at the doorway.

"Thank Merlin." Max breathed as he clung to the doorway for support, obviously out of breath.

"What?" Godric asked as he watched Max cross the room and sit on the chair next to Rowena's bed following him with his wand the entire way.

"I thought you had been kidnapped again. Please never do that to me again Godric." Max said as he drew in several long deep breaths.

Godric lowered his wand slightly but didn't put it away. Helga walked in after her father vacated the doorway and gave Godric a great big hug before giving Rowena one as well then sat down next to her father. A soft hand grabbed Godric's wrist and pulled him back onto the bed as Rowena slid her arms around his form and rested her head against his chest.

"Come back here and hold me again." She whispered as he held her tightly again.

"I am sorry for everything. To all three of you. Everything that has happened recently has been my fault." Max said as he rested his head in his hands.

"I think it's time you stopped protecting us and told us the truth dad," Helga said from his side.

Max looked up at his daughter and then around at the other two teenagers in front of him. He sighed deeply as they could see him thinking it over. "Alright. Helga, go sit down with the others and I'll tell you everything."

Helga walked over and sat next to Godric as Max walked over to the door and sealed it magically to prevent prying ears from listening in. He sat back in his chair and looked at the trio in front of him but didn't say anything. Godric could see that he was thinking hard about something but couldn't figure out what.

"I guess it starts with your parents Godric." Max started looking at the young man. "A few years before you were born there was almost a war. Not one that the muggles knew about though. It was a battle between magical folk. Many believed that it was our divine right as higher beings to rule over muggles and all other creatures in this world. Thomas was a driving force on that side of the argument."

Max sighed as he remembered the hard times. "Your parents, however, felt exactly the opposite. That we were here to guide and protect the muggles. Unfortunately, there were, and still are, plenty of witches and wizards who think as Thomas does, though not all of them are willing to do anything about it themselves. Anyhow, there was a serious problem about fifteen years before you were born. The Lord in the lands where your parents lived had died and left no heir. Naturally, Thomas saw this as the perfect opportunity to begin seizing the control he was after. Xavier fought against him and was eventually instated by your father Rowena."

Rowena gasped as the news sunk in and Godric pulled her close and kissed her forehead again trying his best to comfort her.

"Obviously this made Thomas very mad and he swore to get revenge on them both. Not much was hears of Thomas for several years and I'm ashamed to say we all grew complacent, believing he had given up his plans. Until three other Lords were mysteriously murdered. We have never been able to prove it but Xavier and I knew Thomas was behind it. He soon managed to get people supportive of his arguments into these positions but no more came of it until a year before you were born."

"What happened?" Godric asked as Max paused.

"Be patient Godric. This isn't something I enjoy talking about all that much." Max replied as he stood up and walked over to the window for a moment, trying to compose himself before continuing. "Thomas set his sights on enacting revenge on your parents and began spreading dissent throughout their lands, trying to turn your parent's people against them. All this came to a head one extremely stormy night almost sixteen years ago right outside these walls."

"Your parents left the castle that night with a large convoy, planning on coming here to give birth to you and protect you from the troubles in their own lands. They were ambushed and all but Xavier, Jennifer and their driver were killed. They rushed here with all haste but Thomas had planned on this and sent your cousins, Charles and Belladonna to intercept and kill anyone who survived the ambush. Xavier fought with them only a stone's throw from this castle while the driver rushed to the castle and brought Jennifer inside."

Max stopped again and returned to looking out the window. Godric kissed Rowena softly before standing up and walking over to Max. Max turned to look at him and Godric could see the tears flowing down his cheeks. Godric embraced Max in an attempt to help him assuage his guilt.

"What happened to them was not your fault," Godric told him as he helped Max back to his seat.

"You don't understand Godric. I learned what Thomas was doing but only shortly after I learned that Alexandria was pregnant with Helga here. I chose not to help your parents earlier for fear of repercussions on my own family. I let them die." At this Max broke down completely sobbing uncontrollably into his hands. Godric pulled Max to him again as Helga came over and held her father as well. "I'm so sorry Godric. Please forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you, sir," Godric said calmly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I would have been disappointed in you if you had chosen to sacrifice your own family in order to maybe help mine. I am sure Thomas' plan would have succeeded no matter what assistance you gave my parents."

Max smiled through his tears at Godric even as the tears still flowed as Godric smiled back.

"Thank you, Godric. You both go sit back over there and I'll continue." Max sniffed back the tears that still wanted to fall as Godric walked back over to Rowena and embraced her once more as Helga sat on the other side of Rowena and held her as well.

"After they, killed Xavier, Charles and Bella entered the castle and began searching for Jennifer. We managed to capture them both but not before Bella killed Nicole, James' daughter. After dealing with them both I returned to help your mother to find that she was in serious trouble. It appeared that during the ambush one of Thomas' men had managed to poison Jennifer with diluted Basilisk venom. We were very lucky to get you alive Godric. She died just minutes after giving birth to you. But not before she begged me to protect you from Thomas."

"I could only think of one way to keep you safe at that point. That was to fully remove my opposition to Thomas' plans. As much as it pained me to see it, Thomas took over your father's old position and began to spread his claws into everything he could lie and cheat his way into. But I focused my attention on you and my newly born daughter. I wasn't going to let anything happen to either of you. But when you had reached ten years of age the King began to take an interest in my counsel. It appears he had noticed that someone inside his own country was plotting against him."

"So how come he hasn't had Thomas killed for treason or something?" Godric inquired.

"Because I couldn't just go up to him and say it's Thomas. I needed to provide the King with proof. And to do that would require putting you both in extreme danger, not to mention revealing you to Thomas. So I helped out where I could while appearing to do nothing. It was at this point that I learned that Maeve was a witch and that I asked her to begin schooling Helga in magic. I would usually take you out camping or something when she came by Godric, in order to keep you from, well you know. Not that it worked very well."

Everyone in the room began to laugh at this. The mood of only moments before seemed to have lifted slightly.

"Well that brings us up to the day that the King arrived a few months ago where you both met young Rowena here. The King and I had long discussions about the fact that he believed several of his generals had turned rogue and were now plotting with this hidden figure to remove him from the throne. It wasn't long before Thomas managed to instigate a war that would draw the King away from England and leave the throne open for his taking. The only thing he sees as stopping him now is you Godric."

"What? Why me?" Godric asked shocked at this revelation.

"Because he knows now that you will not side with him on his quest. He has ways of spying on us even here and he has learned of you and your accomplishments. That is why he kidnapped you all. He knew that if he took your friends as well, then he could force you to his viewpoint by torturing them. Thankfully you all managed to get free before he could do any permanent damage. Though unfortunately not soon enough to save poor Rowena the awful ordeal she has been through."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine in a few weeks. And then I'll be by Godric's side as he topples that maniac."

"You'll do no such thing. I am not letting you anywhere near that bastard again." Godric said firmly. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again."

"You don't have a choice. I'm not going to set aside while he steals my father's throne. And besides this is personal now. I have a score to settle with him." Rowena stated a steely resolve was visible in her green eyes as Godric looked at her.

"Well, I have news for both of you. You're not going anywhere at the moment. And besides, none of you knows any offensive magic yet. Those spells are too advanced for you to even attempt yet. And I will not let Binns teach you it until you are ready. Now I think that that is more than enough information for you all for now. You should all go and get some more rest. And this time I promise I won't lock the door." Max said with a slight grin on his face.

"Alright." The trio chimed at once.

Godric held Rowena tightly before kissing her softly the moments drawing on as their lips seemed joined.

"He-hem." Helga coughed beside them. "You two finished?" She teased as she hugged Rowena and left the room.

"Goodnight Rowena. I love you." Godric whispered into her ear as he held her once more.

"I love you too." She replied as Godric slowly walked to the door. He looked back once before Max ushered him through the doorway.

"Goodnight Rowena." He said as he shut the door.