Dolorous Rescue

Under the cover of night, the schools slipped out of the glade and started towards Far Far Away. As the sun began to rise behind the castle, they arrived there. The town was sleepy and quiet. Soon, though, shops would be bustling with activity. Selices looked around in wonder. In fact every soul who hadn't been here yet did, awed by the place. "Wow… I had no idea Far Far Away was so nice!" Gary, Gures, said.

"Yeah, it's pretty I guess," Arthur replied, looking around. "Okay, maybe even beautiful," he added with a smirk. He looked towards the palace and stopped a moment. The others followed his gaze. They could see flags of Lothian and Orkney waving in the distance… Lot was there, and he was waiting. Here was hoping he hadn't just flat out taken over the place, Arthur dryly noted to himself. He started as Gawain galloped passed him on a horse. Gaheris followed his brother. Arthur winced. Must be nice having a dad you could run to when things got hard…

"You'll be alright, son. He wants his boy, not you," Ector assured, coming up alongside Arthur and squeezing his shoulder gently with a reassuring smile. The young king instantly regretted his previous thought. He did have a father to run to when things got bad, and he hated that he sometimes forgot that. Arthur nodded, worried but comforted by his foster father's presence as well as the force he had behind him.

Gawain and Gaheris galloped into the courtyard where their father stood looking anxious and distracted. They leapt off their horses as Lot turned in their direction, running straight into his arms hugging him tightly. He blinked, surprised, then held them both in return. "Dad, I'm sorry," Gaheris said, voice breaking. "I-I couldn't protect him. I couldn't keep him safe! I should have followed him, I knew I should have but I didn't and he just, he…"

"Stop," Lot cut off, tightening his embrace a little more. "It wasn't your fault."

"I couldn't help him, dad," Gawain said, pulling away from his parent. "I didn't know what to do. There was just, there was so much blood and he was so hurt…" Lot felt his heart dropping into a pit. He swallowed painfully. He heard hooves and looked up. He felt his knees nearly buckle when he saw two horses riding towards him with a stretcher between them. He'd seen too many men born home upon those things never to get up again… "Agravaine," Lot choked out, tears threatening his eyes. "Agravaine!" he shouted, running towards his son and literally dragging him out of the stretcher and into his arms, clinging to him tightly and dropping to the ground.

Agravaine whimpered a bit, eyes flickering open. On seeing his father, immense relief and longing crossed his face. He grimaced, pushing himself against Lot's chest more. Lot clung tightly to him, fingers entwining in his hair, and staggered up, carrying his son in his arms. Arthur was just waiting for the man to tell him off for this being his fault, but he didn't. Lot carried Agravaine towards Gawain and Gaheris. Mordred and Loholt scrambled after the man, looking fearfully up at Agravaine and clinging to Lot's cloak. Lot gently nuzzled his wounded son and deposited him in the royal carriage he'd taken to get here. Mordred and Loholt scrambled in swiftly as well.

Pellinore winced and approached cautiously. "Will you be taking all your sons home then?" he asked carefully. Mordred and Loholt certainly didn't look inclined to depart from Agravaine's side.

"You said they'd be safe," Lot sharply replied.

"And usually they are, you know that," Pellinore replied, grimacing.

"Well they weren't this time, were they?! What. Happened?" Lot demanded.

Pellinore was quiet. "Caradoc and Turquine," he finally replied.

Lot bristled at the names, eyes widening. Caradoc and Turquine… A dark scowl began to creep over his face. He turned to his soldiers. "Prepare for battle!" he ordered them sharply.

"Lot, that isn't the answer," Pellinore quickly said.

"They almost killed my son! I don't care what you think the answer is," Lot replied.

"They'll be dealt with by…" Pellinore began.

"By who?! The child king who can't even sit on his own throne because he was so incompetent his aunt had to send him back to school?" Lot demanded, pointing at Arthur. Arthur winced. "Forgive my doubts that the 'high king' can face the threat that is Caradoc and Turquine." He turned to his knights. "We ride tomorrow! I will see those men…"

"King of Orkney and of Lothian!" a booming voice bellowed. Lot bristled, tensing up, and slowly turned to face whoever had shouted out to him. The students and teachers who'd ridden with Arthur were parted, staring in disbelief at a group of seven men under a flag of truce. And under the flag of the Dolorous tower.

A disgusted scowl crept across Lot's face. "Apparently the boy king can't even make sure he isn't being followed. Or anyone with him, it seems," he finally said. "You disappoint me, fellow kings. Galehaut at least I expected more competence from."

Galehaut chuckled coldly. "Be very careful, Lot," he warned.

Lot huffed and started to walk towards the men. Gawain reached out, taking his father's arm worriedly. Lot looked back at his son and removed the hand, shaking his head. He continued forward and paused, facing them. "State your business," he coldly said.

"We have a message from Caradoc and Turquine," the head of the seven men said.

"Speak it. And pray they won't be the last words you breathe," Lot said.

"You have something of ours!" the man said. Before anyone could react, Lot had cut off the man's head. The students gaped in horror. The eyes of any boy thirteen and under, and even some fourteen if they caught them, were covered tightly in a second. Arthur gaped in shock, eyes wide in horror.

Lot glared at the head darkly and bent, picking it up and looking into the dead eyes. "Wrong choice of words," he darkly said before throwing it into the middle of the rest, who seemed not even fazed at their comrade's death. "Try again."

"You've taken something they feel belongs to them," another more tactfully replied.

"Wiser man than your fellow was," Lot said, looking disgustedly at the headless body next to him. "Now take his corpse and return to your masters. Tell them that tomorrow they die with all their company."

"A funny thing. That was their message to you, if you didn't hand over what they stole," a third man stated. "One way or another, they will reclaim him."

"If you think I'm handing that boy over to you, think again! Men, fire at well! Leave two alive to return. Put the rest down like dogs!" Lot ordered. Before Arthur or any of the other kings could cancel out the order, Lot's soldiers had obeyed. Four men collapsed to the ground, peppered in arrows. "Take their bodies with you," he ordered the two that still lived. Unfazed, they stooped to collect together the bodies, threw them over the backs of the horses they'd ridden, mounted up, and rode away calmly like nothing had happened.

The stunned students watched after them in shock. The teachers, though, glared darkly at Lot. "You've made a grave, grave mistake, king of Orkney," Bors finally said, tone icy.

"It's Arthur's problem to deal with now. I'm taking my children and we're going," Lot said.

"You can't start a war with them and just ride away! You were gung-ho to go after them before!" Arthur protested.

"That was prior to realizing they were coming for my son specifically," Lot answered.

"Then send your son home with his brothers, but you don't get to just throw me under the carriage like this!" Arthur shot.

"Don't I, Arthur? What's your plan to stop me? Your pathectic knights of Far Far Away? Perhaps your schoolmates and teachers? I have a battalion. You have a ragtag gang," Lot said.

"I-I…" Arthur began, struggling to figure out a way to get Lot to stay here but coming up empty.

"If you won't stay, I won't go with you," Gawain spoke up, glaring at his father.

"Nor I," Gaheris stated, eyes narrowed at Lot. Loholt shifted uncomfortably then got out of the carriage, joining Gaheris and Gawain in glaring defiantly at his foster father.

"Emotional blackmail? Really?" Lot said, unimpressed.

"It's the only kind you'll listen to without fail," Gawain answered.

"Don't test me," Lot warned.

"I test you," Gawain stated calmly. Gaheris backed his brother with silence.

Lot shifted, glaring at his sons, then scowled darkly. He looked sharply back at Arthur like he blamed the defiance of his sons on him. Arthur winced but held his ground, frowning. Lot growled and turned to his boys. "Fine. I'll stay. But only if you return home with your brother. All of you. With no argument." They tensed up. "See? I can do it too," Lot said, smirking coolly.

His sons were quiet, glaring at him. Gawain glanced at Arthur. Arthur nodded subtly for him to go. Gawain's jaw twitched and he looked at Lot once more. "Fine," he relented coldly.

"Do us a favor and don't die," Gaheris bitterly added, getting into the carriage, bringing Loholt with him. Gareth grimaced, looking like he wasn't going to follow at first, but then sighed and did so, entering last after all his other brothers.

Lot glared at the carriage. Quickly it was drawn away from that palace with a company of men to defend it. Lot watched after them then sighed, bowing his head and closing his eyes. He willed them to be safe… He looked to his men. "It seems we're going to be guests here for a little while. Rest up and be ready for onslaught come tomorrow," he said to them. They had all day and all night, at least, to prepare for whatever Caradoc and Turquine had in store. The men obeyed him immediately. The faculty and students entered the palace as well. They needed to figure out what they were going to do from here.

KAK

It was three in the morning when a figure slipped out of the palace quickly, escaping into the woods under the cover of darkness. Selices. He looked back at the castle as he went into the woods, then turned and continued on, finding his way back to the Dolorous Tower. Perhaps if he returned to his masters, they would forget about Agravaine and leave the boy alone. Perhaps they wouldn't even ride against Far Far Away after he came back! His newfound acquaintances had decided to stay and help, when Caradoc and Turquine came. He didn't want that. He didn't want them to be killed…

It wasn't long before he made it back to them. Back to that dark and forboding place. It was almost like he'd never left, the way the guards behaved. But they were always like that. Turquine and Caradoc would be another matter. He walked in and looked up the stairs. The brothers stood there, arms folded, and looked dakly down on him. They went into the tower room. He knew what was expected of him. He closed his eyes tightly. Part of him just wanted to turn and run away… But he couldn't… The lives of the only people who had been semi-kind to him for years now were at stake. He went up the steps, holding his head up…

In not long he knelt on his knees there, in the tower room, head bowed to them. They'd chained him to the walls, by his bands and collar, and stripped him of his covering. He was still, eyes closed. "So, the traitorous guardsman has returned. For what purpose?" Turquine asked.

"For the purpose of turning away your wrath from Far Far Away," Selices answered. "And from the boy you nearly killed… I return in his place, and I return to you in exchange for the peace of the kingdom."

Turquine chuckled darkly and reached out, tilting the young elf's chin up so the boy would face him. "You've done just as we expected you to," he said coldly. Selices blinked in confusion. "The stolen boy we wanted returned was never your conniving friend. It was you. We knew that in delivering the message to Lot, the boy would be assumed to be the one we wanted. But he never was. We wanted you. The young prince would have been a nice bonus, but you… You were beyond debate… We knew you would come back and offer yourself to us for him. Not even a battle needed."

"As if we would have been stupid enough to ride upon Far Far Away," Caradoc rumbled. "It was all a bluff, and you played your part perfectly. Your offering yourself for the kingdom was unexpected. You keep making the same mistake, little boy. You keep letting yourself believe you're cared for. No one gives a whit about the likes of you. Not your own kind, not motalkind, and certainly not those quivering whelps that offended our tower. Do you think they give a damn what befalls you? Hah! You're dirt to them like you're dirt to everyone else. This is where you belong. This is where you're wanted."

Selices winced and closed his eyes, looking away. He was visibly struck by those words. Maybe… maybe they were right… They'd been right about the elves not wanting him anymore, after all. Perhaps they were right about this too… He didn't suppose it mattered, in the end. If they didn't care, they wouldn't come for him. If they cared, he wouldn't want them to ride on the tower to get him back anyway.

"Now, young elfling, you must be punished for your defiance," Turquine darkly said, drawing a hand though the elf's hair. Selices swallowed and braced himself for what was to come.

KAK

The next morning, Lot's battalion and the knights of Far Far Away were on the lookout for the army that was supposedly riding to invade them. The Worcestershire band as well was on the lookout, ready to fight if need be. When no army arrived by noon, they began to suspect it wouldn't come at all. When, come evening, no army had come, they knew for sure no army would. They retreated to the castle, but the knights of Far Far Away kept a lookout up anyway. Just to be safe.

"What a waste of a day," Lot complained, marching agitatedly into the dining hall. "We could have been riding to them ourselves!"

"Well now you don't have to. Your sons are safe. You can go home," Arthur replied, going to a throne at the head of a large dining table. Around the large table were several other smaller ones. The mismatched group took seats, waiting to be fed. Lot huffed, not answering. Arthur sighed and scanned the crowd. He frowned, after a moment, sitting up. Wait a second… "Hey, has anyone here seen Selices? You know, the elf?" he called out, noting the distinct absence of the fae. The others from Worcestershire Academy immediately sat up at this, starting to look around and murmur to each other about who may have seen him. The general consensus was he'd retired to a room to sleep. The last people to see him had been Dagonet and Lucan. Arthur, now concerned, sent Dagonet to check that room. Only moments later the jester ran back in, alarmed and holding a piece of parchment.

"Arthur, he's gone! He's gone back to the Dolorous Tower!" Dagonet exclaimed, waving the parchment in the air.

"What?!" Bors the Elder freaked, shooting to his feet. Arthur, mouth agape in shock, grabbed the note, quickly reading it through.

"What does it say?" Lancelot asked quickly.

"Oh son of a… 'No war will fall upon your kingdom, and the Northern King need not fear for the safety of his son anymore. Soon your debts will be settled. Thank you for the hospitality you showed'," Arthur read out loud.

"Does he seriously think we're just going to let him walk back into their clutches?!" Lancelot demanded.

"Apparently," Galihoden said, sounding unimpressed. "I don't know if he's stupid or just that kinky."

"He doesn't think anyone cares. He doesn't think his suffering matters to us," Brandelis spoke up a bit quietly, glaring furiously and frustratedly at the table.

"Why would he think that?!" Pelleas demanded in alarm, eyes wide.

"Because he does!" Brandelis shot. "We didn't even trust him when we saw him, let alone like him. He was some tagalong that happened to offer a helping hand! Apparently he wasn't too far off in his assumption given it took this long for anyone to even know he was missing. That's like Daniel levels of invisibility. Why should people who, until only recently thought he was an enemy, give a damn what befalls him? He went back to 'settle our debts' because he was the one who wouldn't be missed. The expendable, the outcast, the guy we have no reason to care about and no emotional attachment to. What does it matter to us if he goes back to business as usual? Why should we even care? That's what he thought and that's why he left!"

"Hell no! That isn't happening. We're not letting him walk back to them and resume whatever the heck kind of life he had under those psychos Caradoc and Turquine!" Arthur said, shooting to his feet. "Anyone willing to volunteer, stick up your hand and you're in. We're getting the damn elf back first thing tomorrow no matter how small the number." Pretty well every student and teacher from Worcestershire stuck up their hands, looking blatantly unimpressed with this turn of events. "Good. Eat up, rest up, and get ready to ride."

"You need no volunteers. My men and I will ride tonight," Lot spoke up.

All eyes went to him. Arthur stared at the man in shock, flabbergasted. What now? "Uh… what?" Arthur said.

"He helped save my son?" Lot asked.

"He… was possibly the primary reason your son got out alive," Arthur more questioned than stated.

"Then I'll repay the favor," Lot said. He hadn't been blind to the getup that elfin boy had been wearing. It didn't take much to piece together the kind of life he'd probably had under Caradoc and Turquine. The only two possibilities were that it was his thing and he was all for that sadomasochistic kind of action, or it was his thing because his masters made it his thing. Heck, they might have conditioned him to be into it as it was, even of his own volition. That didn't matter right now, though. What mattered was getting him out.

"I'm coming with you," Bors said, rising. Lot raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't give me that look. You know why I have to be there." Lot grimaced. He knew alright.

"I can offer knights," Arthur said.

"Keep your pidly, pathetic wrecks away from my trained elite!" Lot shot.

"Okay, for one they aren't that bad, for two, screw you!" Arthur replied. "My soldiers aren't cowards, are you guys?" he said, looking to Far Far Away's knights. Said knights shifted awkwardly and immediately assumed various cowardly poses, from fetal positions to thumb sucking. Arthur gaped at them in disbelief. Oh he was so screwed if the rebel kings rode on Far Far Away. Wait. A good number of them weren't backing down! He felt relief building up. "See? Those guys there are up for it," he covered, pointing at the men who seemed like they had something of a backbone and the skill to go with it. Lot rolled his eyes but didn't argue the offered additions.

"We'll ride under you, milord, but not under him," one of those knights stated to Arthur, looking distastefully at Lot.

"Great! I'll come along," Arthur said.

"Oh no you will not!" Ector protested instantly.

"Dad, come on! I won't join the fighting, I promise. I'll stay back," Arthur pled.

"I'll take care of him, Ector," Lot said, smirking darkly at Arthur.

"Uh, no, I'll take care of him," Bors said, glaring warningly at the king of Lothian and Orkney.

"I'll take care of my own, thank you very much!" Ector said. He looked at Arthur. "If you go, I'm joining you."

"I'm not letting you two go out there without me!" Kay protested.

"Dammit Kay, yes you are!" Ector shot, slamming the table with his hand. "We'll be back soon enough. I'm just going to make sure Athur does what he claims and stays out of the fighting." Kay scowled but finally relented with an annoyed sigh, nodding in begrudging agreement.

"Suddenly so helpful, Lot," Galehaut remarked to Lot.

"Those bastards took my little boy!" Lot said, punching the table. "They took my little boy! They flogged him, beat him, stripped him, attempted to kill him, then dared to send me a message implying they would come after him again, so yes I'm being goddamn helpful!" Galehaut backed off, not inclined to push the stressed father further. Concerned parent, offended king, it wasn't going to be a pleasant combination for Caradoc and Turquine to face. "We move out as soon as we've eaten."

KAK

Lot's large battalion marched through the forest, banners high and armor clanging. Behind them walked the knights Arthur had provided. Behind those rode Arthur, Bors, Lot, and Ector. Lot's expression was dark, the blazing torchlight reflected in his angry eyes. Somehow those eyes seemed to burn even more intensely than the fire they reflected. Arthur couldn't help but low-key marvel at it. Horns sounded loudly out as they closed the distance between the Dolorous Tower and Far Far Away. It was a long trip, hours of moving at a steady and quick clip if everything went right. It was late morning by the time the tower came into sight. Lot's men came to a halt, awaiting further orders. Lot rode to the front with Bors, Ector, and Arthur. He looked down on the tower. "I hope we're not too late," Ector said.

"We're too late," Bors said simply.

"To save his life?" Arthur asked in concern.

"They don't want him dead, Arthur. Ever," Bors replied. "We're too late to save him from a different sort of fate."

Arthur looked confused but then caught on, paling and looking quickly at the tower, eyes wide in uncertainty and empathy. "We have to hurry," he said a bit quickly. "The longer he's with them the more badly…"

"We know, son. We know. But we have to be smart about this," Ector cut off, placing a grounding hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur swallowed thickly, looking at the tower once more.

Lot scanned the force outside. Smaller than he would have expected. "We got rid of a lot of them," Arthur offered quietly. "Like a lot."

Lot nodded. If that was the case, the Dolorous army was weaker than he'd thought it would be. "If untrained squires and a handful of teachers took out a mass of them, let's see how well they fare against seasoned warriors. "Men, to battle! Charge!" The army immediately raced down the hill, converging rapidly on the Dolorous tower. Knights poured from it to try and defend it and the groups clashed hard. Arthur galloped down the hill suddenly, ignoring his foster father's alarmed shout. He had his goal set. He galloped through the fighting men and reigned in his steed, leaping off it and running inside the tower without even a hesitation. Bors, Ector, and Lot were probably all right behind him. He was going to be in so much trouble after this, like so much, but he needed to get to Selices!

As luck would have it, Caradoc and Turquine were on the stairs ready to meet him. "You sick, perverted, disgusting creeps! Give me back my elf!" Arthur shouted at them furiously with a scowl, eyes glittering dangerously. Lot, Bors, and Ector he could sense behind him, so that gave him a boost of confidence too.

"You psychotic freaks, you really thought I wasn't going to come for you after what you did?!" Lot yelled at them. Lot and Arthur rammed against the duo viciously, both scowling up at their massive opponents.

Arthur yelped as he was suddenly dragged away from Turquine and replaced by Bors. He was spun around and caught his breath on meeting Ector's furious gaze. "D-dad, hi," he lamely said.

"You. You are in so much trouble you don't even know! You think you know the extent of my wrath? What you've seen will be peanuts when I get you home!" Ector shouted at him, shaking him roughly and making Arthur gasp, staring at him with wide and frightened eyes. Oh he wasn't going to be able to sit for a month. He doubted the 'I'm a king' line would work this round. Or the 'I'm too old for that' one, for that matter.

"C-can we save Selices first?" Arthur asked, voice a bit high-pitched in his unease.

Ector scowled up towards Caradoc and Turquine, locked in battle with Lot and Bors. He growled lowly in his throat. "Go," he said, shoving Arthur forward. "Get your friend and get out as fast as you can." That said, the man raced to join Lot and Bors in battle agains the giants.

Arthur tore up the steps passed them all and straight to the tower room. He threw open the door, racing inside. He slid to a stop with a gasp on seeing Selices there chained to the wall, panting in exhaustion and agony. Shivering. His expression reflected pain and fear as he looked up with a frightened gasp. He was injured. Badly. Bleeding everywhere. "Arthur?" the elf asked, voice hoarse and breaking.

"Oh my gods!" Arthur exclaimed, racing to him. "Hold on, we're getting you out of here. We're getting you out and so help me if you ever come back here we're going to have major problems, man!"

"Y-you came for me?" Selices asked in disbelief.

"Hell yes," Arthur replied, trying to figure out the chains. "Help me out here already!"

"They have the key," Selices said, looking miserable.

"Can your claws do the job?" Arthur asked.

"You shouldn't be here," Selices said, voice becoming a whisper like he was going into shock or shutting down as some kind of a defense mechanism.

"Hey, hey, you stay with me!" Arthur shot.

"Claw, claws… They-they can… Yes. Yes, they might be able to help," the elf managed to say. Arthur immediately took one, carefully getting it off the elf's finger, and began prodding the lock with no idea what he was doing. He heard footsteps and turned quickly with a gasp, ready to fight if he had to. Instead, Bors came in with a set of keys. He threw them at Arthur, who quickly caught them and unlocked the chains with shaking hands. Selices collapsed to the ground weakly and lay still, body shuddering and shaking. He whimpered quietly and Arthur's heart twisted. He fell next to him in concern, slipping the claw back onto the elf's finger.

"Hey, hey you're okay now, okay? You're-you're okay," Arthur said, voice trembling a bit. Selices winced, just curling in on himself more. "Sir Bors, help!" Arthur begged, looking up at the teacher. He didn't know what to do, but King Bors might.

Bors watched quietly, then approached. He took off the cape he was wearing and draped it over the elfin youth, wrapping him up tightly in it to give him some modesty, security, and warmth. He picked the elf up in his arms. He didn't like how limp he hung there, or the fact his eyes were open and staring listelessly around like he was just waiting to be maneuvered however they pleased him to be maneuvered. Arthur hovered in concern, wavering between getting close or giving the guy space. Arthur looked worriedly for his father and brother-in-law. "Wh-where's my dad and Lot?"

"Turquine and Caradoc tried to run. Lot and Ector pursued them but they won't catch them. Don't fear. Soon enough they'll be back," Bors replied. "Worry for Selices, Arthur. Not for them. Ector and Lot can handle themselves, but right now we need to get Selices far, far from this place as soon as possible. I never want him to see it again for as long as he lives, if that's at all possible.

Arthur nodded in understanding and hurried to the horses. "Put him on mine," he said, bringing it over. Bors did so. Arthur could ride behind him.

"Get on the horse. I'm bringing you back to the castle. Both of you," Bors ordered.

"But-but my dad and Lot!" Arthur protested. The latter of which he shouldn't even be concerned about but was, if only for his nephews' and niece's sake.

"I told you, they'll be fine," Bors said. Arthur hesitated, then looked worriedly at Selices. He needed to be here right now, he decided. He sighed and nodded, mounting the horse behind Bors. Quickly Bors galloped away, leading the horse Selices was on along behind.