Thank you again CaptainOzone on you inspiring PMing! This is a flashback to how and why Gwaine, Arthur, and Merlin got caught by the Forest Queen. So enjoy and forgive me for mistakes.

The girl in the purple cloak ran from the market place. It flew behind her with loud flutters. She pushed a barrel over as she ran to stop the guards behind her. Arthur leaped over the rolling obstacle as did Merlin and Gwaine. Arthur was surprised at his manservant's agility as he rarely could walk without tripping over his own feet. He dismissed it and hurried after the sorceress-assassin that had almost hit him with a dagger. It had hit another man behind him that had a sword above him. Her eyes were a strange color but he had only seen a fleeting glimpse as she ran away.

She jumped gracefully up onto a chestnut mare. Her horse reared in front of them and sped off out the gates. She turned in her saddle and bowed to the King her blazing white smirk as she escaped. She escaped with a look of satisfaction and relief in her features. He called two of his men that had horses on hand to follow her as far as they could to find out in what direction she was going. Merlin had his hand on his knees and was breathing deeply. He heard the clatter of hooves. He looked at the two soldiers as they returned.

"She entered the Unbidden forest, My Lord, we dare not enter for fear of our lives." The soldier was sweating and his horse was shifting nervously.

"And why is that?" Arthur looked at his soldiers with concern.

"The stories, your Highness, of the magician's people and their demon-assassin princess." Arthur looked at the young soldier and knew how superstitious his guards were. He rolled his eyes and looked at Gwaine that looked just as exasperated as Arthur was.

Arthur sighed and wiped a hand across his face. "Merlin! Get everything ready we are going hunting." Merlin inwardly flinched at his words and hurried to prepare. Gwaine laughed at Arthur's complete dismiss of the highly unlikely story.

A few hours later Arthur, Gwaine, and Merlin were setting off for the forest to the east of Camelot. Where the 'demon princess' lived.

Merlin felt something strange as they entered the forest. Nothing had attacked them yet and he was relieved and worried at the same time. They were following the obvious tracks that led into the forest. Then abruptly stopped.

"The tracks they just disappear… How is that possible?!" Arthur looked around him. He dismounted and walked in the direction the tracks had been going. "Nothing!"

Merlin couldn't put his finger on it because he didn't feel any magical residue from a transportation spell that large. He looked up and saw nothing when he heard a rustle. Arthur was pacing back and forth across the small clearing.

"It's getting kind of dark Arthur maybe we should head back." Merlin was hoping for once the prat would listen to him.

He was sadly mistaken.

"No Merlin we need to find the assassin that almost killed me." Gwaine got down from his horse and shrugged.

"No arguing with the princess, mate, better set up camp." Gwaine smirked and tied his horse to a tree. Merlin rolled his eyes and gracelessly dismounted and began setting up the camp.

After the sun set and a fire was burning. Merlin started cooking a few birds that Gwaine had caught. Arthur's stomach growled and the young king growled back.

He was laying down on his bedroll staring up at the black sky through the green tree branches, as he groaned. "Merlin are you almost done?"

"Yes your Royal Pratness it is now done." He got up off his knees and dusted them off. He grabbed a plate and set one of the fat birds on it. Walked over to the king at literally shoved it into his hands.

"Better?" he asked after they all ate. The king just nodded and turned over on his side.

"I guess that means I'm taking first watch." Gwaine groaned as he got up from his sitting position. "See ya later mate." He called as he found a nice position away from the fire. Merlin had been about to offer to do the first watch but shrugged and crawled into his sleeping roll.

He woke to the sound of a rope whipping. He gasped as the world around him became upside down. He was twisting suspended from the air. The sun was shining so he knew something was wrong.

"MERLIN! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" His body slowly twist to see Arthur hang just as he was only it was way funnier seeing is red face.

"Me?! Why do you always assume it was me?!"

"Because it's always your fault idiot!"

"By the God's stop yelling!" it was an unknown childish voice. A little girl in all brown scampered up to them. She had a large cloak wrapped around her small, skinny frame. Her pants were speckled with green. Her dark hair fell out of the hood in a braid to one side. She looked up at them. Her green eyes bore through the shadows if her cowl as she looked up at them.

"You are even worse than my dad and aunt! Now stop squirming so we can take you back to the castle." they both stared at her. 'She is only a little girl what could she do' Merlin thought.

"Oi! Don't look at me like I'm helpless! I bloody trapped you! Austin! Help me get them down." A large burly man stepped out from behind a tree with an unconscious Gwaine over his shoulder. He was dressed much like her but in a dark blue. His hood was down and his brown eyes reminded him of Percival for a moment.

"Young lady watch your tongue. If your father heard about this-" The large man was cut off by the young girl. She couldn't be more than eleven by the looks of it.

"But he's not is he?" She asked innocently at the muscular man named Austin. He rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Of course now careful when you-" he was cut off again at the whacking sounds of ropes. "cut the ropes…"

"Oops…" She flinched at the impact of the two young men. Her eyes lingered with gold. They groaned and before they could jump up and do anything Austin yelped a spell as they tried to get up.

"Slæp!" With that the young men slumped to the ground. Austin ground his teeth.

"Dammit Fawn! You could have gotten killed! Your father told you not to investigate! But no you gotta go and almost get me fired… what do you have to say for yourself? Medwís!" He cursed at her in the Old Tongue. She shuffled her feet and twirled the end of her braid. She looked at him defiantly.

"I am not stupid! Take that back! I just wanted to be just like Aunt Artemis!" He huffed and picked up the two other men. He stared at her for a moment. He sighed.

"I'm sorry Fawn it's just… it's my job to protect you. Can't you get that?" She hugged him. He rolled his eyes.
"Alright let's get these thugs back to your auntie. I can't stay angry at you for long."

She smiled widely and skipped after his retreating form. They both disappeared into the forest shadows even with the rising sun.

Merlin woke with a flood of magic. He opened his eyes just as the man's eyes finished flashing gold. The man smiled one of his canines were too sharp to be natural and the other was broken in half. His red hair covered one of his eyes for a moment before he pushed it out of the way. The man got up and walked to some double doors leading into what Merlin assumed to be a throne room. Merlin's hands were bound but it didn't hurt like the other times he'd been tied up. When he tried to move them they wouldn't budge he had thought it was because they hadnt tied it right. 'strange' he mused 'painless yet tight?'. He looked to his side when he heard a scratching sound. He saw Arthur and Gwaine getting up. Gwaine was trying to rub his head with his bound hands.

"Woah. Uhh… what happened?" He was looking around the stone room.

"Sorry my friend but I had to knock you out. Wouldn't have done it if you'd've come quietly." Gwaine's head snapped to the large redhead.

"Who the hell are you?!" he shouted.

"I should probably be asking the same thing…" He gave Gwaine a stare that could have made a banshee shiver. "but since you asked first I'll tell you." he smiled genuinely and helped Gwaine to his feet and gave him a pat on the back.

"Name is Austin Holen, Captain of the Castle guard, and appointed protector of the Queen's niece, Fawn. Welcome to Castle Holt." He gave them a quick bow with a smile that could melt snow.

"You seem really nice for someone that just kidnapped us," Merlin said.

Austin laughed. "Usually I am, but I was under the Queen's orders. So please forgive me." They all stared at him with open mouths. "Well her Highness is expecting you, so…" He gestured toward the door and walked away. The little girl that trapped them popped out if nowhere and followed the giant man. They were talking amiably. She skipped down the hall, keeping up with the big man's strides. Three guards with not-so-nice faces came and took hold of the three companions and thrust them through the doors.

The room was light from the large windows on the east side of the room. Merlin's eyes flew to the woman sitting on a black throne. Emeralds and amethysts shone from the top and around the smoky arms. She sat up straight but leaned back comfortably. Her face was hidden by a cowl that was a midnight black material. Her eyes almost glowed out of it's shadows. The men threw them forward and they landed on their knees. They stood again throwing defiant glares at the 'Queen'. Merlin watched her study them carefully before she stood. She walked with the grace of a deer and the prowess of a lion. So slowly, she walked toward them that it seemed she was afraid to scare them off. She came very close to his master. He was ready for anything but not for her to reach a hand out and touch Arthur like he was a treasure lost for centuries. He was surprised to see scars all over her long fingered hand. Arthur stepped back at her touch. He smirked at Arthur's reaction to the strange queen, but then his thoughts turned back to Arthur's protection. He watched her smile fade. The strange fangs retreating behind her pale lips.

"Hello I believe I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Artemis Queen of the Unbidden Forest. How may I be of service?" A light seemed to shine in her eyes and he saw the brilliant purple. He felt like he should recognize her but from where. Gwaine yelled at her. He ignored it. He was trying to recall where he had seen her. What was it? He snapped back to reality when he heard Arthur's name.

"I'm here for his Majesty King Arthur." He watched suspiciously as she stepped in front of Arthur and bowed gracefully. As she stood she pulled off the hood shrouding her face. She had the looks of a noble but the eyes of a warrior. A single scar ran across her lips. "King Arthur it is an honor to meet you but under these circumstances I find you'll hardly believe me." Her head bobbed head and the bonds holding their hands together fell away. He rubbedthey is wrists even though they didn't hurt. It was a habit he'd gotten. she was back at her throne again.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked suspicion and curiosity ruling over better judgement.

Her eyebrows rose at his question. "Maybe, you may have met me on one of my frequent journeys to Camelot's Lower Towns. I usually don't talk with others." He knew she wasn't lying but he saw the confusion in her eyes.

"Maybe." he muttered under his breath. She heard it though and nodded and stared straight into his eyes unfailing. He didn't listen to her talking to Arthur after her eyes unwillingly snapped away. She suspected something. He listened to her lecture Arthur on magic. He was surprised to hear she didn't have any. She was close to Arthur again almost chest to chest. He saw the spark of anger in her eyes at his stubborn friend. He saw the hidden message behind those purple eyes. 'You are better than this, you were meant to be our king. Why can't magic be free?' His focus snapped back.

"But I forgive you for it, as do my people, and we wait for the day of Albion and it's Once and Future King." Her eyes flicked back to his. He saw the subtle twitch of her lips. 'She suspects me' he thought.

"But I am patient…" her eyes never left his but she was still talking to Arthur. "Magic is a weapon, like a sword, it's the person that wields it." She was getting a little to close for comfort. They were almost nose to nose. Her smile was barely susceptible but it was there. It never reached her eyes, but they twinkled with hope.

"That is something you must learn, Pendragon, before all hope is lost." They were having a battle of wills. Electricity seemed to fly from each others eyes. She started singing a tune of the Old Religion. A song about his destiny and Arthur's.

"So much strength, so much… power." Her voice was a gentle breeze. So quiet he could barely hear it. "Why do you hide so much wisdom behind a fool's smile? Deep, stormy blue hmm?" He slender fingers pushed away some of his black unruly hair. He watched that dazzling, white, fanged smile pull apart her lips. He wondered what she meant. Like a flash she was back on her throne with a pondering look. He looked at his friends in utter shock at the strange things she said. He heard her faint dismissal. For some odd reason he felt the urge to bow to the forest queen. So they did. They turned and followed the men out.

"She's bloody mad Arthur! And did you see her eyes! Purple! I've never seen the like!" Gwaine exclamed in a loud whisper. He heard her chuckle.

Some things you'll find interesting:

Holt- holly prince/protector
Holt- forest wood/ grove/ timber
Medwís- foolish, stupid
Slæp- sleep/ deep slumber

CaptianOzone thanks so much for the site it savedmore from a lot of googling.

Hey since I obviously don't own Merlin I'm just gonna put it here and hope everyone knows I said it

Yours truly,

TheRanger'sArrow