Out in the courtyard, Morgana has my hands bound together. A pair of Stallions were lead over to us. She gracefully pulled herself up on hers and fastened the reigns of mine to her saddle.
"She's injured.", she snapped at the man who brought us the horses, as if he should have realized. "You'll have to help her up."
He rushed over to me to lift me up. Having no choice, I let him. He hoisted me up, under to arms so he wouldn't bother my ribs. I grimaced from the pain flaring up, but made it onto my mount. I could have gotten up myself, but it would have been more painful.
"How am I supposed to hold on?", I asked once I was settled into to saddle. I had no use of my hands since she had them tied together behind my back.
"You have legs.", she says as she urged the horses on. "Use them."
A heavily armed guard surrounded me once we left the citadel gates, with Morgana in the lead.
From what little I could see from under my hood, the city was in tatters. Rooftops were on fire, bodies and debris were scattered throughout the streets. I gagged on the smell of sulfur and smoke. We moved slowly, due to the protection detail. Actually, prison guards was a more appropriate term in my opinion.
Once we left the citadel, the stench of the dead became overwhelming. The grass was trampled down and stained red. Camelot's troops stood in formation at the far side of a large, heavily decorated canvas tent. Raul's men were gathering on the side closer to us. Only Morgana steered us in the opposite direction. I then realized how full the saddlebags were. And how we were both dressed for travel, not a quick ride outside the city to attend a official meeting. Nor was Morgana so heavily adorned as she usually was.
She was taking me away from Camelot.
"Where are we going?", I demand, a bit more angrily than I had meant. She ignores me. "Morgana! Where are you taking me?"
This earns me a snide grin before she turns away from me.
We make our way to the road that cuts through the woods, one I recognized as a merchants route. Far from any of Camelot's troops. I was as good as gone. No one would come looking out here, not even a patrol. This ruined everything. How was I supposed to weasel my way out of this one? I couldn't overpower Morgana. The woman might be a psychopath, but against her magic, I was useless. Not to mention roughly fifteen men accompanying us, all watching my every move, and I just so happen to be injured.
It was impossible. I was so dead. No way in hell was I about to become Morgana's little sidekick.
"You can't do this!"
"Finally figure it out, huh? Who'll stop me? All of your little friends are busy negotiating with Raul. A pointless endeavor, I assure you."
"They'll come for me. You know they will."
She laughs. "Who will be left to search for you once Raul is through with them? I will be queen, and you will get to see them all dead. Every last one."
I glare at the back of her head. "You don't really believe that do you? Raul is just using you!"
"Raul doesn't care about Camelot.", she says. "Never has."
"What do you mean? Of course he does. Why not just kidnap me and leave if he didn't?" She seems to decide she has told me enough, and sinks back into silence. I knew there was no point of pressing the issue.
I quit paying attention to Morgana while I tried to think of a way out of this. I could try and sneak away when we stop to sleep. I still had Cenred's dagger. But there was sure to be at least one solider keeping watch. There was still time for me to do something and make it back to Camelot, but the longer I waited, the more slim that chance became. And I wasn't sure if I could make it on my own. Just the swaying of the horse made me ache. I probably couldn't walk far before they discovered I was gone and caught up to me.
My daze is broken by our company coming to a sudden halt. I nearly lose my balance, and have to squeeze my knees together as hard as I can to remain seated.
One of the men dismounts, his sword drawn. "Who is there?", he shouts. "Show yourself!"
No response.
"Guard her!", Morgana orders as she swings herself down to the ground. A man comes to hold onto my reigns.
A loud whistle catches their attention, somewhere to my left. They move slowly towards it. Morgana even looks scared. Only for a moment, and then it's replaced with her usual steely expression.
An Elderly man, half mad looking stepped out from the complete opposite direction they were looking in. He winked at me. Morgana seemed to sense him and whipped around.
"Take her and go!", she barked back at us. I didn't see what happened next, because a solider jumped up behind me and spurred the horse forward at a full gallop, off the road and into the woods.
I could feel his breath against my neck as he hugged my against his chest with one arm and held the reigns with the other. I struggled against him, trying to knock him off. But his arms were like iron, encircling me in a firm grasp, and he only held me tighter. I wasn't strong enough to break free.
My fingers brushed something cool and metallic. I froze for a moment. The oaf had a knife sheathed in his belt, there for the taking.
I continued to squirm, but only for show. In reality I was inching the knife out of its fastening and into my hands. My captor was much too focused on racing away, and completely oblivious as to what I was doing.
Turning it around carefully in my hands, and began sawing through the ropes that bound my wrists together. I worked at it frantically, trying to free myself before I was taken too far from the city.
Finally, I managed to slice through the last bit. Seeing as I couldn't turn around, I had to settle for stabbing him in the thigh. He curses as I jab my elbow back into his face. He falters for a moment, but has a sword to my throat before I can do anything about it.
"You are not exactly in fighting condition, your highness.", he says in a taunting tone. Keeping his blade pointed at me the entire time, he swings himself down off the horse. "Get down. And nothing funny."
Setting my jaw stubbornly, I slowly climbed off, keeping my hands visible.
"Shouldn't you be transporting me to wherever Morgana has ordered you to take me?", I said flatly.
"Shouldn't you be a proper princess who doesn't stab people?"
"I gave up on being proper a long time ago. You should get used to it."
He jerks his head towards a fallen log. "Sit. And don't move."
I do as he says, but only because he didn't seem the type to mind seriously maiming me. Even if it meant answering to Morgana about it later. Not that she would care.
Bracing himself against a tree, he slowly pulled the knife from his leg. I gagged, turning away.
"Lucky for you", he sneered, "You didn't puncture anything vital. This will heal in no time at all." I turn back to see him binding it with the hem of his tunic. "You aren't the delicate flower you appear to be."
I roll my eyes, but found myself startled by his looks. I hadn't noticed before, but he couldn't be more than a few years older than me. If I had to guess, I would say he was only about 19 years old. It was his build that was misleading. Tall, Broad shoulders, and incredibly muscular. He looked as if he could split a rock with his bare hands.
His face was completely expressionless as he worked with the makeshift bandage. An idiot could see he knew what he was doing. He had probably apprenticed with a healer before joining Raul's ranks. I had spent enough time as a captive in Raul's court to understand the markings on his armor. This man was highly ranked. He had possibly even replaced Meliorn after he fled, which would explain his youth.
I tear my eyes away, ashamed for wasting time thinking about his looks. I had to focus on what was really important, getting back to Camelot before Arthur is assassinated. But to do that I either had to kill or ditch the escort. And he wasn't going to let either of those things happen easily.
Force wouldn't work. He was right about one thing, I wasn't in fighting condition. Not to mention he was much, much bigger than me. So that left me one option; manipulation. On the bright side, the wound I inflicted on his thigh would slow him down.
"Come here.", he says, holding more rope in order to bind my hands again. I slowly stand up, but falter, faking dizziness and I clutched the sides of my head. "What's wrong?", he asks, stepping towards me. Swallowing my pride, I collapsed, hoping it would look convincing enough.
As I guessed, he caught me. I was glad he did, because I could have hurt myself worse if he hadn't. I let my head roll back, going completely limp. He cursed, lowering my to the ground to check my vitals. I forced myself slow my breathing as he felt for a pulse on my neck.
His emotions washed over me, and I immediately regretted my plan. I'd completely let the empathy thing slip my mind. For a moment I forgot all about my own feelings and was overwhelmed by his, or should I say lack of. He made my brain feel clouded, singular to one thought. Serving the task set before him. I could feel normal emotions too, but they were distant. As if something was blocking them from surfacing.
Solider boy was making my head hurt. I couldn't push him out. It wasn't until he broke contact that I could think straight again. And I was running out of time. I knew I needed to hurry up and end this.
In his haste to aid me, he had dropped his sword, too far for him to reach in time to stop me. Because what he didn't know about my dagger. Or that I had it in my hand.
Before he knew what was happening, I was sitting up and had it pressed to his throat. I crawled out of his grasp and stood, keeping the blade pressed against his skin, threatening to draw blood.
"Get up.", I say in my best authoritative voice. He glares at me incredulously, an angry look flashes through his eyes, but otherwise does as I say, and follows me to a tree with branches low enough he can sit and still be tied to it, and strong enough he won't be able to break it for at least a few hours. By which time I'll be long gone.
As I knotted the ropes that tied his wrists to the limb I spot a marking on his forearm. I finished and turned his arm to get a better look at it. It was similar to the runes Raul had put on me. And whatever it did, it was still black. Still working its magic. "Where did you get that?"
He doesn't answer me. And I knew from the stubborn look on his face, he wasn't going to. And I couldn't waste anymore time. Sighing, I turned to go.
"So that's it? You're going to leave me here?", he demands.
"That's the idea.", I answer, spotting his sword on the ground. I stopped picked it up, examining it. It was a bit long and heavy for my tastes, but far better than a little dagger.
"I must admit, I didn't think you had that in you.", he says, shifting around uncomfortably. "I'm impressed."
"I must admit, I didn't think you would be stupid enough to fall for the fainting damsel bit.", I retort.
He grins, tilting his head sideways. "What can I say? I can't resist a damsel in distress. And you do play the part well. Though, anyone can see you can handle yourself."
"You can quit trying to flatter me, it won't work.", I scoff, guiding the horse over to the tree I had sat on. I gritted my teeth, pulling myself up in one quick motion rather than of torturing myself by drawing out the pain. I settled myself into the saddle and spurred the horse on, back towards Camelot.
"Stop! You can't leave me here! Release me!", he growls, his playful teasing attitude gone. He violently yanks at the limb, trying to break it. But I'm already gone, his growls and screams of rage behind me.
It was too dangerous to use the roads, I would surely get caught, so I picked my way through the woods instead. I really wasn't that far from Camelot. Arthur used this part of the woods for hunting. Granted, I was probably at the edge of how far he comes on those excursions. I had no idea how long I'd been out here, but I needed to get back now.
I had an assassination to stop.
Seriya Silvermist- Sorry for not answering your question in the previous chapter! This story doesn't really happen during a specific time frame. Sometime after the second season, I suppose. It's more of my version of events rather than following the original plot line.
And if any of you would like pictures of the characters not already in the original series (and is not already on my profile) Feel free to request a character and I can see what I can do :)