CHAPTER 26: RESCUE MISSION
The Titans, including King Alexander ran to the castle immediately. Upon reaching the castle doors however, the guards standing outside unsheathed their swords and pointed them at the group.
"Traitors!" Alexander cried angrily.
The guards looked taken aback, "Your Majesty … uh, I mean … Alexander?"
"It's King Alexander to you!"
"Aren't you … dead?" said a guard, his voice slightly quivery.
They all looked at one another. Dead? So the people thought King Alexander was dead? Then, he spoke up, "Well, you will be if you don't tell us why you're working for Ro - uh, the Enchantress!"
The guards were slowly backing away now, their eyes focusing on the sword King Alexander was holding out menacingly, "She … She, she was threatening us! She said, if we do not follow orders, she would burn us all!"
"And you decided to betray England instead of stay true to your King?"
The guards looked at one another, then started to scream and run away. As they ran towards the village, they started to cry out a warning, "The ghost of King Alexander is baaaack!"
Alexander sighed and shook his head.
"Let's hurry up," Robin said, "It won't be long before the Enchantress finds out that you're not dead. And I don't think we can fool her like those goons earlier."
"Goons?" asked King Alexander.
"Uh, idiots." Beast boy translated.
Alexander nodded and kicked down the door. To their surprise, the hallway was empty. They walked down it in a very cautious manner, trying to be as silent as possible and hiding in the shadows. But very strangely, no one came walking down the hallway at all. Everything was very eerily quiet.
Then, they realised the Enchantress must have threatened the servants and everyone else who worked here to work for her, but they'd all packed up and ran away. King Alexander couldn't help but felt a sort of warmth in his heart, so many were loyal to him and his family, he will not let the kingdom down.
Finally, they reached the doors of the throne room, and they all paused. The Titans looked at King Alexander expectantly.
"There is a very good chance the Enchantress is inside …" whispered Alexander softly. Everyone nodded.
"And Raven could be in it too," he continued. "Then again, she could be locked up somewhere. I say that barging down this door would be too risky."
"So what should we do?" asked Cyborg.
"Sneak attack!" Beast boy suggested excitedly and everyone shushed him anxiously.
Only Alexander nodded, "Yes, we would need to create a diversion. This way, we will have the element of surprise on our side."
So the Titans and Alexander formed a sort of huddle outside the door and started discussing their approach. Alexander told them that he had lived in the castle since he was born and knew a secret passage way that would lead to the back of the throne room, directly behind the King and Queen's thrones.
They decided to send Beast boy and Robin through that passage way. If Raven and the Enchantress was there, they'll distract by throwing some pebbles on the floor, towards an archway King Alexander described. Hopefully, the Enchantress will leave to check. When she does, they could quickly get Raven and escape.
But, if she sends Raven to check, the Enchantress will be alone and they will throw a pebble at the door. This will alert Alexander and Starfire who will be waiting, they'll run in and fight the Enchantress, with Beast boy and Robin who will spring up from behind and thus increasing the chance of pinning her down.
They'll then ask for the location of Raven, if she was imprisoned somewhere and contact Cyborg who will be positioned in the map room, to find her. Along the planning process, King Alexander was shocked to hear that many of them had powers, but he tried to stay calm.
"You are … not sorcerers, right?" he asked nervously, gripping his sword tightly. Robin assured him that they weren't evil and aren't sorcerers. This calmed him down a bit but he still looked worried.
Still, Alexander decided to work with them, besides they saved his life, so they can't be bad. Perhaps, there are good people out there who had magic too … Though, his father had always told him not to trust witches.
When everyone was sure what to do, King Alexander led them to the map room. This room contained all sorts of maps of England, of the capitol, of the castle, and other lands too. King Alexander placed a detailed map of the castle in Cyborg's gloved hands and told him to follow this.
Then, they left Cyborg and made their way to the castle library. It was filled with tall shelves, all the way to the high ceiling and heavy tomes and dusty volumes filled each shelf to the top row. There was one wall, however, that didn't have a shelf. Instead, a huge, beautiful, heavy tapestry of a forest scenery hung and covered the wall.
King Alexander lifted the bottom and to everyone's surprise, there was a square outlining a part of the wall. He then, pulled that open and the square part of the wall dropped like a draw bridge. Inside, was hollow and contained a sort of scale which was fixed there.
He quickly worked the piece of machinery. One side of the scale had a few pebbles in it and so it tilted to one side. Alexander took out some of the pebbles and placed them on the other side. It took approximately one minute, but soon, he was able to get the scale to balance perfectly. Then, he held the top and turned it anti-clockwise three times.
And then, something clicked, and there was a huge groan. King Alexander put his fingers in his ears and smiled apologetically.
"It hasn't been used for a long time." he said.
Then, Alexander pointed to the bookshelves. One of them, had turned, showing a small gap.
"Go inside and along the tunnel. You will find yourself descending. Watch out for steps and slopes, they can be slippery. When you reach the end, feel around for a wooden box above you, push that open slowly and when your head comes up, you will find yourself behind the thrones." King Alexander instructed.
But before they went in, Alexander said that he will close the gap. And in order for them to open it, they will have to feel around for a lever inside behind the rotating bookshelf. They nodded in understanding and Beast boy and Robin went in. King Alexander rotated the scale back three times, clockwise now, and moved the pebbles all to one side again.
A click, and another huge groan. Then, he slammed the square part of the wall back in place and came out under the tapestry. He glanced at the bookshelf and found it to be just the way it was like before. Smiling, he dusted his hands.
"Glorious!" Starfire clasped her hands together, "What a marvelous invention!"
Alexander smiled, Robin had told her she can shoot … green glowing energy from her hands, and that resembled very witch-like powers, but he was sure that she wasn't evil. She didn't seem like she could hurt a fly!
"Come, we must be in position." Alexander said and Starfire nodded. Together, they made their way to the door outside of the throne room and waited.
King Alexander had the sword out as he and Starfire made their way to the door of the throne room, he had the Excalibur. Grinning, he was sure The Enchantress would get a shock no matter whether she was alone inside or with Raven.
Raven … his heart softened. He loved her … at least, that was what he thought. The Titans, had explained when they were running to the castle that The Enchantress had cast a spell on him … and her too. So she didn't really love him? And he didn't really love her?
And then, anger came over him, The Enchantress had no right to mess with their feelings. And she most definitely had no right to take over his kingdom and kill his parents.
So whatever happens, he promised, himself, that he will take her down.
Beast boy and Robin made their way through the narrow tunnel slowly. It was dark and there was no light source and so, they had to feel around the walls which felt like a combination of wood and stones. Very often, they would bump into one another when the tunnel was curving.
Also, it was very slippery as Alexander had said. Robin and Beast boy had slipped on stones so many times and especially on the slopes. They were so, once they got out, they were going to be a mess. Muddy clothes, wet, wild hair and all …
All was silent, concentrating on their mission and what they had to do. The only sounds heard was the dripping of water from above.
Suddenly, Robin decided to break that silence, "Beast boy?" he whispered, though it echoed around and sounded more like a shout.
"Yes?" Beast boy whispered back, thinking he was going to give a prep talk or something. Or maybe, if he was lucky, Robin might just go over what they had to do. Sometimes, his prep talks sounded more like lectures …
"I was just thinking …" Robin said softly, "Why do you care so much …"
Beast boy lowered his head, "Raven's our friend, our teammate. I'll never desert her. And I'm sure, neither will Cyborg, Starfire or you will either."
Robin nodded, "That's true. You've really changed."
"I have?" Beast boy said, his voice going up a bit in surprise.
"You've become more serious … thoughtful." Robin remarked softly.
Beast boy nodded, though he wasn't sure where his team leader was going with this. Maybe … a promotion? He chuckled in his head, obviously not. You can't really get promotions when you're a superhero. It's not as if Robin pays them. The mayor will just gift them a bag every year and they'll share it among themselves.
"Is it only when it's about Raven?" Robin suddenly prodded Beast boy's back.
"Huh?" he stopped suddenly, and Robin behind, bumped into him.
"Ooof!" he stumbled back but Beast boy caught him just in time before he fell.
He laughed apologetically, "Hehe … sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
Robin sighed and brushed the dirt away from himself, "You're only serious when it's about Raven, right?"
Beast boy didn't quite know how to answer. He just blinked, he's never thought of it but … perhaps that was true. Somehow, he did get serious with matters concerning the girl.
"Yeah." Beast boy replied, almost under his own breath. Then, they started walking again.
Robin spoke up, "I guess you really care a lot about Raven."
"We all do." said Beast boy firmly. Then, he bumped into something.
"Beast boy?" Robin stopped him from falling onto him with both of his hands, outstretched, then, he pushed him up again.
"I think this is the end of the tunnel." said Beast boy, then he started to feel the walls around, "Yep, we can't go further."
Robin reached up and touched something wooden. This must be the part where Alexander had described! They were supposed to push it up if he wasn't wrong. Robin gestured to Beast boy that he had found something. Together, they reached up and pushed it. A crack of light shone through.
Beast boy and Robin looked at one another, then, they pushed it softly, sideways. They were glad they didn't make any noises. Now, the tunnel was filled with light from above.
Both of them popped their heads upwards and saw with amazement … the throne room. They had made it! Now, they'll have to carry out the next step of their plans. They'd made it here without any problems, so the next step should be easy enough.
Except, that, there was no one in the room.
The Echantress smiled, she was already feeling more powerful. Lifting her head, she glanced at the mirror beside her and it shattered under her gaze. She breathed in deeply, she hadn't felt this way for a long time. That witch hunter that had got her friend had placed magical symbols and ornaments all around the castle that drained most of her magic away. And so, therefore, she had to leave the castle quickly.
But that was ten years ago, now, thanks to Raven, her powers were fully restored. She whispered a spell to the unconscious Raven on the floor. And then, she carried her over to the bed and put her down. There, she cast another spell, though this one, is more for herself than for Raven.
She picked up a mirror shard and looked in her reflection, her face was exactly like Raven's! Though, she couldn't fully change the rest of her body, she was sure that her face would be enough to fool that silly King and his friends.
Yes, she knew that they were coming. Though, she had proclaimed him dead, and everyone believed that, she didn't. It was too easy after all. And when she was in the throne room, she could already sense their presence outside, that confirmed her suspicious.
She knew she couldn't fight them all, not when her powers weren't restored yet. So she decided to escape to her room, Princess Anne's quarters. This, is where she quickly regained her magic and finally, was able to change her appearance. Or at least, part of it.
The Enchantress decided to put it to the test. They'll probably just think their dear friend Raven had grown taller. So, she striped Raven of her gown and put that on. Then, she dressed her in one of Princess Anne's.
The Enchantress walked out of the room and closed the door behind, locking Raven in. Smiling, she hoped she'd be comfortable on that bed.
She didn't think anyone would find her after a long, long time.