Chapter 45
When the smoke cleared, they were in the courtyard. Knights had them surrounded and at sword point before they could even announce themselves. It made Danni wonder what she'd missed while she was gone. At the edge of the courtyard, she saw her cousin Danielle watching her. She worked her way over to the small group and pushed the knights away.
"Back away your fools. Don't you see who it is? Someone go and fetch the Queen. She'll want to know that her Vulcannonians and daughter have returned from their mission," Danielle shouted as men went scurrying to follow her orders.
"You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you," Danni mused.
"It has been a few months for me, Coraline. While I am aware that it has been years for you, cousin. Welcome home, again. I am sorry that I wasn't here when you arrived. I was working on something for your mother. But, I am glad to be home," Danielle explained.
"It's good to see you, Danielle, but call me Danni. I kinda changed me name along the way. It might confuse some people, but it's what I want."
"No problem, Danni," she replied like she was testing the wait of her cousins name on her tongue for the first time.
Before they could turn around fully and head into the castle, they were met with Rachel, Regina and Emma staring at them. Regina looked like she'd been crying. Emma was smiling at the both.
"What's going on?" Danni asked as she turned to look at Danielle.
"Ma had her pups," Danielle told her.
"Aunt Red? Today? Wow!"
"Yeah, not to long ago, actually."
Their conversation was short lived. Rachel had run across the courtyard and hugged Danni. Danni saw the look of surprise on both Regina and Will's faces, but she knew that Rachel had been scared. Rachel was a very emotional person, just her mother, Regina. But unlike Regina, Rachel was afraid to show it.
"You're back," Rachel said quietly as she released Danni from the hug.
"You look different," Danni replied.
"I've been with Queen Regina since you left. She's teaching me about Vulcannonian lore and the royal family, besides everything Enchanted Forest. We were...I was worried about you. We hadn't heard from you and then we got the bird...and then..."
"Ruby had her pups?" Danni finished for her.
"Yes."
"Calm down, Rachel. We will talk later. I promise. Right now, I need to speak with my moms."
"Okay, sure," she said as she turned to Danielle. "Ready to take me on patrol again?"
"As you wish, your majesty. They are after all your Rocs. I'll call for Thoran and Thunder," Danielle told her as she walked away from them both with a nod of salute.
Danni arched her eyebrow at Rachel, but kept her mouth shut. She was happy to see that Rachel was fitting in, but she was also worried for her as well. She decided that she would wait to see how worried she had to be until after she met with Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. They would give her a better idea on Rachel's mindset and what they were going to do since Danni didn't want to stay there.
Emma and Regina watched their daughter. She had a very commanding presence which was highly accentuated since she was flocked by both Wilhelmina, Queen of Vulcannon, and Nicola, Princess Royal and Head of the Phoenix Legions of Vulcannon. Regina couldn't help but smile at them standing there, armed to the teeth for a knight with no armor. They were really a sight to see. Regina would later admit that it did her heart good to see her daughter like that.
Regina had been worried about her daughter's mental health. She knew how easily the darkness could take over and she was worried about her being in Dedrick's camp. She was worried her being around new magic and giving into the temptation. She should have known better since her daughter was half Charming, but she still had her misgivings. She still kept the dagger in her study, that same mahogany box, watching and waiting for the day that it showed Coraline's name in it.
"Mom?" Danni said when she saw the flash of pain flow through her eyes.
"I'm fine, Dear. But, your cousins were born earlier. The castle is full of excitement. They can't wait to meet the heirs of Ulf, the newest members of the Brannonulf," Regina told her.
"Have messengers been sent to Ulf to alert the royal houses?" Nicola asked.
"Not yet," Emma answered looking at them concerned.
"We should send someone soon. They'll want to know that their queen has given them heirs. It will settle down a lot of mistrust and murmuring amongst the Randall. If they see that these are truly Canae of the Brannonulf and not just merely a Loban..." Nicola started.
"They are Canae, just like Danielle," Will hissed at her aunt.
"But, Danielle hasn't turned. To the Ulf, she is merely a Loban and will remain so until she does. She won't be able to ascend the throne. She'll be like me, just another Princess," Nicola replied. "I mean nothing by it, but it is the truth and we both know it."
"It can wait. Dedrick cannot. We need to talk."
"I'll order food, water and wine brought to my study. It is the only safe and secure place in the palace. We made sure of it after you left, Danni. Go change if you would like and meet me there shortly," Regina told them as she turned on her heel and went back inside.
Danni wanted to laugh. Her mother knew how to control the situation quickly. And, she knew that Regina was more worried about Dedrick and what he would do, than she was about a possible coup or uprising among the Randall of Ulf. For now, they were agreeing to fight for the Swan kingdoms and that was all she needed to know. Regina would send a faction to Ulf as soon as possible to weed out those among the Randall that were talking of raising up against Ruby. She would stop the coup before it could really begin, but she hoped that the news of her sisters twin pups would reach the Ulf before she had to do anything.
Danni knew that Regina wasn't opposed to war. She didn't like it, but she would do what was necessary to make sure that her sister retained the throne. She would even send Danielle if need be. Danni was worried about her cousin. She was technically the rightful heir by blood, but the Ulf wouldn't recognize her until she could change. If Danielle never phased, then the male twin would assume the throne of the Ulf as the next Brannonulf. That would be a point of contention amongst the non-Ulf royals, but she was sure that Regina already had a plan in place for that if necessary. She was meticulous in her planning, so Danni had no doubts forher cousin, Danielle, being a powerhouse for the royal houses of the Enchanted Forest. For now, Danni needed to focus on Morgana and Dedrick.
Thirty minutes later she was in her mother's study. She had changed into something a little more comfortable. She didn't know how Regina would take it and she really didn't care. If she was going to be there, she would act like it was in an official capacity. She knew that some of the staff still didn't know how to treat her. How could they? They knew the truth. She was really Regina and Emma's daughter, but as long as Remy was there, Danni didn't want the title. Instead she kept up the moniker of Ser Coraline Danielle "Danni" French. It was just easier. Remy knew that they were sisters and she loved Danni, but Danni didn't want power. She hadn't been groomed to run the kingdom. She hadn't gone through the same lessons or even have the same upbringing that Remy had. She couldn't fault her for that. Danni had given her the life that she'd never gotten and she loved this child. Remy might have shared her birth name with her, but they couldn't have been more different. So, she would dawn the knight's tunic and let Regina silent stew if she wished. She would not take power from her siblings.
When she saw both Nicola and Will in the knights' tunics of Vulcannon, she didn't worry about it so much. Her's was a little different from that of the knights of the Swan Kingdom. Her's carried the true royal familial crest and not that of the kingdom. It made her stand out, but then again...she always had.
She glanced around the room. She noted the photos of Remy and Henry as they'd grown in Storybrooke. She smiled at their happy faces. She held up her right hand to touch one of them as she felt a goblet of wine end up in her left.
"I hope one day I can add your picture to theirs. We might not have been there for you as a child, Danni, but..." Regina started.
She turned and looked down at her mother. Their eyes were so much the same, but they were so different. The similarities were one of the reasons that people feared her. They knew about her mother's trouble past, but they didn't understand hers. No one really did because they hadn't lived and now, they never would. Belle's stories...The Legends of Coraline French...tried to explain things. But even using the diaries and what she'd told Belle, the people still didn't understand the pain, the loneliness, and the anguish that came with being who she was. And, she hoped to all that was holy and every deity that she knew, met, or heard about kept it that way for them. They didn't need to suffer like she did to understand why she was who she was.
"Maybe...we'll see," Danni answered noncommittally.
Regina just nodded. She'd come to grips with her daughter's aloofness. She knew better than to push her. Danni was too much like Emma emotionally even though she could honestly be Regina's clone or "Mini-Me." Ever since Danni gave her back her memories of what really happened in Storybrooke, Regina had been using kid gloves with her daughter. She loved her, but she didn't want to push her away. She knew that if she didn't, Danni would run away again. It was what she did last time because she thought that Regina was disgusted with her after she'd killed George.
"Can we talk later? Just us, no one else. Please?" Regina asked.
"Sure," Danni said quietly.
She had an idea what her mother wanted and she knew that she owed her that much. She still wasn't ready to stay in the Enchanted Forest and she knew that Regina wouldn't ask it of her now. There was a time she might have, but they had come to an understanding. Plus, there was the business with the tattoo...
"So what do you know?" Regina questioned loudly enough for everyone to hear in the room.
"Morgan Le Fey or Morgana is the sorceress working for Dedrick. She doesn't care about this land. She only sided with him here in order to get closer to you," Danni started to tell them.
A collective gasp was heard. Will was already moving towards Regina and Nicola towards Emma. Danni couldn't help but shake her head and give them all a quiet smile.
"No, she doesn't want to hurt you. She wants to use you. She needs your collective powers to get her back to Camelot...what's left of it anyway," Danni told them.
"She just wants to go home?" Emma asked.
"Technically, yes, but she doesn't mind creating a little chaos on the way."
"How'd see end up here?" Regina inquired.
"I am not quiet sure on that, except similiarly to me. She magicked herself here somehow, but she was banished from Camelot. She's hoping that with your combined magicks, or mine, she can break through the Veil of Avalon and get home."
"Did she get kicked out for supporting her son against her brother for the kingdom?" Emma asked.
"That is the current and most popular story, but the kicker is that Mordred was also her son," Danni replied.
"Fuck..."
"Yeah, well, gotta love blue bloods there, Ma. That's not the matter. Mordred destroyed Camelot. He and Arthur killed each other. There is no one to rule. The realm has descended into darkness, devestation and chaos. I am not sure that sending her back would be a good thing. Besides there is the fact that she would be the Lady of the Lake," Danni told them.
Regina cocked an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything. She was waiting for Danni to explain. She'd heard of Camelot and Avalon, but she'd never been there. She'd read the Earth versions of the myths, stories and legends, but just like her story, she wasn't sure how much was truth and how much was fiction. She gave Danni a look that told her to get to it and let her know what she needed to know.
"Morgana was named Lady of the Lake after her aunt's death. She would be the equivalent of Blue, I guess. She is the head of their goddess religion and the supreme leader of its cult. She selects all the priestesses. However, power wasn't something that Morgan really wanted. She wanted to help her brother rule. She knew that she would never be anything more than her mother's daughter. A princess in her own right, she wasn't Uther's daughter and there for had no claim to the throne of Camelot. Instead, she served her aunt and was part of the reason that Arthur ascended the throne. But, that is a whole other story..."
"So, why was she kicked out of Avalon or whatever?" Will asked, having known some of the history from books she'd read back on Earth.
"She sided with her son in the end. She didn't stop Arthur from changing the religion of the land. When Arthur's wife couldn't bear him a son, she blamed the goddess for punishing her for trying to appease her by inviting another man into their bed. Arthur and Gwen would never have a child. She honestly wasn't destined to be with Arthur. Her soul mate was one of Arthur's cousins and one of his knights, his best friend and his most trusted adviser," Danni answered.
"Lancelot," Emma stat
"That much of the story is true, yes. Lancelot and Gwen were meant for each other. The night that they shared with Arthur, in order to produce an heir, Gwen never feel pregnant. She remained barren but at Arthur's side until Mordred showed up."
"I'm sure that went over well," Emma added sarcastically.
"You're right it didn't. Finding out that Arthur had a child and by his sister from a liaison during a goddess festival pushed Gwen over the edge. She demanded that Arthur denounce him. He couldn't have a bastard and his sister's bastard at that assume his throne. He also couldn't acknowledge him publicly without causing major issues with Gwen and the Court. Mordred was devastated. He vowed that he would come back and he would be stronger. If his father wouldn't name him the heir to Camelot, he'd take it. Unfortunately for Arthur, the goddess cult turned from him when he denounced them because of his wife's issues. In doing so, he alienated a lot of his people and they actually began to rally behind Modred," Danni stated.
"So, Morgan took her son's side in the civil war and was punished for it?" Regina asked.
"She was the embodiment of the goddess on earth. She was to remain neutral, but she wanted the goddess to reign again. The only way to do that was to support Mordred. It was also foretold by her aunt that the Wolf would destroy the Bear. Arthur's symbol was the Bear..."
"And, Mordred is the wolf," Nicola stated.
"Yes, so the realm fell into ruin. Morgana wasn't allowed to re-enter Avalon because she was supposed to maintain the realm. With the realm broken, she couldn't part the veil to Avalon. Since she couldn't part the Veil, she was lost to the goddess and it's cult. She found her way out of Avalon and Camelot. Supposedly she's been working her way through the realms looking for someone worthy enough to take her back to Avalon and to being the Lady of the Lake," Danni told them.
"And, she thinks that I can do that?" Regina questioned.
"She really seems to think so," Danni replied.
"Then why did she side with Dedrick?" Emma asked.
"Now, that is the question of the century. I have no idea really. But, he's been travelling from realm to realm to destroy magic. I think she realized that if she stayed with him long enough she would find someone with enough power to open the veil and she could go home and start to build."
"And, she didn't ask you?" Regina inquired.
"I am sure that she wanted to but, she came here for you. The other realm know about the Dark One and their power and they are all rightfully scared of it. Besides, I didn't exactly make myself welcome everywhere I went trying to deal with it. I'm known more places than I'd like to admit," Danni told them.
"So, she's come for the source of your power. Your mothers...interesting," Regina replied.
"Why?" Emma questioned.
"She needs power to lift the Veil. She needs us to go with her and not just send her home. If she just goes back to her realm, Camelot and Avalon are still in ruins. She will have no way of proving herself to the people. She's not vying to go home. She's trying to rebuild her status and rule. She's learned that she could rule the realm but she has to find a way to part the Veil. Whoever has taken her place as Lady of the Lake has barred her from rule and from her home. She's angry and she's willing to do whatever she can in order to get her position. Someone told her about us. She told Dedrick and we became his next targets."
"Do you think that in destroy magic she's bottling it to help her?" Danni asked as soon as the thought crossed her brain.
"Yes...I do. She's gathering magic because she intends on reclaiming Avalon by force. She knows how power the magicks are there and so she needs all the help that she can get. She was once the most power sorceress in Avalon and now she is nothing to them. She might still be powerful, but her magic doesn't get the response or the rule that she wants. She can't command the masses. She's lost the right. And, if her magic comes from their goddess, she's really lost it. Whatever magicks she has now, she's gathered. She is using Dedrick to gain more and he doesn't even know it. She's using him and honestly, I don't thnk that he would care as long as it rid the realms of magic entirely. She has no desire to do that. She just wants enough to usurp the throne, take back the realm, and regain her position, and that is no easy feat. I should know," Regina answered.
"What are we going to do?" Emma asked.
"We need to draw her out. We need her away from Dedrick and the main forces. She'll need a reason to leave him. She'll need to be convinced that we are trying to help her. But, like Rumple, she has her Achilles' heel and right now, it's home and power. If we offer her both, we might be able to pull her away," Regina suggested.
"But, we'll have to capture her, incapacitate her, and make sure that Dedrick sees her. He needs to see that he's defeated. He's been using her to draw the magic away. Take her away, and his war is lost," Danni added.
"We'll need to attack him on all fronts then. Draw her out and remove her from the field. Then we come at him, magic and not. He'll not be able to defend himself. But, how do we do that?" Emma inquired.
"Simple," Nicola said.
They all turned to the older Vulcannonian. She was the head warrior for her father before Rumple's cursed sickness took have the population. She knew how to lead armies, vast armies, and get the job done. And, it wasn't that they didn't trust Emma. They did, but she would need to be ahead of the Swan Army and not coordinating everything. Nicola could do that and they would have a better chance of succeeding on the field of battle against him.
When she didn't just continue, Regina cocked an eyebrow and said, "Well?"
"You've already assembled the other kingdoms. We just need them to attack from where we ask them to. It we come at them from every angle with all our sources, he'll have to surrender or he'll die trying to fight his way out. Either way, it'll end on the field of battle," Nicola told them.
"Where it should," Danni stated.
"Who should come from where?" Emma asked.
"You'll take the Rocs, lead by Rachel, and Swan Knights for a direct heading. Wilhelmina will sneak into the Golden Kingdom and rouse them to their walls and gates. Snow and Charming will come in from the East, with their forces from the Summerlands. I'll stay near the Rocs as they go aerial. The Ulf will come in from the West with Santana and Ruby at the helm, if she's able. Quinn and Brittany will stay here and protect the castle with part of the elite guard, a small contingent of Rocs and knights. Their job will to be to protect the children. Henry will stay with them. He is the Black Prince and heir to the Swan Kingdoms. He cannot be on the field of battle. If you must, promote him to General of the Guard or something equally large, so he'll see that it is an assignment and not for his protection. Belle will call upon the Dark Kingdom and you, Danni, will lead them, but way from the front. You must appear to be alone. I believe that Morgana will make a play for you and when she does, you need to be ready to take her down, feeling or no, she has to be stopped from amassing too much power."
"So what am I supposed to do? Teleport her somewhere? Take her back to Camelot to rot?"
"If you have to and can, yes," Nicola stated.
"Now, Philip and Aurora will be coming in from the South. Ariel and Eric already launched ships. They'll be able to back up Midas from the sea and their Marines will help on land. Is there any other kingdom I should be worried about?"
"What about Zelena? Elsa and Anna? The Merry Men?" Danni asked.
"They've already been given positions with other kingdoms. They will truly be surrounded with no way out. The biggest thing that I know we don't want is loss of life. How many men does Dedrick have?"
"A thousand or more."
"So, we're looking at two to one odds, possibly."
"That is if he doesn't recruit more. He's taking towns people, not trained soldiers and dressing them up. Morgana is helping him with this. They can't leave and they have to fight or die at his hand. It's barbaric and all I could do was mark those that were actually loyal to him. I couldn't get them out. There wasn't a big enough hole to drive them away. Besides, I have a friend on the inside that could help. I just need to be able to get word to her," Danni explained.
"Who?" Nicola asked.
"Her name is Drea. I am not sure where she's from, but she has a male friend named Trane. She's more in charge of a small group like a sargeant. We spent many a shifts guarding Dedrick's tent together. She is very open about her disdain for him. She wants to leave, but she can't get out. Right now, she's probably thinking that I've been captured or worse, because I haven't reported back to her section of the camp."
"Then you will have to make contact with her on the battlefield. She needs to believe that you got out or worse. It will help motivate her and get more men on her side. It sucks, Danni, I know, but it is the only way to ensure her safety. If they believe that you acted alone, they will leave her alone. They know she's vocal, but they haven't put her down yet, which means she good. They don't know that she's swayed anyone. Give her a sign, but draw Morgana out."
"How can I be sure that they will be safe?"
"Cast your spell broader at the battle. It will mark all those that support Dedrick for us to see. When the men realize that we are only acting certain men, they will break and join us. It will be simple. But, first we have to get Morgana away. Getting her away is the key because it will make her drop the magical shield that she has surrounding the camp. With that broken, we'll take the field and the day," Nicola explained.
"You've got your orders, then. Prepare your troops. And, Danni?"
"Yes, Mom?"
"Take Danielle to Ruby. She'll lead the troops with Santana. Ruby shouldn't be on the field just yet. Danielle is old enough and smart enough to lead Wolves. Make her a light set of armor and make sure that the Royal House of Brannonulf is upon it. I don't want any of the Randall wondering who or what she is. Do the same for Santana, but make sure that it will transform with her. And, make sure that they watch out. He's army is still carrying silver weapons. We don't need another repeat of Santana's injury," Regina instructed.
"As you wish, my Queens," Danni said with a salute and was off.
"Do you think that this will work?" Emma asked her.
"It isn't that I don't think it will work. I am worried about Danni and her friends. Are they ready for this? Is Danni? Or, is Danielle? Are we, really?"