Chapter Text
It’s been two years since Morgana has been gone, and it seems for good, for now at least. Arthur has taken his rightful place again, the dragon's sword at his side. Gwen has taken her place as queen and guided the kingdom well and has taken a friend, confidant and adviser in Merlin. He really has been influential to both her and Arthur, though Arthur would never admit it out loud.
Gwen would take her time to thank Merlin when she was home, but today, it was just for her. Merlin, Gwaine and the other knights had distracted Arthur for the day. Merlin had insisted on packing her a full lunch. Elyan insisted she take a guard with her. Fair and understandable, if not cumbersome, so here she rode, a pack, a cloak and her comfiest riding dress. The sweet freedom of the well worn roads Through the forest. A day to herself with no responsibilities, no one to answer to and no one but herself. Well herself and the five guards who rode a respectful few paces behind her. Freedom enough.
The place along the river that Gwen chose for her picnic lunch was soft and serene. She had come here with Arthur when they had first started dating. It gave her a chuckle, even on her day away from him she went to a place where she thought of Arthur. As she set up, she beckoned the guards over. “Please, eat with me.” She offered them both sandwiches. Bless Merlin, he packed enough food to feed an army. How he managed it, she will never know. Sure, she could pack dresses with the best of them, but she never did get the hang of food, not like Merlin.
The sun felt good on her face as it scattered through the trees.
Then everything went dark. Gwen felt the dirt ground rise to meet her, vaguely aware of the guards calling her name, and a new voice yelling orders. Strong arms grabbed her and threw her over their shoulder. She tried to fight, but it was no use, her limbs didn't listen. She was thrown onto something hard and damp, knocking the wind out of her, and with that the last of her consciousness.
*
Leon was having a down right rotten day, and that was before he found five murdered guards in the woods.
The other knights were holding an impromptu fighting tournament amongst themselves to keep their dear king from worrying about Gwen all day. Him knowing and even planning the day for her didn’t stop him from wanting to run after her and guard her like a lost, very snarly, puppy.
But no, Leon was out in the woods on patrol, not having a day off with the other knights. At least he would see that charming hunter he had come to enjoy chatting with. He had a hard time imagining a girl being such a good hunter, but every time he had asked he was met with a laugh, a giggle and a challenge to a horse race. Still, she had been good to talk to. But even she had other things to do evidently. Taking advantage of the first sunny day they had had in months. She was probably off chasing something, or having a jolly good time at the tavern flirting with every pretty barkeep. Did that make him jealous? Absolutely not. Well, jealous of them being out enjoying the day and Leon was here on his horse, doing patrol.
Leon was so engrossed in his memories and thoughts that he almost missed it entirely, but the smell of blood was unmistakable. Sharp copper hitting his nose and making every hair stand on end. He drew his sword as he hit the ground but he knew he would be too late before he even saw the massacre that lay before him. Five Camelot soldiers, dead in their own blood sinking into the dirt. Two more blood puddles but no one to go with them.
Then he noticed the picnic blanket. Or rather recognized it. It had been quilted many years ago by his friend. “Gwen!”
*
Amidst the clatter and usual ramblings of the castle Arthur was trying to keep his mind off of Gwen and Merlin and what he wanted to ask, and it was not helped by Merlin running around the training grounds like a manic chicken. Still it wasn't enough to distract him from the fight that was right in front of him. Elyan swung wide and flashy, making a great show of dancing with his sword, like a carefree kid.
Arthur blocked easily. “ Come on, Elyan, are you even trying to hit me?” He taunted.
“You seemed distracted, my lord,” Elyan swung back.
Merlin might not have been enough to distract him but Leon riding full speed towards them was. He looked truly haunted.
“My Lord! “ he called before he even came to a stop. “The queen! She has been taken!”
No more needed to be said. The knights moved fast. Any semblance of them being carefree gone, replaced with fierce determination and hidden twinges of fear.
The search was frantic and all but fruitless. A cart had been pulled off the road near the site, presumably how they traveled with her. But even Arthur's tracking skills couldn’t follow where they went. The path was too well used.
They found two bodies floating in the river, stripped of any identifying clothes and tools, but wounds that would match those of the Camelot soldiers.
With no leads of where, how or who, Arthur ordered patrols, determined to not lose her. By the end of the second day he was ready to send an open reward to mercenaries. Only Merlin was able to talk him out of it.
“Arthur, if you start that now, they will think you are desperate.”
“I don't care!” The cup from his uneaten dinner clattered loudly, giving Arthur just enough time to compose himself enough to keep from yelling again. “I am desperate.”
“We will find her. You have the best knights in all of the kingdoms. We will find her.” The silence that held between them was tense and fraying, like one wrong move could send either one into a crying fit.
“What if we can't?” Arthur's voice was so small.
“We will.”
“And what if we don't?” The silence twisted the knife. “What if we don't? I can’t afford to turn into my father when he was–” When he was looking for morgana.
Even with her gone she still influenced everything they did. Every security measure, every adviser that was hired, every disaster that happened, it tied back to her, even if she had nothing to do with it. Arthur could never admit it, but he missed her. Not the her that had betrayed their father, not the her who had tried to kill him more times than he cared to count, but the her he used to know. The one who didn't hesitate to help someone in need. The one who would don chain mail and wield a blade against thugs and terrorizers, just as easily as she could hand out candy to the kids in the lower town. Even Merlin wondered if he could have done something different. Changed the way things had gone. Could he have kept Morgana on his side if he had just told her? Every mention of her brought these thoughts back.
The castle searched for Gwen, all of her people, the knights, the soldiers, the people, but nothing. Even the great Merlin himself was of no use. He tried scrying, looking through the magic to find her when they were in the woods. Then again when he got home. But he saw nothing. The more he tried, the worse his headache became, like someone was blocking him from seeing.
Merlin may have been the greatest sorcerer to ever live, but he still didn't have much experience fighting against this type of magic. Magic was outlawed and only the druids had the mildest of leeway with that, but no druid could do this. Sure he had faced Morgana, but surely she wasn't this powerful. There was no way for her to have amassed enough of a following without them hearing about it. It painted a bad image of what this was in his head.
He confided his worries to only one person; Gwaine. Gwaine, who was being the most level headed of the knights at the moment on account of being the most used to this level of sleep deprivation and exhaustion, was the only one Merlin could trust to do something and not ask too many questions. Questions like how did he know.
It wasn't until the morning of the third day that answers came.
Arthur stood at the table, staring at a map of the kingdom marking off areas as the reports have come in. Arthur looked like he had not gotten much sleep.
The doors opened.
“My Lord! There is a ransom!” Sir Leon announced. He rushed the rolled up parchment to him.
Arthur nearly ripped it out of Leon’s hands. “To the keeper of the queen,” he began, trying to keep his hands from shaking. “I request the release of Alric Blackwood. Bring him to your edge of the Northern Plains with 15,000 gold. Once he is returned, I will return what is yours. Signed, Not a Friend.”
The echo of silence was so loud it could shatter glass. Then everyone spoke at once.
“We don't have enough gold for that,” Leon started.
“He is a murderer. He has killed 20 men in cold blood!” Gwaine demanded.
“She is my sister- Arthur, your wife,” Elyan pleaded.
“We will find her,” Percival tried to reason.
Arthur stood, dumbstruck as voices clattered around him. How could he get out of this one? There was no slick trick, fast move, dirty fight he could do. He couldn't even find her.
“ENOUGH!”
The command came from Merlin who stood at the other end of the table. No one dared ignore the command. Merlin took a breath and made his way to Arthur. He held a different parchment in his hand.
“What is it?” Arthur asked.
“A report. From a scout.” Merlin gestured to the man standing at the door that none of them had noticed being let in. “You need to see it.” Merlin handed the hand sketched map of the borderlands to Arthur. “They’re gathering at our border.”
“An army?” Gwaine asked, trying to get a good look at the page.
“Bandits.” Merlin said. “Mercenaries. No one carries the colors of any nation, but they are gathering a force.”
“Then we start there.” Percival said. “We start looking there and won't stop until we find her.”
*
Gwen woke to find herself on a bed of hay in the corner of what seemed like a basement dungeon. And she was not alone. There were 20 or so women around her. Some of them looked scared and crying, some of them looked war-hearty and resolute. None looked happy.
A softer woman knelt to her offering her best warm smile.
“It's alright, miss.” She spoke softly, but her face was dirty and it was hard to tell how old she was. She helped Gwen sit up and brush herself off a little. “You’ve got awful nice clothes, miss.”
“Thank you.” Gwen rubbed her temple gently, trying to wipe the fog away.
“That’s an awfully pretty ring. You should hide it, if you want to keep it, miss.”
Gwen looked at her hand where her wedding ring was. She supposed it was a prominent symbol of who she was. Taking it off her finger reminded her of every morning she used to wake up with this ring on a string. She slipped it off her finger and tied it around a string and hid it in her stays. “How old are you?
“I'll be 18 next month.”
Gwen swallowed the lump in her throat. “What's your name?”
“Oh, they call me Bell. Like the church ones. What's your name?”
Before Gwen could answer another woman came up and crouched. “Bell, let the poor woman get her bearings.”
“But I–”
“Go get some water.”
Bell nodded and shuffled off out of sight.
The older woman sat with Gwen. After a moment she spoke. “I'm Elaina. I'm sure you have a lot of questions but first, what's the last thing you remember?”
“I was out with my–” She realized. She was in a room of women, just women. “Are there men here? Are they kept alive?”
“Yes.” Elaina put her hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “If they didn't fight too much, your friends would be with the men. They’re in a room down the hall.'' Gwen noted the careful use of words. Elaina was trying not to scare her by not saying this was a cell. A dungeon really. Gwen’s shoulders sank. There was no way her guards wouldn't have fought for her. There was no one there for her. Elaina saw this. “Oh. I'm sorry,” she said. And she really meant it.
“What are they doing?” Gwen asked. “The men who took us. What are they doing.”
“Oh. they keep the ones they like for fights or serving, but mostly... Sent off somewhere else.”
Gwen set her jaw. “Slavers.”
Elaina nodded sadly.
“How long have you been here?” Gwen got up finally. She took in her surroundings with a keen eye now. She walked to the door that sealed them in.
“A few months. I've been here the longest.”
“Why haven't you been..?”
“Sent off with the others? I used to be a dancer. I'm entertainment to them. You're not going to find anything at the door. We’ve all tried.”
“My husband has taught me a few tricks.” Gwen looked out the barred window to see what she could of the long hallways lit entirely by torches. She reached up and started to gently tug on the loose bar before her arm was grabbed.
“Stop that! You'll get us caught.” Elaina hissed, pulling Gwen away from the door and took a breath. “You're new so you don't know yet, but there's a way things are done here. You're unbroken, that's good, that's useful, but not if you get yourself killed by being reckless.”
Gwen was taken aback. Okay. figure out the lay of the land first. “I apologize.”
“Good. Now let's start with the basics. Like your name.”
“I'm Guinevere.”
“Oh. like the new queen. That's pretty.” Elaina nodded before looking at Gwen. Gwen gave a sheepish smile. “Oh my–” Elaina took a step back, letting go of Gwen, bowing. “I didn't realize–”
“No, please.” It came out as a genuine plea. “Don't bow. Please.”
Elaina looked flustered as she stood. “But that means someone will be coming for you, right?”
Gwen nodded but furrowed her brow. “I don't know where we are, he might not be able–” she was now in the position to accidentally crush her hope. “He might not know where we are.”
Elaina gently shook her head, letting her school girl giddiness subside, but stood with a slightly taller posture. “Right. I don't know exactly but I know we're north.” She gestured and started walking to the only window. It was a small patch of natural light in the fire-lit dungeon.
Gwen walked over to the window. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach out through the bars, but her fingers brushed something soft and wet. “Snow,” she said. Elaina nodded. “It's starting to melt.” Another nod. “So north but not that north.” A final nod. “So if we can–”
The door swung open and the sound was choked out of the room. A big man, big enough to have to duck under the door frame, entered the room and surveyed the crowd. He walked through the room to Gwen. He hunched so his face was level with hers. “The boss wants to talk to you.” he smiled with his stained teeth. He grabbed Gwen by the arm and started walking out, not seeming to care if she was walking or if he was just dragging her.
The room Gwen was thrown down in seemed to be trying to be a throne room. The floor was bare stone, tattered, forgotten tapestries held to the walls, braziers for what little light there was lit four corners around her and an empty throne. She was reminded of the other time she had been kidnapped like this. Her only plea was that it was not Morgana who would step out of the shadows.
A man stepped in front of her. “Well, that's no way to treat a lady. Get her a chair.” His voice was curious and almost kind, but had a strange lilt to it; an accent Gwen couldn’t place. There was shuffling around her as a hand reached down in her vision and he spoke again. “Come, my dear.”
Gwen looked at his hand a moment before standing slowly on her own. The man shrugged, no inconvenience to him. He sat back in the dusty throne and gestured for her to take the seat that had been placed behind her. “I am so sorry for the trouble you have gone through to get here, my dear.” and he did sound genuinely sorry too.
“You have a basement of prisoners.” Gwen quipped.
The man looked startled. “An oversight I assure you.” again he sounded so genuinely sincere. He spoke properly but horrified by the notion of a basement of prisoners in his possession. “Nevertheless, I must ask you a question. I am looking for a woman.” He pulled a paper out of his pocket and held it out to her.
Gwen took it hesitantly and studied it. It was a picture of a woman with rounded features and bright eyes, with a tangle of loose curls and braids. The most noticeable part of the picture was a symbol as a brooch or pin on her collar. It was no one she recognized. The woman looked striking but the picture looked strange and imperfect, like a copy of a copy that had been changed to wipe away the defining details.
Gwen shook her head. “Sorry. I haven't seen her.”
The man sighed and took the picture back. “That is a shame. You will keep an eye out for her, won't you? She’s very dangerous.”
Gwen nodded.
“Wonderful.”
“May I go, then?”
He nodded and smiled amiably. “Of course, how rude of me.”
Gwen stood and turned, determined to get as far away as possible before he changed his mind. But her haste and eagerness may have been her undoing.
“Oh, wait a moment. Have I seen you before?”
Gwen froze, turning slowly. “No. I don't believe so.”
The man stood and tisked his tongue. “I swear, I have. What is your name?”
The moment of fear gripped her heart, but if he was asking then he didn't know. “Freya,” she managed to squeak.
“No you aint.”A new voice spoke. A scrawny man who had been standing among the nameless guards in the shadow stepped forward. “You're the queen.” he spoke with a Camelot accent but it was as sweet as poison for how it shattered her hope.
The gentleman's face froze. His smile curled to a sneer and the silence of his men smothered the room. “The queen?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“The queen of Camelot.” He spoke low.
“Yes, sir.”
The gathering breath held a thousand curses before he turned back to Gwen and smiled. “I am truly sorry, my dear, but best make the best of the situation.” he waved his hand at his men who grabbed Gwen again. “Take her back to the dungeon. I have to go arrange a ransom, now that you have screwed up.”
Gwen couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as she was carried away like she was nothing. Her pleas did nothing to help, but her screams were overshadowed by a man begging for his own life and the gruesome scream of pain from the throne room.
Gwen was thrown down back in the dungeon. The guards chuckled and quipped about, “Hope we didn't hurt you, my lady.” as they left and locked the door again.
Belle scurried to her side to help her up. “Are you alright, my lady?”
A hard thing to keep secret, Gwen thought. “I’m alright.” she got to her feet. “But I don't think things will go well. I need to get out of here.”
“We’re working on that,” Elaina said with a smile. She had the look of a madman with a mad idea.
*
The night was brutal and cold. The stone was hard and uneven and pretending to sleep was agony.
“Psst– Laina,” a voice broke the silence.
Gwen looked up to the window to see a figure blocking the light. Elaina got up and walked to the window. They had a hushed conversation before one of the bars fell with a clinking on the window sill, but Elaina grabbed it before it hit the ground. Everyone let out a collective breath and Gwen realized she was not the only one watching this exchange in the dark. Elaina placed the bar on the ground gently then gently caught the bag that was slid through the bars. She turned to the group of huddled women pretending they weren't watching. “Okay. Time to go.” Everyone got up and started moving around like it was a military command that Gwen didn't know, but Gwen stood all the same. Elaina gestured for Gwen to come over.
“Time to get you out.” Gwen looked at Elaina perplexed. Elaina gestured to the window that had one less bar and just enough room for a person to fit through, with the figure crouching in the frame. They had a hood over their face, shadowing their eyes, but their smile gleamed like the cat who got the cream. “Ada will take you home.” The figure reached their hands down as if to pull her up.
“But what about you?”
“We’ll be fine. We have no intention of staying here longer.” Elaina smiled and patted the bag she had slung over her shoulder.
The figure called Ada smirked and looked around again. “You coming, majesty? We don't have all night." They had that same strange accent of the man who spoke to Gwen earlier, but gentler and kinder.
Gwen hesitated a moment before accepting Elaina's outstretched hand and boosted herself up. Ada pulled her out like she was nothing. The air was sharp and cold but still felt good. The cold stung every cut and scrape and bruise she didn't know she had.
Ada smiled at her. “Horse is ‘bout a mile that way.” She gestured with her head. Gwen couldn't see any horses but she wasn't about to leave without her guide.
Ada gave one more look around and untied the sword from her belt. They bent back down. “Give us a ten minute head start.” They slid the sword down the window.
“Good luck,” Elaina said.
“See you soon,” Ada replied. Turning back to Gwen. “Let's go.” They took Gwen's hand and started in the direction they had pointed, breaking into a jog. “Stick close to me.” They said as they let go of her hand.
True enough as they said there was a single horse tied to a single tree. It was hardly visible in the nearly moonless night. Gwen wanted to say something, but she was hunched over, clutching her knees. Ada looked unbothered, not even their hood was out of place. Ada walked to the rope and whipped it untied, a smooth, practiced move. “My saddle's not meant for two, but we’ll make it work. You'll sit behind–” They walked towards Gwen with their hands out to pick her up, but she stopped them, waving her hand. “Oh. yeah. Catch your breath.” They leaned back against the tree. It only took them a few moments of quiet to start talking. “Ya know I wasn't planning on having a companion on my trip back. I would’a brought an extra horse for you. We’ll get a new one for you at the next town.” There was something strangely comforting about their voice. Something soft and familiar. “Ya know, I wish those double rider saddles were more comfortable riding alone.” Gwen got the feeling that they weren't really talking to her anymore. Just sound to fill the air. “Man, wouldn't that be fun. Just pick up someone and easily ride. That’d certainly make things like this easier.”
“So you do this often?” was the first thing that Gwen had enough breath to say.
Ada chuckled. “You could say. You ready?” They offered a hand. Gwen nodded. “Good.”
Both of them were seated on the horse, Ada in front, holding the reins. “Holding on?” Gwen nodded.
Ada gave a sharp “hya!” and they were off, running over the crunching snow. Gwen spared a look back at the long forgotten castle that she had come from.
“What will happen to the others?” She worried.
“Don’t worry. They’ve got a plan.” Gwen could hear the smirk on Ada’s face.
“What is it?”
Ada pulled back on the reigns and turned them slightly to be able to see the castle in full. There was a sound Gwen felt before hearing, then part of the parapet exploded, lighting up that part of the sky.
“That.” Ada said proudly.
They whipped the reins and took off again.
Snow had started to fall by the time they got to the town. Only the bakers were up this early and the sun was still hours away. Ada pulled to a stop outside of what looked like the only tavern in town. Ada helped Gwen down. Her legs wobbled but she was grateful to be up. Riding like that hurt and everything was sore. Only staying long enough to tie their horse to a post, Ada walked into the tavern. Gwen was almost surprised it was open this early.
Ada walked up to the bar, finally pulling their hood back, tossing a short mess of red tangles and small braids.
The sleepy barman seemed to start awake and look at Ada. He smiled. “Ada, what brings you in this early?”
“I need a room for the day, and maybe some new clothes for my traveling companion.” Ada gestured to Gwen, who stood trying not to stare at Ada.
The barman’s eyes went wide. “Your Highness i–” Ada cleared their throat. “Right, of course.” he rummaged under the bar and pulled out a room key. “Any specifics on the clothes?” he didn't seem to know who to direct the question to, but Ada answered.
“Something comfortable for riding. And understated. The plainer the better.” the barman nodded as Ada put a small bag of coins on the bar. They swapped the coins for the keys and turned to the stairs. They walked up without waiting for Gwen. She had to run a few steps to keep up.
The door clicked closed before Gwen got her words back. “You're her!”
“Her who?”
“The girl he's looking for.” Gwen finally, really got a good look at her. Messy, rusty curls tied out of her face, half up half down. Her face was slimmer, older, more care worn but still held the same glint in her eye. She wore pants and boots and a plain shirt but now that there was even just a little bit of light, her cloak was the showstopper. A dark blue, heavy wool that just kissed the tops of her shoes. Coppery gold and green thread was embroidered all the way around it in a small vine pattern, from the hood to the cape and back up again. Then, all around the cloak were other embroideries, a castle Gwen didn't recognize, a field of flowers, a beautifully styled blade two inches tall over her heart and many others Gwen couldn't fully see in the dark. The cloak was closed with a clasp and a cloak pin a beautiful gold, the one true luxury she seemed to have. As she pulled the cloak off, it revealed one other nice thing. A leather vest, well maintained, passing for a little bit of armor with enough freedom still to move.
“Ah, yes. Count Edmond Rothchild. Imperial Fixer.” She said with a mocking smile. “Still looking for me, is he? Well, best of luck to that.”
“I don't understand, why is he looking for you?”
Ada chuckled. “You know that thing we did to his castle? Well I've had a habit of doing that a lot to his plans. He doesn't care for me much.”
“I haven't heard of anything like that.”
Ada laughed again. “Do you always ask so many questions of someone who rescued you?”
“Only when they’re dodging the question.”
“Fair enough. How about this; you sleep for a while. When you wake, I'll have clothes, food and a new horse for you. You can ask me all the questions you like on the ride, deal?” Gwen wanted to argue but she felt the exhaustion taking over the moment she sat on the bed.
“Fine.” Gwen realized Ada’s flippant way of talking was getting to her. She cleared her throat. “Very well. Just one last question.” Ada cocked an eyebrow. “What do I call you?”
“I told you, Ada is fine. Not so fancy, but I like it.” She looked at Gwen pointedly. “Does that answer your question?”
Gwen nodded, a little sheepish. “Yes.”
“Good. Sleep.”
The word was like a spell and Gwen barely had time to register. She was falling asleep before her eyes were closed.