(The above image is a dagger I found at a flea market once! I should have bought it but, instead, it is now one you will see making an appearance later in the chapter)
The next morning was a beautiful one full of possibilities. You woke up soon after sunrise, but you found your bowl was already gone. Godfrey must have stopped by your room. She was always one to wake up early before the rest of the world.
You flipped the sheets up, tumbling out of your bed. You knelt in one of the corners of your room. Lifting up the edge of one of the cobblestone plates, you revealed a hollowed out part of your floor. Inside it rested a small bag filled with coins. The last of your stashed away cash. You then quickly got dressed and adorned yourself in a long cloak of your favorite color. Rushing out of your room, you bumped into a familiar body in front of your door.
"Ooohf! Oh? Going out somewhere today, are we?" It was your favorite of Treasluhan's Holy Knight Grandmasters, Godfrey.
"Just, uh, going out for a walk." You kept it nonchalant as you carefully tucked your coin purse behind your back and out of view. You trusted Godfrey, but you didn't trust Queen Valda possibly being around to try and figure out your plan. When she moved next to you and laid an arm across your shoulders you fought off the urge to prickle up.
"In need of some fresh air?" She whispered to you with that classic smile of hers.
You forced yourself to untense your posture. You nodded, and she nodded back, only slower to show her understanding.
"You've had a rough couple of days," a flicker of something sadder appeared behind Godfrey's eyes, something with a deep sympathy. But she smiled as she sidestepped out of your way, "It'll be our little secret." Godfrey then gave you a subtle wink. Holding her arm out, you looped your arms together, and she led the way through the castle.
A few passerby's eyed you both curiously, but with a wave and smile from Godfrey they seemed completely unfazed by your presence. She led you past the training area for the other Holy Knights, and stood on watch as you opened the secret passageway. You had been relieved a few months ago when Godfrey showed you this small exit from the castle that no one else seemed to know about. You've only used it in dire situations where you felt so trapped in the confines of the castle that it would just become unbearable. Yet, every time Godfrey somehow knew when exactly to ask about giving you a break.
Shimmying the giant bookcase over, you then pushed on the wall. The thick stone creaked open, revealing a long passageway. Magical candles lit down the length of the wall, descending deeper and deeper. You looked back over to Godfrey and whispered your thanks to her. She bowed her head when you then heard footsteps growing close.
"Hurry back soon," and she then shuffled the door closed behind you right as a person called out.
"Godfrey!! Is that you?" It was Grandmaster Ruluk. You heard the bookcase carefully shuffled back to its original spot. You tried pressing your ear against the stone, but all of the noise muffled until it was indiscernible. Deciding not to waste any of the precious time Godfrey had given you, you quickly walked down the dimly lit hall.
The steps were old and the corridor spiraled, but just like that, you were outside of the castle.
You had ascended up a staircase and emerged outside of the castle's walls. The shrouded alleyway concealed your arrival to the streets of the town.
It was as beautiful and bright like it had been when you were a child. Several groups of people passed by you without a second glance. You walked by peacefully, allowing yourself this one moment to define who you wanted to be.
The further out you went the more you started to remember, like how your mother had taken you out through the streets whenever she had business outside of the castle to take care of. Or when she would watch you run about the favorite local spots while she caught up with old friends. You had loved dipping your fingers into the fountain to watch the fish swim away from your hands.
You passed by that same fountain, watching a group of kids playing tag on the opposite side of the small courtyard. Their laughs and giggles echoed down the walkway as you soon came to your destination: the marketplace. Vendors galore covered the sides of the street. Most were selling food or produce, but the further back you walked, the more magical the items began to appear in the wooden stalls.
You weren't quite sure what you were looking for. Maybe some kind of potion or elixir to help with your memory? A handmade spell or incantation for memory problems perhaps? You didn't know what exactly, but you figured you would spot what you needed when you saw it.
You picked up a few potion bottles with names of interest, but nothing quite fit your needs. You kindly waved away the insistent merchants as you walked off from each of their shops. You were about to turn back around to reassess your options when something caught your eye.
And, wait that couldn't be...?
It was a small building that sat alongside each of the set up shops. Looking in through the window, you recognized a familiar line of woodwork. It matched that of the dollhouse you had back at within the castle of Treasluhan. This was the same shop your father had taken you to when you were younger. The one where he got your dollhouse of the castle made.
The inside was empty, but you recognized the counter where the shop owner would be waiting for her next customer. You had been too short at the time to barely reach the counter. You were on tip-toes as your father asked you to select the kind of wood and design you wanted for your gift. The owner of the store who had helped you at the time was nowhere to be seen inside. You assumed she must be off elsewhere, probably somewhere in the marketplace currently.
You carefully leaned away from the elaborate pieces on display with a wistful sigh. Had it really been that long ago since you were last here? Turning back towards the rest of the shops, you felt a smile tugging at the corner of your lips. But when you lifted your gaze everything drained out of you.
Your vision zeroed in on one person in the crowd. They stood with their hooded back to you as they glided around a corner. Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched. In the blink of an eye you were running after them. Once that shade of magenta caught your eye, you found it unmistakable. You knew you had seen that cloak before. There was no doubting it.
You swerved your way through the sea of people with only one thing in mind. You caught sight of the figure on the opposite end of the market. How did they get so far away so quickly? They were turning down a thinner alleyway that led away from the growing crowd. Sharpening your turn, you came up right behind them. For a split second, you froze, calculating what to do. Instinctively, you reached out for the tail end of this random person's cloak. Grabbing it as it flowed behind them whimsically, you tugged, planting your feet firmly on the ground. You saw them react and then stop. Swiftly, they turned to you.
Paralyzed, a set of amber yellow eyes sharpened their gaze onto you. The hooded figure was a woman. A woman who was currently giving you an expectant smirk.
"May I help you?" It was difficult to make out any other features on her face in the darkened lighting. It was like the longer you stared at her, the harder it was to see her face. Focusing on her eyes seemed to help, so you locked your gaze with hers.
"Yes, I think you can." You then — with your other hand— grabbed hold of the top of your hood and flipped it back. The woman's eyes flickered with recognition and you knew she was the one.
She was the hooded figure you had seen in the battle from Draiya.
I remember you. But why?
You stood there, mouth gaping in awe. You had remembered something. And, and it wasn't fading away!!
"I see I have been caught by the Beast of Treasluhan," She gently slipped the corner of her cloak out from between your fingers and bowed her head.
"How may I help you, oh mighty beast?"
You blinked, standing up straight as she smiled lazily at you. Wait, had you asked for her help? Is that what you had implied? You hadn't meant to imply that, it was just a witty reply to her response to you catching her.
"Wait, really?" you told her dumbfounded.
"You said you thought I could help you? And I assume there must be something important you want from me, if you are so willing to chase me through a bustling marketplace and into a back alleyway."
She was right, but even you, yourself, don't know why you ran after her. It was instinct. A deep instinct that you needed to know who she was.
"Who are you?" You asked bluntly.
"Well, I am Merlin. The Royal Mage of Camelot."
A flash of her standing in front of you, snapping her fingers with a glint of shining gold, came and left within seconds.
"You're what stopped me in Draiya." The words left you in a light mutter. Merlin didn't respond, only stared and watched as you struggled with your memory.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here looking for information."
For information? You had thought Camelot was the shining example of what a prestigious kingdom should strive to be. How one should act and be ruled. But you guessed in times of war that anything was truly possible. Even for the almighty Kingdom of Camelot.
"What exactly are you looking for? Hoping to find and gain some kind of underhanded secret in this raging war?" You spat out at Merlin. Gods, you weren't certain how to felt about any of this. The war was awful, yet you felt obligated to win it, all for your step-mother.
"Well, if I told you that, there wouldn't be anything to gain for me." The mysterious mage smirked at you, a strange shine coming over her amber eyes.
You didn't reply, only looked at her with confused scrutiny.
"We can help each other. You can give me the information I need, and I'll help you with whatever it is you need in return."
It was a tantalizing offer. A scandalous one, albeit, but it was possibly exactly what you needed.
"You have no idea what I might ask of you," you waited to see what kind of reaction she might give. Not even a troubled blink passed over her face.
"Which makes it all the more beneficial for you, does it not?"
"Well, how do I know I can trust you? You're just some mysterious-cloaked-mage-lady from my rivaled kingdom, are you not?" You mocked her tone towards the end, awaiting a response. There was only a slight second of pondering before Merlin spoke.
"I can not give you much, aside from my word that I will not double cross you. The rest, from there, is just you trusting me on your own behalf."
Were you really about to do this? She seemed more into this deal for personal gain than for her own kingdom. What kind of royal mage is like that? But, what kind of holy knight -what kind of PRINCE- does a backhanded deal in the middle of a suspicious alley with an equally suspicious enemy?
Yet, you said so yourself, you were now looking for your own answers. Answers not supplied by Queen Valda.
"So, I can ask for whatever I want in return for giving you the information you need?"
"Yes, that's right. Getting cold feet?"
You gave her a determined stare. "No. Just making sure this is what we're agreeing upon."
"Of course. Anything else you'd like to specify before we seal our agreement?"
Treasluhan was a dangerous place to be conspiring like the two of you were. A person walking by gave you both an odd look, but with one casted side eye, they got the idea to scram real fast. There was too much of a risk here.
"We can't do any of our dealings in Treasluhan. We could both be easily caught and prosecuted for treason."
"Oh?" Merlin gave you another one of her smirks. You couldn't understand how she could be so calm about all of this. Then again, showing panic in front of the enemy is always a dumb move. You settled yourself and pushed forward.
"But, it's not treason if no one knows." With those words from your mouth, Merlin gave you an intrigued gaze.
"Do you have somewhere safe and secluded that you could use your magic at? Like, say, to make potions?"
Merlin raised her eyebrow at you curiously. You didn't break the stare. Not a single emotion revealed itself on your face and she bowed her head with a nod.
"If you trust me enough to meet there, then yes. I do have a place in mind." It was the best bet you had.
"Is this a deal then?" The mysterious mage extended her hand out to you. You looked at it, really trying to talk yourself out of this craziness. And then you accepted the invitation.
A firm handshake between you and Merlin solidified your new resolution to now move your life forward for yourself and yourself alone. This was a new and heinous chapter of your life, and it was exciting.
"Meet me at the edge of your kingdom facing towards the forest after sundown. I will be waiting for you there." Merlin put her hood back on and disappeared around the corner. A single dazzling gaze followed by a hidden smile was the last you saw of her. After a few seconds, you ran around the corner and saw the alley completely empty without a single trace of her presence. In the aftermath, you tried to wrap your head around what had really just happened while walking back to the castle.
Upon arriving in front of the secret entrance you realized it would soon be midday. Yet, the dark overcast clouds that pressed ever closer to your kingdom made the day appear to be shorter than it was. Looking up at the sky, a strong gust of wind pushed on your back, seemingly edging you closer to the inside of the castle. Taking your first echoing steps back inside felt different than it ever had before. You had a secret now. It felt so strange to be going back like everything was unchanged and normal.
Before you even fully knocked on the inside of the secret door, the other side was being pushed open by a familiar set of hands. Godfrey quickly pulled you out, leaving you stumbling on the cobblestone floor. You gave her a confused look over your shoulder but she wasn't paying attention. The bookshelf was being shoved back into its usual spot before Godfrey even looked your way. And when she did a set of deeply panicked eyes met yours.
"Godfrey—!" She placed a single finger to her lips as she leaned in close to you. She grabbed your hand and tugged you forward behind her. She swiftly stepped through the halls with great pace. She wasn't wearing her armored boots, so it was as if her presence was suddenly unseeable. Not a single person was down any of the halls, and if there was, Godfrey conveniently cut a corner just in time for them to miss sight of you.
You started to recognize the hallways, and realized she was leading you to her room.
Upon your arrival, Godfrey swiftly shut the door behind you, and locked it.
"Godfrey?! What is going on—?"
"You need to keep your voice down, they don't know your back yet."
Well, that was apparent. You hadn't announced that your presence had left in the first place, let alone that you returned.
"Wait, that I'm back— Did you tell them I left?"
She shook her head as she paced around the room. But not in a regular "distressed" type of pace. More like a "I'm-looking-for-something-specific-but-can't-remember-where-I-put-it" kind of pacing. You watched as she dug through drawers, tossing random fabrics and sets of things out of each box. You could have sworn a pair of socks had gone whizzing by your ear.
"No, I told them we would be out training. But, in the courtyard near the edge of the castle."
Wait, that was the one in the old section of the castle.
"And Valda just allowed this?" Your eyes followed Godfrey as she kneeled by her bed and yanked a box out from underneath the wooden frame. She started scavenging through its contents as she responded.
"I told her I found that area to be the best fit for your new training."
You were surprised to say the least. Your step-mother hardly ever let you go over there. But, if it means training your magical abilities, Queen Valda would let you do just about anything.
"And, they still think we're over there? How—?"
"Call it a hunch." Godfrey then sighed in exasperation and shoved the box back underneath her bed with some of its contents still spilling out of the edges. She quickly moved on to the final corner of her room right by you, and started pulling through each section of her dresser. Godfrey was cursing under her breath. You felt about asking if she was okay, but she just seemed so unnervingly pre-occupied. It was as if she was juggling a million different tasks at once that you just couldn't see.
"There! This has to be it..." she muttered under her breath as she pushed all of the contents in the drawer aside and popped out the bottom board. She gently slid the small panel out, and grabbed the clothed contents from inside. You eyed the item confusedly as Godfrey then finally turned to look at you.
Silence filled the air as you both seemed to communicate through gaze alone. Her stare flickered between yours and she finally took in a deep breath.
"As soon as you left, I was summoned to go speak with Her Majesty," a snide twist came across Godfrey's face, "the Queen. She told me that you had made this 'phenomenal' progress in your restorative memory process, and that, now, we needed to focus more sternly on the physical training of using your magic in combat and in battle. I wasn't sure how to feel about it. It seemed," she paused. "It seemed wrong. And undeserving to not give you some kind of break. But, the Queen was adimate about it. So, I informed her that I believed placing you closer to your triggers might be beneficial. Begrudgingly, she agreed, 'but only in the courtyard.'
"I then tried to push the limit further." You felt your stomach drop. "The conversation didn't go well after I persisted. Steadily it got to the point that me even suggesting giving you the slightest bit of more freedom was just outrageous. I felt like something was wrong. After I was dismissed, I lingered in the hallway a bit longer. Her Majesty ordered the guards to go get you -I had followed them later to stop them- but, at first, I stayed. And listened to what she might have to say, because Ruluk had stayed behind with her.
"(Y/n)." You had never heard your name sound so pained from someone before. You stared up at Godfrey as sincerely as you could without crying.
"I want you to know that no matter what, you don't deserve what is being given and hidden from you."
Speechless, you watched as Godfrey placed the item she so desperately searched for into your hands. It was covered by a beautiful jewel toned fabric of a silky-smooth texture. The ends of the cloth were lightly stained and fraying, showing its age. Unveiling the stolen treasure, you found an old dagger resting in your hands. It was white, possibly made of bone. But, it looked so ornate in design, with fading paint on the base and the dagger itself. It seemed to be a painted landscape that was worn by time. The golden metal of the hilt glistened with scratches along its rustic spirals. You looked harder and wondered if the hints of pink at the bottom of the blade weren't paint, but actually the color of the dagger. So maybe it was made of some kind of hard, yet beautiful stone. Either way, it nestled in the palm of your hand perfectly.
"It was your mother's."
Those simple words froze your heartbeat. Quickly, your gaze matched with Godfrey's again and you searched her eyes for more answers.
"She told me that she wanted you to have it, if," she let out a wavering sigh, "if something were to happen to her and when you truly needed it."
You looked back down to the dagger. Suddenly, the landscape paint and swirling designs looked very familiar. It matched her brush. The one from her room. Had it been a set?
"(Y/n), I don't know what this kingdom's current queen is scheming, but, I know that she isn't telling everything to everyone. She's hiding something."
Hiding something? You thought everyone has their secrets. Valda was definitely no exception. But Godfrey wouldn't get this worked up over a simple white lie. This scared you. What was going on?
"Godfrey, you need to tell me what's happened."
Another lull of silence. You pleaded again for her to tell you what she had heard.
"They were talking about you, something about 'being careful not to push you too close.' That 'it could backfire and ruin everything' I couldn't catch all of it, but I can't shake the feeling that they're up to something. That our Queen is hiding something. That she's hiding something about you." That pained expression, that one of worry and pity and regret that you've seen so many times passed Godfrey's face once more.
"(Y/N), you need to get away from here, you need to run." A chord struck inside of you as tears formed in her eyes. They spread to yours as your own vision gets watery. This intense sensation of dread filled your every bone. Like you had heard those words before from a repeating nightmare that haunted your every waking moment. Godfrey gripped your hand tight between hers, her own hands shaking.
"I have a few plans in mind, I just, I don't have everything quite yet, they haven't fallen into place yet, if I can just figure it out, we can get you out of here."
Wait. She wanted you to leave Treasluhan?
"Godfrey, I think I have just what we need to make this work." With that, you instantly got her rapt attention.
"I didn't think about telling anyone this, but I actually believe I have an opportunity perfect for our circumstances."
You explained your adventures from the day to Grandmaster Godfrey. From your reasons to going out to the market, to then meeting the unlikely figure, Merlin, in the back alley way. She remained silent, seemingly processing the information given. Godfrey had a dramatically wild look in her eyes as she grabbed your forearms.
"We need to run." A sharp yank on your arm and you were both sprinting out of Godfrey's room. Your pounding footsteps were damped by the carpet on the stone floor. But the loud echoing clank of armored feet grew closer behind you. Did the castle guards already know? Had you been found out before you even truly began?
To your surprise, Godfrey wasn't running towards the secret tunnel you usually took. She was dragging you towards a very specific part of the castle. Towards the old side of the castle. And with each room you zipped past, you realized Godfrey was taking you towards the rooms for Treasluhan's royals. You were so far behind that none of this could really feel real. You just tried not to lose sight of Godfrey.
With each corner you dipped around, Godfrey also made sure to grab hold of your empty hand just to be certain she didn't lose you. Her focus was zeroed in on one destination: Your mother's bedroom.
Breathing wasn't easy. It came in hard and labored as the walls seemed to crush in around you. Every window you passed by only showed you growing closer to your fate. The setting sun, was it already that time? Before you could register what happened, you bumped into Godfrey's side. She waited in front of the door -frozen- staring straight at the metal doorknob that allowed entrance to the untouched room. You felt panicked. Trying not to rush Godfrey in, you realized that you were also frozen stiff. The only sound was your breathing. The guard's footsteps had dissipated and you realized that Godfrey somehow knew they were only coming to her room, not chasing after you. Godfrey's hand entered your line of sight as she held it out for you. With a deep breath, you gripped it tight as she then opened the door.
The inside was just like you had left it. Dust still floated in the air, scattered across the room. You coughed, waving the small particles away. Your eyes landed on the familiar items that you had snuck away to (if only to rekindle with for a few seconds) only days ago.
The chess board, her dresser, and your dollhouse.
But, Godfrey didn't seem to care about any of that. She made a b-line for the wardrobe looming in the corner of the room. Carefully, she opened its doors. The armoire was empty, but again, this didn't concern her. Godfrey hovered her hand in front of the backboard of the dresser. She whispered an incantation, and the outline of her hand lit up in the wood. No wait, it wasn't her outline. The handprint was shaped slightly different. It was the outline of your mother's hand.
Suddenly, the wood split open and Godfrey reached inside, carefully picking something up into both of her palms. It was a mask. A detailed mask with pastel red birds with blue-gray underbellies sitting above the eyes. Their golden-yellow tails feathered down the sides of the mask meeting next to two red roses with green leaves that danced on its cheeks. They were flipped, one standing upright on one side, the other dipped downwards on the other. The lips were painted a glossy red, and the eyes were outlined black with an expressionless face. The entire thing looked dipped in a fine gold, as the color of the mask itself was a shimmering dusty yellow color. Red ribbons pooled out of Godfrey's hands from the sides of the mask as she held it out to you.
"You will need this if you plan to sneak out of the kingdom."
You met with Godfrey's eyes. It was then that you realized her gaze held more secrets than you had ever thought possible. Feeling left in the dark was common to you. Every day was a new challenge in remembering just who you were. But, today would change all of that. Today you were starting the quest of redefining yourself and learning how to uncover your past.
Giving Godfrey a nod, she proceeded to hand the mask to you. You held it up to your face as she secured it in the back. The silken ribbons draped down over your shoulders. The mask was old, but definitely sturdy. You had expected it to feel weighted, like the dagger had, but it was as light as a feather. Turning to Godfrey, she smiled bittersweetly when looking at your face. You gently touched the outside of it, the feeling of the mask was ceramic; smooth to the touch.
"Thank you, Godfrey." You had never felt closer to your mother since her passing. Yet, you wondered why she had this mask. What had been its purpose for her?
"You're welcome, Your Highness," you smiled as Godfrey bowed her head to you, "but you must be going."
The perfectly timed sound of rushed footsteps traveled by the room. You looked over to your grandmaster as the reality of the situation finally set in. You were running away.
"I can distract them, feed them some lies they'll likely believe to cover for you," she moved over to the side of the late queen's bed. Knocking on the wall, she shifted her hands along the stone.
"You won't be coming with me?" You asked.
"I'm sorry, my shining star, but no I cannot leave with you."
Your stomach dropped as Godfrey did not turn to speak to you. She edged her fingers into a specific stone, and moved the wall to reveal a small crawl space. Suddenly, an intense nausea came over you from deep within the pit of your stomach. You had seen that before, as if like some kind of deja vu. But, it made you nearly come to tears thinking about it.
"You will have to travel to this other mage, to Merlin, on your own. If we both leave, we have a higher risk of being caught." Godfrey stood up and emptied her pockets of a small leather bag full of coins. She placed it in the palm of your hand. Now that was a truly weighted item.
"Use this for any needs you may have. I will claim we were in the courtyard to keep our guards and knights off your trail for as long as I can. But, if something happens within Camelot, and we hear word of it here, I cannot guarantee your safety."
You gave her a stern nod. She then ushered you through the crawl space.
"And, (Y/N)," you turned to look at her. "Please, promise me you'll keep yourself safe."
Godfrey couldn't see the smile on your lips, or the tears in your eyes as you leaned up and gave her a long, firm hug.
"I promise." You whispered to her.
Just as long as you do the same.
You make your way through the tunnel. The entire time you crawled with your mother's mask secured and blade in hand. And yet, you couldn't help but feel like breathing just wasn't easy. It was labouring -heavy even- and never satisfying. With each inhale and rushed exhale you could hear your pounding heartbeat grow louder.
Bup-boom, bu-boom. Boom.
The sight of a moonlit night kept playing back in your head. You tried to trace it back to what memory it could be from. But all you could hear was Godfrey telling you to run.
"We need to run." "(Y/N), you need to get away from here, you need to run."
"Run! Run, (Y/N), run!"
The sound of a scream from your memory felt so real that you wondered if it had been. You stopped dead in your tracks and whipped around just to be sure. You were shaking, quivering even, as suddenly the tears just wouldn't stop. Why did that sound so familiar? Whose voice was it? Why, why had she screamed?
You reached under the mask and wiped off your face. You held back the sobs clutching at your throat with a weak whimper. The secret tunnel expanded into a hallway, and instantly you began to sprint. You ran as fast you could, not taking a single moment to look back. You ran away from your past, from Queen Valda, from everything that had happened to go search for exactly what you feared. You didn't know what you would find, but there was no going back now. Your footsteps echoed in the dirt tunnel, your cloak sailing behind you as you refused to stop. Now were you leaving to go to Camelot. And not even your shitty step-mom was going to stop you.
♞
When you exited the tunnel, the sun was already meeting with the far, distant horizon. You heard a commotion from outside with the guards surrounding the castle and immediately booked it out of there. You were tempted to look back, just to give some kind of final grace to Godfrey. But, you didn't want to risk drawing any attention. By now, Alben was surely already trying to use his magic to look for you. You would need something to conceal yourself. You ran behind buildings instead of going straight through the kingdom to avoid anyone seeing you. You watched as that familiar fountain came into view and faded away behind houses and trees and buildings of the like.
You quickly find yourself behind the vendors of the marketplace. Lights and lanterns made the entire event dance under the darkening sky. You quickly slowed your place to blend in with everyone else casually walking around. You flipped your hood on, and integrated into the crowd. You tried to control your heartbeat. It was so loud, you wondered if everyone else could hear its unnatural beat.
Bup-boom, bup-boom bup-boom bup-boom.
Nonchalantly, you made your way to the magical side of the shops. This time, you knew exactly what you were looking for and which shop had it.
"Ah, yes, an enchanted bracelet that can be used in dire times to conceal one's magical presence. Is wonderful for anyone planning to travel further than the inside of the kingdom this time of year!" The old merchant explained. He had been one of the shops you had waved off earlier. In the fiery lamplight and mask, he didn't seem to recognize you.
"Are you intending on traveling soon, mysterious customer?" You cocked a smile that he couldn't see.
"Coincidentally, yes."
You asked him how much for the bracelet. It was a pretty penny for a one time use only trinket. But, it beats trying to join with Merlin and possibly being followed all the way there. You paid him what he asked, your bag feeling much lighter now. On your way out, you also bought a holster for the dagger to avoid just holding it underneath your cloak like you have been. You then bought some bread and cheese and continued towards the edge of the kingdom.
By the time you reached where Merlin had instructed you to wait, it was already nightfall. The sun had just gone down, and you had already used the charm on the bracelet like the merchant had instructed you to do. A strong gust of wind tossed leaves around in the streets as you stand, waiting in the dark.
"Right on time."
You turn around, and Merlin is standing with her cloak peaking slightly open with her hand on her hip. Her hood was hiding her face but those amber eyes seemed to shine even in the dark; full of opportunities. She then looked you over you curiously, raising an eyebrow as she walked closer.
"I have met with the right person, haven't I?" You nodded, meeting her gaze through the mask as she walked closer to you with her hood now removed. You guessed she may not have recognized you due to your face being covered.
"Interesting mask. If you'd like, I can help make it fit better to your face?" She raised her hand and magic flurries of white and blue danced between her fingers. You quickly shook your head, leaning away harder than Merlin had expected.
"No. I like it how it is, thank you." A small beat of silence started to make the air a little uncomfortable.
"Alright, no worries, Beast," you give Merlin a subtle glare, but look away quickly before she sees.
"Shall we be on our way?" You give her another nod. She smiled and put both of her hands back out. Now they were glowing purple.
"May I?" she asked. Wearily you looked from her hands to her. You leaned away from the mage once more, but she shook her head.
"Don't worry, I won't mess with your mask. It's just an extra bit of protection, just in case." You couldn't help the odd feeling of safety you had when you watched her smile. With a sigh, you stood still.
Merlin pulled the hood of your cloak up in between her thumb and forefingers, and glided the magic down the hem of your hood. A set of symbols appeared, turning from violet to yellow as she whispered a specific set of words.
"There," the magic then disappeared from view, "that should help to keep people from seeing your facial features underneath the hood." Merlin gave you a wink, and you then realized, that was the same magic you sensed on her cloak. That's why looking at her face earlier had strained your eyes so badly.
"Now, shall we go?" You gave the mage another nod, letting her lead the way.
In the woods, Merlin didn't speak much to you. You followed silently behind her under the night sky. The thin smile of the moon barely illuminated anything sitting above the mass of trees. Merlin had summoned a ball of light to brighten your path. A chill filled the air, putting you off from trying to fill the silence. But, there was an extremely important question you had on your mind.
"So Merlin, where are we going to?"
"A small hut I have not too far from Camelot. Are you worried?"
"No. Just want to know where this mysterious mage that I just met today is taking me. Are you worried?" You teased back.
"Not at all, Beast." You could just feel the energy of that smirk radiating as you walked behind her.
"Once we get out of the limits of your kingdom's magical barrier, I can teleport us there. It may be a while till we reach that point however. Are you going to want to stop to rest?"
Contemplating the offer, you stared at your feet as you walked. You thought it might be a good idea to stop. You were still in the shade of night so if you hide it's unlikely that anyone would find you.
Plus, you realized, again, that you hadn't eaten anything yet today.
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. When we're more certain of our safety, we can take a second to rest tonight."
"Alright, I'll let you know when we can stop." And from then on, the night was silent aside from your footsteps on the forest floor. Every so often, Merlin would float up with a small hop in her step above the tangled roots slithering in the ground. Noticing her expert use of magic so casually had you thinking up questions for Merlin and how you wanted her help with your memory. Her use of magic seemed so second nature to her. It made you smile somehow, hoping you could one day achieve that sort of ease with your own magic.
As the night grew longer, your stomach started to growl.
"Alright, we can take a break here. Let me see if we're out of the circumference of your royal mage's protection spell." Wait, of Alben's magic? He must've had some kind of spell protecting the whole kingdom. You don't know why, but that surprised you. You didn't think he was capable of doing such a thing, or that his magic stretched out that far.
"Wait here till I return. It'll be at least 10 seconds before I come back."
"Wait where are you--" And with a snap of her fingers and a small whirl of wind, she disappeared. A small orb of light floated around you in her aftermath to keep the darkness of the forest from consuming you.
Guess that's how she was checking it.
You sat yourself down and opened up the bread and cheese you had bought earlier. You sliced up the bread and tore off a piece of cheese when you suddenly heard footsteps coming your way. You waited, listening closely.
"Merlin?" You called out. No response came. Wearily you set down your food and reached for your dagger. There was a soft rustle from the leaves and you jumped forward.
Your blade was aimed at their throat with your other hand pinning them down. You gasped when you recognized them. He was out of breath, curiously looking up at you through the mask you wore. His hair was ruffled, revealing his sparkling violet eyes in the dim light. Your shadow enveloped the King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon, as he struggled to get out from under the edge of your blade. Why is it that every time you saw this man it was with him, a mess, on the floor?
♔
He wasn't exactly sure where she had gone. He was certain he had heard Merlin's voice over this way. He must be close to Treasluhan's borders by this point, he had been walking all day. He knew it'd be safer to have Merlin by his side. They could defend themselves together if they were to be caught by someone of his rival kingdom.
His horse clip-clopped behind him as he gently pulled the royal steed by its reins to follow him. Pushing through the dense shrubbery he snapped branches and twigs under his feet. A strange, sudden hush fell over the moonlit forest. He could barely see, he knew he should have brought some kind of lantern. The eerie presence in the air only grew with each step he took. He decided to call out for his mage in the darkness.
"Mer—!"
"Merlin?"
He heard a second voice from the other side of the green leaves that surrounded him. That was definitely not Merlin. But that definitely was a light floating near where the voice came from.
Freezing stiff, Arthur waited to see if they would speak again. They were looking for Merlin as well. So, she must have just been here. But, why was this other person looking for her?
The king carefully tried to lean forward to peak through the bushes. The soft rustle of the leaves sounded so much louder than he had expected. With a sudden burst through the shrubbery, he was tackled to the dirt floor, grunting and falling with a sharp thud. His horse reeled back, away from them both with a sharp whinny. Luckily, Llamrei jumped away from him at a safe distance. But, before the king could worry over his horse, he felt a cool, sharp nick under his chin.
To his surprise, it was a masked bandit. Or was it? It was hard to tell looking up at them in the dim light. Once he opened his eyes, they gasped, their grip loosening its hold on him. He tried to search their face for anything, but it strained his sight to look.
So he focused on bigger matters: the dagger aimed at his neck.
Their pressure of the blade was slowly being relieved. As if they were hesitating. King Arthur looked longer at the masked face under the hood even though it was slowly making him grow nauseated.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked them softly. They only stared down through the darkened slits, breathing hard. They were shaking. Loud huffs came from the bandit as they started to tremble more, the dagger now shaking nervously close to his neck. Was it from knocking into him?
Before the King could ask anymore questions, he heard the voice of the mage he was looking for.
"Your Majesty, I see I've found you in a rather... pressing matter." He seemed to glow as he leaned around the bandit.
"Merlin!"
You quickly stood up, sheathing your dagger and walking away from King Arthur. Merlin joined by your side and helped the king up to his feet. She then gestured towards you with a smile.
"Allow me to introduce you to the Beast of Treasluhan."