Arthur assisted Morgana as she mounted her horse in the Square. "I hope your trip isn't too upsetting."
"Thank you, Arthur," Morgana said.
"Make sure you return to Camelot before dusk."
"Yes, Sire," Sir Robert said.
Arthur and Colette gazed at each other briefly as the party left.
Merlin came down the palace steps and asked, "Where are they going?"
"Morgana's on a pilgrimage to her father's grave," Arthur answered.
---
Morgana, Colette, Anne and Gwen were riding through the woods with an escort.
"You look troubled, Gwen," Morgana said. "As do you, Colette."
"I'm fine," Gwen and Colette replied.
Anne tilted her head. "You're both very secretive these days. Morgana and I are beginning to think there's a man involved." Her gaze shifted to Colette and a light smirk crossed her face.
Colette snorted. "When do Gwen and I get to meet any decent men?"
The party was attacked by bandits.
"My ladies, you must follow me!" Sir Robert said.
Colette chose not to use her power as to not draw attention to herself.
Sir Robert was shot in the back. Gwen, Anne, Colette and Morgana were pulled off their horses. A knight killed the men holding them.
"Gwen! Colette! Anne!" Morgana cried. "Head for the path! Go!"
They ran up the hill, but Kendrick was waiting for them.
"I warn you. I am Uther Pendragon's ward and the woman next to me is the Princess," Morgana said. "He'll have your heads if any harm comes to us."
"I have no intention of harming you two," Kendrick told them. "At least not yet. You and the Princess are much more valuable to me alive, Lady Morgana."
INT. TENT
Morgana, Anne, Colette and Gwen watched the bandits.
"He's coming," Morgana warned. "You and Colette know what you must do?"
Gwen and Colette nodded.
"I trust you are comfortable?" Kendrick asked.
"I demand to know where you're taking us," Anne and Morgana said.
"You'll find out soon enough. We've a long journey ahead of us. Get some rest." He turned to leave, but Morgana and Anne walked out of the tent after him.
"I wish to bathe."
"You two wish to bathe?"
Morgana narrowed her eyes. "I am the King's ward, she is the Princess, and accustomed to certain standards. I am sure you are quite contented to stink like a pig, but I am not, as she is not."
"The Lady Morgana and Princess Anne wish to bathe! Who wants to help me guard them?"
Coarse laughter sounded.
INT. KING'S PALACE – COUNCIL CHAMBER OF DOOM
"Morgana and Anne's party hasn't returned to Camelot," Arthur said. "There's no sign of them anywhere."
"Send riders to the outlying villages," Uther ordered. "I want every guard, every sentry looking for them."
"Dispatch them immediately."
---
Morgana and Anne were beginning to undress by a stream, two men guarding them, Colette and Gwen.
"You may find the water a little icy," Kendrick warned.
"I'm sure Anne and I'll manage," Morgana said. "If you were any kind of gentleman, you'd give us some privacy."
"Well, unfortunately for you I am no kind of gentleman. Now get on with it."
Morgana and Anne removed their outer garments and the second bandit let go of Gwen and Colette.
"You can at least turn your backs," Anne stated sharply.
"So you can make a run for it. Do you think I'm that stupid?"
"I think you're very stupid," Morgana and Anne said.
Gwen pulled Kendrick's sword, Morgana hit him, Gwen tosses her the sword and she slashed both men.
"Run!" Morgana cried. "No, no, this way!"
Gwen and Colette stumbled and the former hurt her ankle, Morgana and Anne stopped and went back to them.
"Run!" Gwen and Colette cried.
"Put your arm around Anne's and my shoulder, come on!"
"No, no, no," Gwen said. "We'll never outrun them, you three must go on without me!"
"We're not leaving you behind!"
"Morgana, go! Please! You must get help! Anne, Colette, go!"
Colette shook her head. "I'll stay with you. Anne and Morgana go."
"Take this," Morgana said, handing Gwen the sword.
"Go!" Gwen and Colette shouted.
Morgana and Anne ran. Gwen and Colette hid behind a tree, then jumped out and took down the man pursuing them. Morgana and Anne stopped when they heard the man's scream, then continued running.
---
Arthur, Merlin and the guards arrived at the scene of the first attack.
"Check to see if anyone's alive!" Arthur ordered. "It's Mercian craftsmanship."
"Arthur," Merlin called. "It's a ransom note! They've taken Morgana and Anne hostage."
"Tracks lead off this way."
Arthur, Merlin and the guards snuck through the woods. Arthur heard running footsteps, exchanged his sword for a crossbow, and jumped out of hiding to find a startled Morgana and Anne.
"Where's Guinevere and Colette?" Arthur asked.
Morgana and Anne just looked at Arthur and shook their heads.
---
Gwen and Colette were surrounded by bandits. Once again, Colette refused to use her magic. She had a feeling rescue was coming, and she was willing to wait.
"How could you let them escape?!" Kendrick cried. "Eh?! You bring me the servants! They're worthless to us!"
Kendrick grabbed Gwen and Colette's face to look them over. He took Morgana's dress and cloak and Anne's dress and cloak and shoved them at them. "Put 'em on."
"What are you going to do with us?" Gwen asked.
"Hengist has never met the Lady Morgana or the Princess Anne. For all he knows, you could be Uther Pendragon's ward and the Princess."
"I will not impersonate my mistress," Gwen and Colette retorted.
"Then you will die where you stand." He put a sword to their throats.
INT. KING'S PALACE – COUNCIL CHAMBER OF DOOM
Anne and Morgana entered with Arthur.
"It's such a relief to see you both safe," Uther said. "I couldn't bear the thought of anyone harming either of you."
"The bandits still have Gwen and Colette," Morgana informed.
"I believe they were Mercian," Arthur told his father. "We've received reports that Hengist has crossed the border."
"Hengist?" Uther repeated.
"You must send a rescue party," Anne said.
"If Hengist is holding them, it would take a small army to rescue your maids."
"We can't abandon them!" Anne and Morgana cried.
"How many men would you have me sacrifice to save two servants?"
"As many as it takes!" Morgana yelled. "Colette and Gwen gave themselves up so that Anne and I might escape. We owe them our lives."
"They did so willingly, and they will be honoured for it."
"Anne and I don't want them honoured, we want them rescued! They are more than just our maids. They're our friends."
"A servant is of no value to these bandits. I fear they're dead already."
Anne glared at her father. "No! We cannot give up hope! Arthur? Morgana and I are begging you. You have to do something."
"Anne, our father's right," Arthur said. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."
"How can you say that?!" Morgana cried as Anne glared. "How can you live with yourselves?! All of you!"
---
Gwen and Colette were being escorted into Hengist's fortress.
"Kendrick, I was beginning to think you'd failed me," Hengist said.
"May I present the Lady Morgana and the Princess Anne," Kendrick stated.
"You're as beautiful as they say, Lady Morgana, Princess Anne."
"I demand that you release us immediately!" Gwen shouted.
"Just as soon as Uther Pendragon pays your ransom. In the meantime, you'll be my guest."
Colette narrowed her eyes. "Do not flatter yourself. She and I are not your guests! We are your prisoners!"
"As you wish. Take them to the dungeon."
INT. KING'S PALACE – ARTHUR'S CHAMBERS
Morgana and Anne burst in and the former yelled, "How can you be so heartless?! Gwen and Colette are the most kind, loyal people that you would ever meet, and they have been more than a friend to all of us! And you would leave them at the mercy of those animals!"
"Morgana..." Arthur began.
Anne glared at her brother. "Have you no shame? Do you think of no one but yourself?"
"Morgana... Anne..."
"Anne and I knew you were many things, Arthur Pendragon, but we didn't know you were a gutless coward!" Morgana shouted.
Arthur raised his voice. "Morgana! Anne!" He spoke in his normal tone. "Perhaps if you two would stop shouting at me for one second, you two would notice that I am packing."
"You're going after Gwen and Colette," Anne and Morgana realised.
"Of course I'm going after them. What do you two take me for? I couldn't disagree with Father in public."
"Arthur? Bring them home."
INT. KING'S PALACE – PHYSICIAN'S CHAMBERS
Merlin came out of his chamber to see Gaius staring at him.
"I suppose you and Arthur are going after Gwen and Colette," Gaius said.
"Gaius, don't even think about telling me not to go," Merlin told him. "There's nothing you can say that will stop me."
"I wasn't going to try and stop you, Merlin. All I ask is you make sure you come back safely, too."
EXT. KING'S PALACE – SQUARE – NIGHT
Merlin and Arthur hid behind a cart in the Square and peeked around it at Camelot's guards.
"I'll fetch the horses, you distract the guards,". Arthur said.
"Wha... how do I do that?" Merlin asked.
"I don't know. Do I have to think of everything?" He left.
Merlin spoke a spell.
The spell rolled some barrels near guards. They approach the barrels warily.
Merlin spoke the spell again.
"Whoa!" the guards cried.
The spell stood the barrel upright.
Merlin spoke the spell again.
Merlin accidentally sent too many rolling too fast. Arthur returned and said, "What did you do? I said distract them, not knock them out!"
Merlin stared at him. "There's just no pleasing you sometimes."
INT. HENGIST'S FORTRESS
There was boisterous feasting.
"Silence!" Hengist cried. "Our royal guests, Lady Morgana and Princess Anne have grown bored! They need entertaining."
The bandits laughed and Hengist nodded to someone. A gate opened to a cage and a gladiator strutted out.
"Bring on the challenger," Hengist ordered.
Lancelot jogged into the cage. Gwen, Colette and Lancelot exchanged surprised looks.
Hengist continued. "Only one of you will emerge from the cage alive. Do you accept the challenge?"
Lancelot bowed to Hengist. A cage match ensued, Lancelot won and spared the man's life, exited cage and went to Hengist, who tossed him a sack of coins.
"What is your name?" Hengist asked.
"My name is Lancelot," Lancelot replied.
"You have proved yourself to be a skillful warrior. I believe you may even have impressed our royal guests, Lady Morgana and Princess Anne."
Surprise, Lancelot bowed to them and said, "My Ladies."
Hengist laughed. "Next time you fight, do not expect any mercy. Release the Wilddeoren."
The cage door opened and a Wilddeoren emerged to eat the screaming gladiator.
EXT. FOREST
Merlin was nodding off as he and Arthur rode through the woods and fell off his horse.
"What are you doing, Merlin?" Arthur asked.
"I must've fallen asleep," Merlin replied. "Ugh, I'm exhausted." He sighed. "I can barely keep my eyes open."
Arthur opened his canteen and threw water on Merlin's face.
"Thank you," Merlin said. "I feel so much better."
"Guinevere and Colette's lives are at stake," Arthur reminded him. "We cannot afford to waste a second."
"Ugh."
INT. PRISON
Gwen and Colette curled up in their cells.
Lancelot came to their window and called, "Gwen. Colette."
"Lancelot," Gwen and Colette said.
"I could not believe my eyes when I saw it was you two."
"I thought my mind was deceiving me," Gwen admitted.
"Why does Hengist think you are Lady Morgana and Colette Princess Anne?"
"He believes he's holding Morgana Anne to ransom. When no ransom is paid he will realise the truth and then he will throw me and Colette to those beasts."
"I will not allow that to happen."
"What are you doing here?" Colette asked. "Are you one of Hengist's men?"
"No."
"What became of you after you left Camelot?"
"There are few opportunities for men like me. So I've been earning a living the only way that I know: with a sword in my hand. It seems it is my destiny to entertain men like Hengist."
Gwen shook her head. "She and I don't believe that of you. You were so full of hope."
"I was wrong. The world is not like that."
"I still see the hope in you, and I think Colette may to. I do not accept it is gone."
"I have thought of you often. Have either of you thought of me at all?"
"She and I thought we would never see you again."
A door was being unlocked.
"Someone's coming," Colette and Gwen warned.
"No matter what it takes, I will find a way to get you two out of here. I will."
EXT. FOREST
Merlin was sleeping under a tree. Arthur poured water over his face and called, "Merlin."
"What's happening?" Merlin asked. "How long was I asleep for?"
"Long enough."
"Did you get some rest?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"I've never seen you like this. About anyone."
"What are you talking about?"
"Colette. You really care about her, don't you? You care about Gwen too it seems, but more my sister."
"What I care about is not wasting any more time talking. Let's get moving."
INT. PRISON
Gwen and Colette were sitting stiffly on their prison beds. The cell door was unlocked and Hengist entered. They stood up sharply.
"I've not yet received word from Uther that he intends to pay your ransomz," Hengist said. "I was informed that the King was extremely fond of his ward and his daughter. Are you two not surprised he is content to leave you here to die?"
"How can she and I know the King's mind when we are locked in your stinking cell?" Gwen retorted.
"If I do not hear from Uther by dawn tomorrow, this stinking cell will be the last place you two ever see." He cackled.
Hengist exited the cell and slammed the door shut. Gwen and Colette slumped onto the prison beds.