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"High above, in the mist of isle of Avalon...stood the mystic Excalibur. Shrouded in the veil of myths and utopia. A legacy still awaits..." - Yatharth
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The violet canopy dropped behind them, nearly trapping them inside Spindill. Robin and Bailey pulled their horses to a stop, turning around to watch as the guards that had been chasing them dropped to the forest floor in a deep slumber.
The twins could hear nothing over their pounding heartbeats, the rush of adrenaline pumping through their veins. Each of their muscles burned as they relaxed from their previous tension, causing their bodies to shake.
The four friends snapped their heads to the bushes beside them, a rustling sound emitting from the foliage. Two guards stepped out; their swords drawn.
Robin was the first to dismount his horse, unsheathing his sword from his belt and swinging it at one of the men. The guard quickly recovered, his armor shielding him from the blow. He nearly took off Robin's head with a swipe of his weapon, but his sword was intercepted by Bailey's. As the two friends took down the soldier, his companion lunged at the Aura.
Carolyn ran in front of her sister, raising her arms up in a futile attempt to block their heads. Much to their surprise, the sword shattered into pieces above their skulls, rendering it useless. Aura looked to their hands to see the rings Bailey had gifted them were glowing a baby blue.
Carolyn took the man's stupor as an opportunity to swing her leg in the air, kicking him away from her. He fell to the ground in a metallic cacophony, Aura rushing to his side to tear off his helmet. Carolyn grabbed the bud of his sword, the one remaining piece of the fractured weapon, from the ground. She quickly thumped it against his head, knocking him out.
The four friends scrambled to mount their horses and put distance between themselves and the sleeping guards.
They led the steeds through the woods for another hour before stopping at a clearing to rest. Bailey offered the horses water as Robin gathered wood for a fire.
The twins and Bailey walked through the forest upon his return, foraging for berries and other fruit to eat.
"How do you two feel?" the brunette asked as she plucked round, pink berries from a bush, popping one into her mouth.
Carolyn shook her head, a heavy sigh flowing from her parted lips as she dusted an apple off with the skirt of her dress. "Like I keep narrowly avoiding death."
Aura held the end of her skirt to make a small basket before piling more of the pink berries onto the fabric. "I feel like whenever I get comfortable with one thing, I'm thrown a curveball of gigantic proportions."
They began to walk back to where Robin had set up camp as Aura continued, "I don't know how we're supposed to save an entire planet if we can hardly retrieve one item successfully."
Carolyn casually tossed Robin an apple she had picked before turning her attention back to Bailey. "So where are we now?"
"Well if we fled from Spindill to the west, that would place us in the outskirts of Camelot."
"A sword that was buried deep within stone," Aura recalled, Bailey nodding in reply.
"Camelot..." Carolyn trailed off. "As in King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table Camelot?"
Aura's eyes widened, chomping down on the sweet fruit. "As in Merlin Camelot?"
Bailey nodded and chuckled. "I doubt we'd see Merlin, though, he's been M.I.A. for a long time."
"There have been a lot of rumors about him, I'm sure he's alive, just...hiding," Robin stated, taking a bite out of the crisp red apple.
Carolyn's eyebrows drew together, her hazel-green eyes focused on the fire that lit up the darkened sky. "If Merlin has survived all this time, do you think it's possible that our parents could still be alive?"
Robin sighed. "I believe they are," he started. "I remember when I was growing up in Locksley—I couldn't have been more than five or six at the time—I could've sworn I saw your mother, 'The Lost Queen,' passing through and speaking with the officials in my village.
"I never saw her again after that day," Robin paused, staring into Carolyn's eyes. "But I remember her hazel eyes so clearly."
It took the quartet four days to travel through the rolling hills and thick oak forests of Camelot towards the kingdom's capital. They stopped occasionally to procure water from a stream or gather more food.
The sun was setting behind the palace as they approached it, painting the sky in a rich canopy of warm shades.
Their horses trotted towards the stable, their hooves clicking against the cobblestone. The group passed through a town where soup kitchens and makeshift hospitals were set up. The community looked poor and could've put a rich man's dollar to good use, but the people seemed cheerful nonetheless, openly conversing with one another. Nurses in fresh linens tended to patients young and old under open canvas tents with smiles on their faces. The faint jig of street performers wafted through the evening air. Old, blackened stone homes and shops lined the streets, their doors open to any and all visitors with their iron lanterns encompassing the lane in an amber glow.
"I'm not trying to be a downer, but why's everyone so...happy? Shouldn't the Villains have made their lives miserable by this point?" Carolyn questioned, her raspy voice lowered to a softer tone.
"Camelot is a safe haven of sorts," Bailey answered. "If any villain tried to encroach upon this kingdom or its people, King Arthur could easily smite them with Excalibur."
"So then why can't he protect all of Fabula?"
"Arthur and the Villains made a 'pact'"—she emphasized the word with her hands, forming her fingers into quotation marks— "so long as they don't attempt to rule Camelot, he would spare them. It wasn't his most proud moment, but it was the best he could make of a bad deal.
"He knew that Excalibur wouldn't be strong enough to fully banish the Villains, and he figured one piece left of the old Fabula is better than nothing at all. Arthur knew if he tried to smite all the Villains to save Fabula, he would fail, putting even more people in danger."
Carolyn nodded in response as they dismounted their horses, leaving them in the stable by the castle. From there, they walked uphill towards the majestic stone palace, following a sea of people who crossed a lowered drawbridge. A large group of villagers was scurrying about the courtyard on the other side of the moat.
The courtyard beside the palace was filled with towering willow trees and a marketplace set up under their dangling branches.
When they reached the large black walnut doors to the castle, a young man with curly black locks and a red and blue uniform approached them with a hospitable grin. "Hello," he started, his eyes lingering on the twins. "Who are yous here to see?"
"King Arthur," Bailey replied hesitantly.
The servant's smile grew. He stepped to the side, gesturing with a wave of his arm. "Follow me."
He led them through corridor after corridor, past beautifully crafted paintings and tapestries that depicted different scenes of what the group could only assume to be Camelot's history, including one that depicted the moment a young towheaded Arthur pulled the sword out of the stone. Statues of armor lined the stone walls that were illuminated by brass chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings.
The servant began to climb a grand staircase with flowers draped around its golden railings. Towering portraits lined the walls on either side of the staircase, its subjects dressed in some of the finest gowns and jewels the twins had ever seen. He turned one final corner and nodded to the two guards that were stationed in front of a large walnut-colored door at the end of the hall. He knocked loudly against the thick wood before tugging on the handle.
"There is a group who wishes to speak to you, Sire," the servant said as he entered the spacious room. The man beckoned the four to follow him.
Aura and Carolyn hesitantly stepped into the room, immediately being met with the smell of old paper and the sight of piles of scrolls on bookshelves throughout the room. In the center, a sturdy red oak desk housed even more rolled up parchment.
An older man with thick, greying brown hair sat behind the table, a tan elbow propping up his head while his other hand scribbled a quill across a scroll. He rolled and sealed the piece of paper, handing it to the servant without looking up. "Here's the approval for more refugee housing, Lucan."
The servant grabbed the parchment before walking back to the door, shooting the group one last smile before exiting the study.
The man behind the desk finally looked up from his paperwork. He quickly walked to meet the four, an apologetic smile on his handsome face. He looked to be in his late-40's with specks of grey in his beard and hair. The man's square face was defined but kind. Wrinkles were beginning to form around the corners of his hooded eyes and narrow mouth and on his forehead; his face still had a youthful, adventurous glow. He had a presence that demanded attention and respect as he stood above the four, but his lopsided smile softened his intense stature.
Robin was quick to bow. "Your Majesty."
The man dismissively waved his hand. "Please, Arthur is fine. How may I be of assistance to you? It must be urgent if Lucan dragged you all the way up here," he said in a deep voice.
Carolyn tugged at her lip. "Well, we came here to tell you that we kinda need to borrow Excalibur."
Arthur's thick brows knitted in confusion.
Aura gulped when none of her friends stepped forward to elaborae, all too intimidated by the living legend before them. She took a deep breath before explaining with a shaky voice their trials prior to their arrival in Camelot and what still awaited them, not daring to look up into his eyes. She retrieved Aurora's crown and the Lamp of Promise from Bailey's satchel, holding them out for Arthur to examine.
When the king's tawny eyes inspected the lamp, a misty blue hand popped out of the spout, enthusiastically waving in his face.
Arthur rubbed his hand along the stubble covering his jaw as his eyes continuously looked over the items in Aura's petite hands. "That is a very daunting request, one that I need time to consider."
Carolyn's posture slumped. How long does 'I need time to consider' mean?
The king looked over his shoulder at the window against the far wall. "It's getting quite late, do you have somewhere to sleep?"
Bailey shook her head. "No, Your Majesty, but we can easily grab a room at the closest inn."
Arthur smiled. "Nonsense. I will arrange rooms for you fit with a hot meal."
Carolyn's mouth nearly watered at his words.
He went to the door of the study and spoke with one of the guards.
Within minutes a stout handmaiden led the girls and Robin to the east wing of the castle where two adjoined suites fit for royalty were ready for their arrival. In the main room on a round table, a feast was set up with roasted meats and vegetables, fresh fruit, and a small mountain of bread and pastries. A large pitcher of fresh water and four golden gauntlets were placed around the table. Two large windows were placed on adjacent walls, one giving a view of the bay and the other a view of the rolling hills. Two canopy beds fitted with silk sheets sat next to one another on the far wall.
"There're two basins wit warm water for baths if you want, dearies," the handmaiden said as she led the four into the room. "The king also supplied new fittings for yous, they're on yer beds if you want." She gave them a small bow before closing the chamber door behind her.
The four quickly dug into the food on the table, eager to fill their fatigued bodies with more than just wild berries.
When their stomachs were satisfied, they lounged on chaises around a stone fireplace, relaxing to the sound of the crackling logs. They took turns bathing, the maid coming in after the twins were done to replace the warm water for Robin and Bailey. They sat near the windows in their fresh nightwear afterward, admiring the lights of the village below the palace.
Carolyn perked up when she heard two feminine voices from the hallway.
"I swear I saw her a month ago talking to the king!" one voice loudly whispered.
"Are you daft? No one has seen her in over a decade!" the second replied.
"I know what I saw — The Lost Queen."
Carolyn bolted from her seat and ran to the door. When her shaking hands finally managed to fling open the door, the corridor was empty.
"Cora, are you okay?" Aura asked, standing up from her seat.
Carolyn stood at the door, refusing to turn around and face her sister. "I need some air," she murmured, storming out of the room in an overwhelmed huff.
She made her way out of the palace, trudging through the royal gardens before reaching the shore. Carolyn looked up at the few stars that were visible as she sat in the sand, her mind cloudier than the sky above. The harmony of the ocean crashed over her like the waves that splashed not far in front of her. The sound of footsteps filled her ears next, and she was taken aback to see that Robin had been the one to follow her.
They sat in an incessant silence until Carolyn eventually broke it.
"Have you always known?" she asked, her eyes fixated on the waves as they broke over the shore. "That I'm a princess, I mean."
"The second I saw you." He looked out at the moons' reflections in the ever-changing water. "Your strange shoes—I believe you called them 'Converse'—were a giveaway that you weren't from around here. Besides, if you were even remotely familiar with Fabula, you wouldn't have provoked the Sheriff." Carolyn nodded, never once breaking her gaze to look at him. "And then there's the fact that you and Aura are sixteen-year-old twins with a striking resemblance to The Lost Queen."
Carolyn let the sounds of the ocean fill their ears, thinking back in momentary silence to the dream, or rather nightmare, she had of her parents. Am I still dreaming now? It might have been more likely she had just imagined their adventures, instead of actually living them.
"I haven't ruled out the possibility that I'm insane," she started, her eyes glazed over as they rested on the lower of the two moons in the sky. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to accept that any of this is real."
Robin studied her cold, stoic face curiously. "You just have to keep going and hope that you'll find something to believe in along the way."
She almost wanted to laugh at his optimism. With everything he's gone through, shouldn't he of all people have lost hope by now?
"Do you believe in fate?" Carolyn broke her stare with the waves, glancing up at him with wide, curious eyes.
"How could I not?" he replied as if she should know not to be so cynical. "Without destiny, there's nothing to hope for—nothing to keep living for." Robin gazed into her hesitant eyes, staring at them longer than usual—longer than he should have.
Carolyn broke away from his greens, looking back at the wild sea. "I just don't get how someone like me is 'fated' to save an entire world."
"If you ask me, I think you're pretty capable." His hand only touched hers briefly, his fear of overstepping overcoming his urge to reassure her, but it was time enough for her to notice.
"And if it's any consolation," Robin continued. "You're not alone in this."
Carolyn smiled at him, letting a comfortable quiet wash over them. She laughed to herself, his words running through her mind again. "Robin Hood, did you just compliment me?" she joked.
He rolled his eyes, smirking. "Don't get too headstrong."
She laughed but tensed again as she thought of the conversation between the two people in the hall. "Do you think it's possible that my mom could be alive?"
"I think if your mother is anything like you"—he looked into her eyes again, now grinning— "then she'd be too stubborn to not be alive right now."
Carolyn smiled in return, reaching her hand up to touch his shoulder. His body heat warmed her palm, a stark difference from the cold sand they sat on. "Thank you," she said genuinely.
The two looked on into the night, gazing into the waves, keeping each other company in the quiet of their thoughts.
The king called for them the next morning and had sent a maid to bring them to his throne room.
Aura fiddled with the delicate, leafy headband that was set out for her by one of the maids. As she and the others walked through the vaguely familiar hallways, she tried her best not to trip over the dark green skirt of her new dress.
Carolyn rubbed the face of her locket with her thumb, the dainty chain wrapping around her fingers. She smoothed out her dress's brown bodice as they approached the open doorway into the grand throne room.
The stone walls reached for the sky before gathering at a glass dome, bathing the room in the warm sunlight. Red and blue banners with a golden lion hung from iron rods attached to the walls.
King Arthur sat atop a golden throne with red velvet cushions at the end of a long, red rug that stretched down the center of the room over the stone and mortar floor. He had a regal crown atop his head and a cape latched around his shoulders. Lords and advisors stood all around the lofty space.
The four paused when they reached the small steps that led up to the throne, bowing before locking eyes with the monarch.
Arthur stood from his throne before ordering everyone but Carolyn, Aura, Bailey, and Robin out of the room. His subjects scurried into the hallway before guards closed and locked the heavy doors. "I hope you all found last night's arrangements comfortable?" he asked as he made his way past them, towards the center of the room.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Your hospitality was very generous," Bailey said as she watched him with curious eyes.
Arthur tapped around the rug with his boot until part of the red fabric lowered under his foot. The stone floor began to descend and morph into a wide staircase, leading into darkness below the castle.
The king led the group down the dark stairwell, leading to a small room lit only by the fiery sconces on the stone walls. The room had bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling, packed with novels and grimoires of all colors and lengths. There was a long, mahogany table in the center of the room, a map sat atop it, marked with small red pins. Beside the table stood an oak pedestal with thick white candles lit aflame, their wax dripping down onto the wood and forming pools.
An elderly man rushed down a small passage leading away from the room, having heard the group enter. He had a round face, his chin and jaw hidden by a short, white beard. A small, silver pair of spectacles sat on the edge of his crooked nose. He smiled brightly at the king, the skin around his baggy eyes crinkling. The man's grin faltered at the sight of the twins, his whimsical bottle-green eyes inspecting them meticulously.
"Aren't you quite the surprise?" he spoke, his smile returning. The man bowed to the twins, keeping his gaze on them as he did so. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highnesses."
Aura and Carolyn fidgeted uncomfortably at the sudden sign of respect. The term "Your Highnesses" rang in their minds, the idea of being royalty still an alien thought.
"My name is Merlinus, but you may call me Merlin." The name struck a chord with the group, their eyes widening in bewilderment. "You're here for the sword that was buried deep within stone, I presume?"
Another shock to the system.
Arthur chuckled softly at their expressions, showing a set of bright teeth. "You'll have to forgive him, being void of social activity for so long has made him skip pleasantries."
"We'd like to have the sword," Bailey began, her greys meeting Merlin's. "If His Majesty will allow us to borrow it."
The king stood akimbo, mulling over the decision. "If I lent it to you, you must bring it back"—he raised a warning finger before the group could celebrate— "in one piece."
"Thank you." Aura smiled cheerfully, offering a handshake to close perhaps the biggest business deal of her life. "You won't regret it."
Arthur took her hand, smiling once again.
The king carefully unsheathed Excalibur from his belt, offering it to the group. Robin took it from Arthur, the muscles in his forearm tensing at the weight.
"This thing is no joke," he murmured as he slipped it into the empty sheath tied to his side.
Carolyn smiled to herself as her bracelet glowed a soft gold, her playful hazel eyes meeting Robin's face. "Let me know if it gets too heavy for you."
Bailey paged through the list of items in her head, thinking of their next destination. "Could we ask for just one last favor? We'll be needing passage to Arendelle...As much as I love our horses, I don't think they can swim very well."
Aura's eyes lit up at the prospect of traveling by ship rather than by horse.
Merlin let out a booming laugh, placing a lean hand on his stomach. "You ask as if we haven't already made the arrangements."
"You have?" Carolyn asked.
Merlin wiped a tear from his eye. "Why do you think we needed the extra time?"
Carolyn turned to Arthur. "Wait, so you were going to give us the sword the entire time?"
Arthur shrugged. "Not the entire time, but I decided shortly after you left my study."
Merlin took out a long, brown wand from his baggy sleeve. He waved it in the air and a small, empty glass vial materialized out of thin air. "This will let you collect those lights up north."
The twins smiled at him gratefully as he handed the quartet a pouch filled with gold coins. "For anything you may need along the way."
They thanked him once more, turning to leave before Merlin spoke up. "Oh and Your Highnesses—" he started, the sisters turning their heads to meet his sharp green irises. They were unusual and unfamiliar but had a comforting glow about them. "Next time you see her, tell Silvia I say hello."
The twins exchanged a confused glance. "You know her?" Aura asked curiously.
"My dears," Merlin smiled. "She's my sister."
Arthur walked the group to an awaiting carriage just outside the palace, promising safe passage for their horses back to Sherwood Forest.
"May your fate stay true, all four of you," Arthur said with a small bow of his head.
They thanked him profusely for his hospitality, bidding him goodbye before riding off towards the docks. Robin, Bailey, and the twins looked back at the castle wistfully one last time as it faded from view, wishing their circumstances would've been different to allow them to stay.
A ship waited for them by the shore, waving a purple and green flag in the air, a golden crest painted on it. The group of friends boarded it hesitantly before waiting to sail towards their next adventure.
Hello lovelies!
Okay, say whaaaaaat? Merlin + Fairy Godmother = siblings? 🤯
I don't know about you guys, but I love this little friendship that's developing between Carolyn and Robin. I absolutely can't wait for you guys to see what's in store for the four of them in Arendelle!
Question of the day: Frozen or Frozen 2?
Until next chapter!
♡ Melody & Rebekah ♡