YOU CAN'T ESCAPE DESTINY | Arthur Pendragon [2]

Ambush

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

        Prince Arthur helped the Lady Morgana up on her horse as they stood in the courtyard right in front of the main entrance to the castle, before walking around and fixing her red silk cloak behind her. As his eyes quickly roamed over the courtyard, they unintentionally caught Annabelle's, who was preparing everything on her horse while Guinevere was being helped up onto hers by one of the Camelot guards.
        Annabelle glanced over her shoulder to check if Morgana was ready to head out, and her eyes caught Arthur's at the same moment as his caught hers. The two stared at each other, not being able to look away after barely seeing each other, much less speaking, the past three weeks. They could still both remember the kiss that took place over a month earlier, and though the other didn't know, neither could erase it from their minds. It was as if the feeling of each other's lips and the look in their eyes was branding into their minds.
        Eventually, much to both of their's disappointment, Annabelle was the one to break eye contact as she turned around made finishing touches to her saddle, hoping that no one saw her and Arthur's little exchange.       
        "I hope your trip isn't too upsetting," Arthur said to Morgana as he walked around the house to stand beside her, and she nodded at him with a smile.
        "Thank you, Arthur," she said gratefully as one of the guards in the courtyard grabbed Annabelle around the waist and hoisted her up onto her horse. Usually, the blue-eyed servant would be capable of getting on a horse herself, but the dress she was wearing, though comfortable, restricted that much movement.
        "Ensure you return to Camelot before dusk," Arthur said to the knight who was going to be leading the guards and knights for the sole purpose of keeping the King's ward, and hopefully her maids, safe.
        "Yes, Sire," the man nodded, before glancing over his shoulder to check if everyone was ready to move out. Once he was satisfied, he nodded to the other knights before taking hold of the reins and leading his horse out of he courtyard, the other horses following him.
        As they got further and further away from the castle, Annabelle couldn't help but glance over her shoulder one last time, not caring about the guards trotting right behind her. Her blue eyes caught Arthur's again, and they held each other's gazes for a few moments, both staring at each other almost longingly, whether they knew it or not, before Annabelle broke their eye contact once again, focusing back on the road ahead.
        "Where are they going?" Merlin asked, coming down the stairs of the castle, holding a big target practice shield with arrows already embedded in it and a crossbow slung over his shoulder. His sister didn't tell him anything about any trip, or rather didn't have the time to, as by the moment he woke up, she was already gone; he now realized that she was most likely already preparing for the trip.
        "Morgana's on a pilgrimage to her father's grave," Arthur replied as he grabbed the crossbow from his servant.

*45 Minutes Later*

        "You look troubled, Anna," Morgana finally spoke up after an unbelievably long time of silence between the three friends. Upon hearing her name, Annabelle's head snapped to her mistress's, and she immediately plastered a smile on her face.
        "I'm fine," she tried to reassure, but Morgana and Guinevere both knew her too well by now to be fooled.
        "You're unusually quiet today," Guinevere observed with a slightly concerned glint in her eyes from Annabelle's other side.
        "And you're very secretive these days," Morgana added, though her lips were pulled up in a sly smirk, "I'm starting to think there's a man involved," the smirk on her lips grew as she looked at Annabelle, who let out a laugh.
        "When do I get to meet any decent men?" she asked, an easy smile plastered on her lips, not noticing her two friends sharing a look over her head.
        However, before anyone had a chance to say something more, battle cries, shouts, and yell were heard, and men, most likely bandits, ran out from between the trees all around them. The knights of Camelot immediately unsheathed their swords, but they were beyond outnumbered. One tried to slash a bandit with his sword, but was slashed across the chest and thrown off the horse instead. Annabelle, Morgana, and Guinevere could do nothing but watch helplessly, none of them armed, as the guards and knights fought the bandits, very clearly losing from the very beginning of the fight. Multiple bandits were also riding horses, and were riding around them while clashing swords with the guards.
        "My ladies!" one of the knights suddenly called, and the three women whipped around to look at him, "You must follow me!" he said, but only a second after he finished the sentence, an arrow embedded itself in his back, killing him immediately.
        Annabelle stared after the horse that galloped away with its master's corpse with wide eyes, before being pulled back to reality as she heard an all-too-familiar scream. She whipped around, only to see Morgana being pulled off her horse by the bandits. Before she could even react, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her roughly and pull her off the horse, keeping her close against a muscular chest.
        Annabelle screamed in fear and panic, knowing very well that she couldn't use her magic and that she was without a weapon. Which meant she was completely and utterly defenseless and vulnerable.
        Though suddenly, the arms around her waist and arms went limp, and the body that wrapped itself around her fell to the side. Not wanting to waste time, she simply guessed that one of the knights who still remained alive must have saved her. She then quickly looked around, worried more than ever before about her friends, only to see one of the remaining Camelot knights ride behind the bandits that were holding Guinevere and Morgana and slash their backs, making them release the young women.
        "Anna! Gwen! Head for the path!" Morgana suddenly yelled, and Guinevere nodded, immediately running off in the direction her Lady told her to, while Annabelle momentarily ignored Morgana's call and ran over to her, gripping her hand tightly and then pulling her along to follow Guinevere. Annabelle promised herself not too long ago that she would protect Morgana no matter what, and she intended to keep that promise.
        The three women ran away from the fight, beginning to run towards the forest path, only to stop in their tracks as they saw multiple other bandits ride up to them on their horses. As soon as they were in front of them, they dismounted, pieces of cloth covering the bottom halves of their faces.
        "I warn you!" Morgana spoke up, breathing heavily in fear but keeping her chin up bravely. "I am Uther Pendragon's ward! He'll have your heads if any harm comes to me,"
        "I have no intention of harming you," one of the bandits spoke up, pulling down the cloth covering his face and revealing himself to be a well-looking man, around 50 years of age, "At least not yet," he said, just as a riderless horse galloped past them, making the three women follow its movements with fearful eyes. "You're much more valuable to me alive... Lady Morgana,"