The Queen & Her King (sequel to the princess & the lost boy) Completed

Chapter 19: It's My Throne

(Ashlynns P.O.V.)

Glancing over at Pan, I smiled softly at the boy across from me. Asleep there was no smirk on his face as there usually was during every second of the day. He actually seemed innocent and...good. His hair was slightly covering his eyelids. A small smile curved up on the boy's lips in his sleep. It was so small that if I hadn't been watching him carefully I would have missed it entirely.
Very tentatively, I reached out and brushed the hair out of his face. I never would have dared had he been awake. Been able to see what I was doing. All it would do is give him hope for something that wasn't possible. Something that would never be.
The girl he knew is gone.
He would just have to accept it sooner or later. Preferably sooner.
Before I lead him to his death.
I withdrew my hand quickly when he stirred ever so slightly before returning to his slumber. The entire time I bit down on my lip hoping he wouldn't wake. No doubt he'd have some snarky remark about me watching him sleep.
I really hope my mother is right about this.
Releasing the Dorocha upon Camelot...upon Albion...would be a pure nightmare. All those souls that would be taken. All to restore magic to the land. To wipe all those who despise magic from the face of the earth. Forever. Taking innocent people along with them in this never ending war. And then there was the process of actually closing the veil once the task was complete. Another life would have to be sacrificed. One to open it. Another to close it.
Who my mother would find to end the wrath of the Dorcoha would have to be very brave to walk through the veil, sacrificing their life. Or oblivious to it all. Like Pan is.
If only I had the choice to prevent his death. The triple goddess knows I would take it within a split second. He's only a boy. Albeit a stupid boy, who thinks that I would even consider leaving Camelot for Neverland of all places just because of the history that we supposedly have between us. But still...he has magic...just like me, my mother, and all those who live in fear of being persecuted just because of their gifts. He doesn't deserve it.
What does it say to sacrifice a person with magic without their knowledge to release an army of relentless spirits just to win this war? How do I sacrifice one of my own kind? Without feeling this guilt growing inside me? Sacrifice this boy who had done nothing wrong but want me to remember this old life I used to share with him.
His death would save hundreds of lives that would have been persecuted. And I would no longer have to deal with the harassment of remembering things that I'm honestly not sure I even want to. To remember loving this boy and knowing that I was more than willing to sacrifice his life, to know what I did that ended up hurting him, to remember this life where I was potentially happy, is just too much. Pan would have been better off if he had never come back to retrieve me. To bring me back to Neverland.
He never would have been thrust into the role of a sacrifice.
Maybe, just maybe, I can convince my mother to let him go. That we can find another way. It's highly doubtful but worth a shot, right?
As long as it saves him.
I shook my head to clear such thoughts from my mind, pushing up off the ground to sit around the fire that was still going strong only to stop when a raven swooped down right in front of me.
"Shh!" I hissed out quietly when the bird began to screech like crazy.
Luckily it shut up and that's when I noticed it, the letter tied around it's leg.
Carefully I bent down, keeping my eyes trained in case it decided to attack—not that it would—and untied the letter. Pulling the string, I let it fall to the ground and opened the parchment.
'Ashlynn, my daughter, come and meet me at the Fortress of Candor. It's only a few miles away from you. You must hurry. Time is of the essence. I bring you news that would be best spoken in person...away from potential spies or unwanted ears.
Your mother, Morgana'
Glancing behind me at the sleeping boy, I smiled softly once more before throwing the paper into the flames. I watched as the paper turned to ash before I went to retrieve my bag with some daggers inside. Throwing it over my shoulder, I went to the leave only to stop short. Sighing, I shook my head, knowing I was gonna regret it. Spinning on my heel I bent down beside Pan and quickly placed a kiss on his cheek.
"I'll be back," I whispered quietly before turning away and heading off further into the woods.
When I got to a very small clearing I used my magic to find the fortress. I knew it from stories. It was this fallen castle that had been ransacked hundreds of times over the years. It was a lost cause, so no one had ever dared to take it over. There was no point. The once beautiful fortress—or so I've been told was beautiful—was nothing more than broken stones. It was habitable, but it was the perfect place to be ambushed. Wasn't so much of a fortress no more.
As I approached the fortress, I made sure to check my surroundings just in case as I entered. The sound of my boots reverberated on the floor that was covered in dried blood and skeleton bones. The sound of bones cracking under my foot wasn't that great considering I somehow managed to step on a couple or so. When I approached the throne room, there was one lone figure sitting in the chair, tapping impatiently on the forearm. The woman's curly raven black locks a mess.
"Hello mother," I said as her piercing green eyes flew over to stare into my blues ones.
"Ashlynn, you came faster than expected."
"You sent for me and I came. What news do you have?" I questioned.
"First," she said as she stood up and waltzed over to me, taking my hand in hers, "why is it that you heading in the opposite direction from the Isle?"
What?
"What do you mean? We're taking a shortcut."
"You've added at most two weeks to your journey, Ashlynn. You're heading in the opposite direction. What ever would have led you to divert from your path?"
"I-I-I thought it was a shortcut. I was told that we would get to the Isle faster this way."
"And you believed that?" She spat, pressing hard into my hand, so much so that I whimpered from the pain. "Was it that boy? The piper? You should never believe a word that comes out of his mouth. He only knows how to lie. It's his speciality, Ashlynn. He's trying to manipulate you, and you're letting him."
"I swear to you that he's not," I cried out. "I'll fix it! I swear I will!"
I grabbed onto my wrist when she let it go, holding it against my body.
"Make sure that you do."
I nodded, keeping my head to the floor.
There's no chance she'll give Pan mercy now. Not after this.
"I'll get us back on track in the morning. We'll be on our way to the Isle."
"Despite your failure to stay on track, I've managed to ensure that we have an ally. A very powerful one. One that can help us take over all of Albion once and for all."
My head snapped up at her words, my eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "Who?"
"Your fiancé."
"My what?" I asked in shock.
    "Your fiancé who will help us take over the seven kingdoms. To allow magic to return to the land. Think about it Ashlynn, no one would dare to fight back against the knights of Camelot, the Saxons, and Amata forces."
    I shook my head wildly in shock.
    "Amata forces? Are you crazy! Samuel is the one leading the attack on Camelot! He will never help us! He'd rather see those will magic destroyed as his father did long ago. He's no different than his father who tortured you for two long years. I won't marry him. I will never marry him."
    My head snapped to the right as pain exploded in my left cheek. My hand cupped my cheek as I peered up at my mother in shock. She slapped me. She literally slapped me.
    Her eyes seemed to darken as she approached me.
    "You will marry Samuel of Amata. If you don't, then we will lose a powerful ally that is more than willing to help us. As for the attack on Camelot, he only did so because I told him to. I initiated it, and it worked like a charm. Now, all you have to do is sacrifice Pan and marry Samuel, and you will become Queen of Amata. With his forces at your disposal, we can take over Albion completely. The Old Religion will reign once more! Scum like Arthur and Sarum will be wiped from the face of the earth."
    "Why would you do this?"
    "Because it furthers our cause. We are fighting for freedom from fear and prejudice. Samuel can help with that. Marry him and bear his children. That's all you have to do, Ashlynn. Be his Queen. And when the time comes, when you are with child, you will sit on the throne of Amata...alone. You can rid yourself of Samuel forever if that's what you wish. And since you will be with Samuel's heir, no one would dare think to harm you. You will rule Amata, and you will have a powerful ally in me as I rule Camelot."
She rules Camelot?
    "Camelot is my kingdom," I pointed out.
    She chuckled darkly, her eyes gleaming. "Not anymore I'm afraid."
    "What are you talking about."
    "You abandoned your people Ashlynn. You left them while they were being slaughtered. You were no where to be found," she said, sounding...as if she was talking down to me. "The people were scared. Their queen was gone. Left them defenseless. But have no fear, I protected them. I defended them from being slaughtered. Even proposed the deal in front of them to have Samuel's forces retreat. And what do you know? They accepted me as their Queen! Their rightful Queen. As they should. It's my throne now, little girl."