Excalibur's Seven - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

SELENE HAD ONLY BEEN awake for a few minutes when she heard desperate pounding on her door. She slipped from the bed, doing her best not to rouse the sleeping princess from her good dreams, and tiptoed to the door.
She threw it open to find a frantic Kit, and she stepped out into the hall before him. "Shut up," she hissed. "You'll wake up Giselle."
"Sorry," Kit said. "I just... Morgana. He left, and I couldn't stop him. I'm afraid he's going to warn the King."
"Shit," Selene hissed. She looked down to see blood staining his hands and she grabbed his wrist. "What is this?"
"Morgana stabbed my hand," he said. "And then he trapped me in ice so I had to punch my way out. It's not a big deal, I just... we need to hurry."
"Your hand is dripping blood, Kit, you're not gonna hold a sword as long as you you're hurt like this." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Go clean that up. I'll wake Giselle."
Kit swallowed, standing there like he wanted to say something else, but he didn't. He turned to walk down the hall and Selene tiptoed back into the room, gently shaking Giselle's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry to wake you, my love," Selene said as the princess opened her eyes. "I need your help with something."
Giselle pushed herself up into a sitting position. "What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her eyes with her fists.
Selene looked towards the door. "Morgana left. We think he went to go warn Connor but if we're fast enough, we might be able to get there before they can do anything about it. Also, Morgana stabbed Kit and I was wondering if you could patch him up."
"Of course," Giselle said, already standing up from the bed. She slipped out of her nightgown and back into the dress she'd been wearing. "Where is he now?"
"Hopefully washing off the mess and stopping the blood flow," Selene said. "I think he went to his room, follow me."
She led her out into the hallway and over to the next door, which was cracked open already. Selene stepped into the room with Giselle, and they were met with the sight of Kit wrapping his hand.
"Oh, thank God," Kit said.
"How bad is it?" asked Giselle, and Kit let the bandage fall back to the floor.
Giselle hissed. "Through the hand, yikes," she said. "Morgana is so vicious. I wish I could say it was because he's our enemy now, but he's just like this."
The princess took Kit's hand in her own, placing one palm on either side of it. She closed her eyes and let the magic flow through, and Kit was clearly trying not to scream. After a minute, Giselle pulled back her hands and revealed a red scar taking place of the hole left by Morgana's knife.
"You should probably still wrap it, or wear something to protect your hand," Giselle advised. "It will be sensitive."
Kit nodded, then rose to his feet once again. "Thank you," he said. "I'm going to start getting ready. Someone find Mab and tell her that we have to go, and maybe one of you could wake up the others."
"I'll find Mab," Selene offered. "Giselle, you're much more pleasant to wake up to, will you get the others?"
Giselle nodded and kissed her cheek. "Of course, darling. I'll see you in a minute."
Selene nodded and left the room, marching her way through the palace until she found the throne room. Sure enough, Mab was there. So was Atla, in her own chair reading a book.
Atla looked up, but Mab appeared to be asleep in her chair. Her hands were glowing.
"Momma," Atla hissed, nudging the Queen's arm and startling her awake.
"Goodness, Atla, what?"
Atla shifted her attention to Selene, and Mab's eyes followed.
Mab brightened and rose to her feet. "Oh! Good morning, Lady Selene. How did you sleep?"
"Like a baby," she said.
"Fabulous," Mab exclaimed. "Now, what did you need from me?"
Selene looked in the direction of the door. "Right. Well, we need to leave today. And by today, I mean any minute here. But we can't leave on an empty stomach. And you promised us a ride to No Man's Land. We'll take you up on that."
Mab sensed her urgency. "What happened?"
Selene looked at her feet. "Morgana left. And we couldn't stop him, obviously, it was your will, but he's not on our side. I know you were fond of him but he could really make things difficult if he gets there too long before we do."
Mab bit her thumb in contemplation. "I wasn't necessarily fond of him, just didn't like the idea of you all holding him captive in his own kingdom. If you think he's a threat to everyone, though, then yeah. We can leave."
Atla closed her book. "I'll prepare the dragons," she said, getting to her feet and disappearing behind a door.
"Thank you," Selene said. "For all of this. I don't know if you're just tricking us or if you plan to kill us before we leave but you feel... genuine. It's refreshing."
Mab smiled at her, then stepped down from her throne. "It's not a problem," she said, tucking a loose strand of Selene's hair behind her ear. "You lot helped me more than you know. I would be ungrateful to kill you off or torture you."
"I appreciate that." Selene gave a polite bow. "Now, I think I better help my friends get ready."
"Of course," said Mab. "Come down when you're ready for a good meal."
Selene nodded and stepped back out, making her way up the stairs and down the vast hallways until she reached the rooms. They were all up and dressed, preparing themselves for the battle.
"Mab is getting us food," Selene announced. "We should be at our best before we go in."
Her eyes locked on Kit. He looked anxious, doubtful.
"Everyone go eat, we'll be down in a minute."
Giselle ushered the others out, while Selene pulled Kit aside.
"Hey," she said. "It'll be okay. We've got an army this time. We have a shot."
Kit was holding back tears, she could tell. "But what will it cost to win?"
Her face fell, and she placed a hand on his cheek. "No one going into this battle will go in unaware of the risks."
"I don't--I don't want to lose any of you." He took a hold of Selene's wrist and leaned into her hand. "That includes Morgana. Selene, what if we have to kill him?"
No one missed the way he looked at Morgana before all this happened. He cared deeply for the Unseelie, and Selene could only imagine what he was feeling. If Giselle was their enemy, could she bear to let her die if it was the right thing?
"It's not going to be easy," she said, voice catching. "We might have to make sacrifices we don't want to make. This might break our hearts. But this is about the greater good of the kingdom and possibly the world."
"I wish it didn't have to be me," he whimpered, and the tears finally fell. "I wish it didn't have to be you. Or my son, or Chalice, or Eurion, or Giselle. I wish it didn't have to be us."
"But it is us," she said. "And there has to be a reason for that. Fate brought us together, there's got to be a point."
"I'm just a prince," he cried. "Not even the one in line for the throne. I'm not the best Knight the kingdom has. I'm not Gifted, I'm not especially quick or clever, I'm an impulsive idiot. And my six-year-old is more important than me in all of this. Next to all of you, I'm useless. I'm just the idiot that gets you all into trouble."
"You're the idiot that knows more about the castle and your family than anyone else," Selene told him, pulling his attention back to her. "No one knows Wylan and Connor like you do. No one else knows the ins and outs of the place, the secret passages and weak points and the little things about the very men we're trying to fight."
He looked to the floor and said nothing.
"And no one has your determination. Morgana might be more stubborn than you, but he isn't driven. Not like you are. I don't think we'd come this far if you didn't care so much about your people." She tilted his chin up to make him look at her. "You don't do the whole 'giving up' thing, Kristofer. Don't you dare start now."
Kit stared at her with teary eyes for a long moment. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Instead, he threw his arms around Selene's shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.
She couldn't remember the last time Kit hugged her. She wasn't big on hugs, but she wouldn't deny him his comfort. She settled into it, letting her fingers massage his scalp.
"Thank you," he whispered, finally pulling away. "I think we should go join the others."
"Of course." Selene caught his wrist before he left. "First, I need you to promise me something."
He looked back at her.
"You don't give up. Not now, do you hear me?"
His amber eyes were filled with the fire of his mother, and it made Selene's chest burn.
"I promise."
The others were waiting for them in the dining hall when they arrived. "You didn't have to wait," Selene said, but Mab waved her away.
"Of course we did," she insisted. "Now get to eating."
The meal was warm and filling and Selene felt more awake and alert than she'd been in a long time. Mab had her sleeping like a baby and she didn't realize how badly she needed a night like that until now.
They ate promptly. Selene put her armor back on, and then Atla led them out to the dragons, saddled up and ready to be ridden, while Mab searched for something in the palace.
"A parting gift," she said when she returned to their sides. It was a tall bag full of what Selene could only guess were weapons.
She pulled out a thick chain and gave it to Chalice, told them it was enchanted iron. Eurion got two matching daggers, and the thief stuck them into her high updo. Selene and Kit had swords already, but Giselle was empty-handed. Mab gave her the most beautifully engraved blade Selene had ever seen.
"What about me?" Lionel asked.
Mab smiled at the boy. "You are a weapon, my boy. Use your power wisely, but don't be afraid to use it, understand?"
Lionel nodded.
"Right, then," Mab continued, placing her hand on a dragon's nose. "This is Cindy, and she knows where to take you. All you have to do is hold on tight and she'll take you where you need to be. Tell her thank you when she drops you off."
Kit climbed up onto the back, helping the others on after him. There was no specific order this time, but Lionel insisted on sitting in front of Kit, because he trusted him to hold onto him while they rode through the air.
"Thank you again, Your Majesty," Selene said to the Queen. "You've helped us more than you know. I hope you can continue being a helpful ally to us. If you ever need something, please reach out."
Mab took her face in her hands and kissed her head. "You would make a great Unseelie, my dear. Now go and kick some ass."
Selene laughed and turned to the dragon. "I will, Your Majesty."
They were all seated on the dragon now, strapped in and holding tight to the reigns. Before they were sent off into the air, Mab got their attention.
"This better not be the last time I see you all," she told them. "Go and do your best."