Chapter Text
Ever since the war between man and mage, since the rule of King Vortigern, the late King Uther Pendragon's brother, had begun a new time of dread and darkness for mankind, along with the mages. It had only been a few short years since Vortigern assumed the throne. Great Britain's people quickly learned to conform to his rules and regulations, but the mages were given a less merciful fate.
Mage villages and colonies had been raided, almost everyone murdered in their own homes. Not many of the mages resided where the king would know but rest assured, he would find out sooner rather than later. Young children, women and men all to be slaughtered.
As it was what the King had ordered.
He sent many of his soldiers, the Blacklegs, to find and kill as many mages as they could, but decided to join them on one fateful night. He sat in the comfort of furs and fire as he heard his soldiers murdering the last mage village in the vicinity of his kingdom.
Soldiers raided a small village of handmade homes in the deepest part of a great forest known for its magical properties and people. It was a village full of mages and man alike who had coexisted since long before the great war and still continued even after. Vortigern ordered for them all to be slaughtered as he sat in his royal tent, writing to his beloved daughter Catia, and to the other figures in his court. Vortigern's general of his army, Mercia, walked into the tent along with four other blacklegs, two of which were dragging something or rather someone with them.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion, Mercia?", the King asked looking towards his head guardsmen. "I thought you might enjoy seeing this one before we kill her off with the rest of her people, my King. ", Mercia replied with a slight bow of respect, the smirk growing on his face. "Alright, show me it then.", Vortigern said,sitting up on his throne looking towards the group of blacklegs.
One of the soldiers who wasn't holding the person, who now knelt in front of the King, pulled the person's head back by their hair. Once their head had been forced up, it appeared to be the face of a woman. Her skin pale though spotted with groups of freckles. Her hair was of an auburn hue that grew darker towards the roots, but the most interesting thing was her eyes. One the palest pure blue and the other a beautiful green, like gemstones of unbelievable value. They seemed to glow in the dimly lit tent. She looked at Vortigern with a glare in her alluring eyes, a glare of hatred and rage.
"Different colored eyes, my king. When we found her it looked like she was possessing the men to get away. Luckily we caught her just before she could make it away into the forest.", Mercia spoke, looking back and forth between his king and the prisoner. Vortigern stood up from his throne making his way towards the group of men holding the mage. "Do explain what you mean by possessing, Mercia.", he said with his arms behind his back looking at the man. "It was as if she was talking through the men, my lord. As if she was using their bodies and voices through hers.", Mercia replied.
Kneeling down to eye level with the woman, the King smirked, "Quite an extraordinary ability. For a mage so young. " The woman said nothing as she only watched and observed her surroundings, finally making eye contact with the King as he spoke directly to her. "What is your name, mage?", the king then asked. The woman just stared at him, not making a single sound.
"You will answer your King when he asks you a question. ", the guard holding her hair said as he pulled on it roughly. The woman shut her eyes to the sudden pain and hissed slightly. "It is only a simple question, dear. What is your name?", Vortigern asked again with a smirk on his face. She closed her eyes and let out a huff.
Suddenly the torches lighting up the already dimly lit room became darker, they did not go out but barely lit up the room. As the wind blew the tent open, moonlight shined through and lit up the room. The four blacklegs surrounding the woman with multicolored eyes started speaking all at the same time, their eyes changing to the same color as the woman's and even had the same eerie glow as hers when she opened them to make direct eye contact again with King Vortigern. "I am Seraphina of the mages. " the guards all spoke, but still the woman did not. She didn't even move her mouth.
Mercia quickly pulled the king away from the group of men being controlled by the woman who had now revealed herself as Seraphina. "By God what is this", Mercia murmured standing in front of the king with his blade now to Seraphina's throat. "Go ahead, cut my throat and leave me to bleed. It is all I wish for now that you have obliterated my people.", Seraphina spoke, still using the guards to speak for her.
"Mercia, put your sword away.", the king spoke from behind his guard. His face held a curious smile as he placed his hand on Mercia's shoulder, motioning for him to move away. Mercia put his sword back into its holder hesitantly, and again King Vortigern knelt in front of the woman. "Why do you not speak with your own voice, Seraphina?", he asked , his tone getting softer as if to manipulate her to bring her guard down. "You don't deserve to hear it." , she hissed, as if she were sneering through her own teeth. The king chuckled darkly, "I don't deserve to hear it? Well if that's how you feel I believe I could understand. Since I did take the lives of countless numbers of your people." , Vortigern said standing back up and walking towards his throne. "I wonder what other tricks you might be able to do, Seraphina.", the king's tone was mocking once he spoke out her name. Sitting on his throne, arms resting on the sides and his hand coming up to rest on his face, he spoke now directly to his head guardsman. "Lock her up. We'll be heading to the palace come morning.".
Mercia looked surprised, "But my lord, shouldn't we simply just kill her? We did not plan for any prisoners.", he asked . "Well luckily for you we aren't taking any prisoners, just her. ", Vortigern replied, the smirk returning to his face. This information shocked Seraphina, enough so that she let go of her hold on the guards who were now all very confused as to what had just happened. The look of worry in her eyes might've been minuscule but it was clear she had been frightened by this information .
"I have the perfect place to put my new pet. "
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On the long ride back towards Camelot, King Vortigern had ordered for the mage known as Seraphina to be placed under guard…….
in his long carriage.
Sitting across from him.
Seraphina said not a word as they took the long trip back to the Kings shining golden palace. In fact, she simply meditated and slept, ignoring the dangerous King who had tried to make conversation with her.
Hearing a soft chuckle coming from the man in front of her, she cracked open her pale blue eye, looking towards the man sitting just a few feet away from her. "You really don't crack, do you Seraphina?", the King spoke, the same cocky smirk on his face from last night. The young mage closed her eye, and went back to chanting her rituals in her head when she heard him speak up again. "If I were to take off your chains, would you answer one question?", Vortigern asked. Seraphinas eyes now opened in shock due to his sudden and quite unexpected question.
Mercia, who had been in charge of keeping the mage in check instantly spoke up from his place at the front of the carriage, "My lord do you really think that is the best course of action? Letting the mage girl free?". Vortigern only dismissed him, sending a gentle wave in his direction, "She has yet to kill me, even outside of those iron chains." Seraphina looked back and forth between the two men, a skeptical gleam in her rare multicolored eyes. "So, mage, will you do it? If I unlock your chains, would you speak your answer to my question?", the dark haired man repeated in a quieter voice .
With a gentle nod, she made eye contact back again with her captor. "Excellent." , Vortigern said with an almost genuine smile upon his pristine face. Mercia huffed in disapproval as he willingly gave the chain keys to his King. Kneeling in front of Seraphina, Vortigern willingly granted the mage freedom of her hands. "There. Much better now to have a little freedom. ", he spoke with the same smile on his face. Rubbing her wrists to sooth the aches of wearing heavy chains for many hours, Seraphina looked back to the King. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she spoke, but again it was not her voice, but it was Mercia's.
"What is your question?", she asked using the body of the King's most loyal guard. " Remember, you only get one ." Mercias voice said. "Why do you not cower before me? I have you in chains, I ordered the slaughter of your entire village, yet you simply sit. As if you were unbothered. ", King Vortigern asked, now sitting back in his spot, across from the woman. "Complicated question. Maybe it's simply because I have no reason to fear you." Seraphina spoke, still using Mercia's body to do her bidding. "No reasons to fear me? How would you not after the things I've done to your people? ", Vortigern asked in disbelief, almost chuckling at the young lass.
Seraphina simply smiled a quite devious smile, now holding up one finger, as Mercia could be heard in the front of the long carriage shocked at what just happened to him .
The look on King Vortigern's face was certainly not a pleased one.
Needless to say, those chains were shortly back on her.
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As the King and his men arrived back to the capital city of Camelot, there were shouts of happiness from the citizens, knowing their ruler had returned unharmed and having slaughtered the last of the "horrid" mages. Vortigern stepped out from his carriage only to be greeted by the happy shouts of his name. Not paying any regard to the woman four guards were pulling out of the carriage as well. At the doors of his castle stood his darling daughter, Princess Catia, and her lovely maid Maggie. Along with other royal figures and guards.
"Father! I am so happy you've come home , and unharmed at that." , Catia quickly stepped down the stairs to meet her father in a loving embrace, a full smile on her face. "I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly my darling girl, luckily it was not for long this time.", Vortigern said sweetly to his daughter, the only person he truly cared about anymore. Just as Catia was going to speak she looked behind her father, noticing the young mage woman in chains and surrounded by her father's guards.
"Father, who is that? Why is she in chains?", Catia asked naively and quite concerned for the young woman who only looked towards the ground. "She is just a prisoner dear, someone I must keep locked away for now." , The king answered his child, making her look at him instead of the mage. "Alright father… but is she a mage?", Catia asked again in an even quieter tone, as if she were afraid to utter the word too loud. With a quick nod Vortigern answered his curious daughter's question, "Yes, yes she is but you must not share that with anyone. Understand?", he spoke in a now more firm tone. "Yes father. I promise." Catia said, the same sweet and naive smile returning to her face.
As the king and his daughter walked up the steps to the royal palace, the guards holding young Seraphina followed behind, the mages head now looking about, trying to mentally map out the castle of Camelot. "Take her to the cell close to my room, for special prisoners . ", Vortigern Spoke to the men behind him , not even looking back towards them or at Seraphina. The guards all spoke out a loud 'yes sir', and headed towards a set of stairs that seemed to be often used. Not even turning her head, she spotted the dark King speaking sweetly, smiling and laughing with his daughter. Before Vortigern could catch her watching him, she looked back towards the nicely lit up corridor she would be led down, head held high .
The guards opened a heavy iron clad door, after unlocking her foot chains and the chains around her hands, they pushed Seraphina into the room , shutting the door quite harshly as she looked around the small cell. There was a ledge that she supposed was her bed, just above it was a small window that had iron bars blocking her from leaving the horrid cell. Though not like she would want to leave that way, seeing that her cell was at least 4 stories high, if not more. Huffing out a short breath she made her way over to the small, stone ledge. She laid on her side, back facing the iron door, as she slowly began to drift off .
The last thing she saw before her eyes fully shut, was a hawk just a few feet from the window, flying free in the sun's beautiful light.
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After what felt like an eternity later, she heard banging on the iron door of her cell, a deep voice shouting "Dinner time, maggot!" As he harshly slid a tray of bread and water into the cell. Rising from her cold stone bed, Seraphina walked to pick up the now half spilled water, and caked in dust and dirt, piece of bread. Simply blowing some of the dust off of the bread, she ate it slowly, occasionally sipping on the small amount of water she had . She sat in the beam of light coming from her cell window, its warmth comforting as the sun set on the peaceful city of Camelot. Halfway through eating her supposed 'dinner', a soft yet firm knock came from the door.
Seraphina's brows furrowed, but she did not speak as it continued. "I was sent to give you these, mage. ", said a small voice, she recognized it to be the voice of the princess' maid. She opened the small flap that her food had only just come through, where the maid's hand held out a white under-dress, with a grey top dress to cover it . Slowly and carefully, Seraphina went to grab the dress. Once she had, the maid spoke again, "I'm Maggie, just so you know. The King wishes for you to put those on. He told me not to speak to you, but I thought I'd at least introduce myself. "
Seraphina, delicately grabbed Maggie's hand, shaking it as if to also introduce herself, but she did not speak. On the other side of the door, the maid girl smiled and laughed, not completely understanding why she didn't speak. "Well I best be off, before one of the Blacklegs catches me talking to you. Goodnight, mage. " , Maggie said before they both retracted their hands as the iron flap closed with a thud. Seraphina listened as the maids footsteps drew away from her cell, getting quieter the further she went until there was nothing but silence.
Seraphina placed the clothes Maggie had just given her onto the ledge which was mostly clean after her napping upon it. The young mage finished eating the rest of her food before she even looked at the dress. Once finally finishing off her water, she stood up and held the dress up towards the light of the sun which had slowly dwindled in the passing minutes. It was very simple looking, nicer than most of her clothes that she had at home, but it appeared like a maids dress. Seraphina quickly took off her dirty dress that had once not been stained with the blood of her friends, or the blood of her enemies. It had once been a beautiful bright yellow dress, with intricate handmade embroidery on the bottom of the skirt.
She threw on the pristine white under-dress, trying her hardest to tie it up in the back, then on went the silver grey dress, which luckily for her corseted on the front of her body. She laced it up tightly so it wouldn't fall and fixed the sleeves to fit more comfortably on her raw wrists from the chains she had only been wearing a few hours earlier. Covering the wounds would be easy in this dress, the sleeves hung just a little past her wrists. Running her fingers through her hair, Seraphina let out a sigh. One that relieved some of the pressure building in her from not only stress, but sadness.
In the mage village, Seraphina was well known as one of the strongest mages. She was kind and stern to everyone, teaching young mages their first spells and rituals. She was seen as her people's protector, and she had failed.
She knew the screams would forever haunt her soul .
What the mage didn't know, was why King Vortigern wanted her? Why would he capture a mage when his only wish was to eradicate all of the mages in his kingdom? She truly didn't know or understand why.
She would be getting her answer in due time.
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As the moon finally rose above the now sleeping city of Camelot , Seraphina took in a deep breath and basked in the glow of the moon. The smallest smile appearing on her face as she sat on the ledge, her back sitting against the wall as the moonlight passed right over her face. Enhancing the beauty of her two different colored eyes, making them again appear as if they glowed. Inhaling deeply, she shut her eyes and focused on the feeling of her surroundings . Suddenly, in her mind she could see another room.
The room was lit up by many torches, a man leaning on his desk looking at stacks of parchment. It was King Vortigern she was seeing in her minds eye, she recognized his furrowed brows and almost scowl like expression. Curiously, she appeared out of sight, as a ghostly figure, glowing in the moonlight.
She was not really there, still stuck in her cell but she could get a better view of what was going on in the king's room, more importantly, what was going on in his head. Focusing more, she peered into Vortigern's head to figure out what made him so upset.
She saw flashes of a woman in a regal emerald green dress, a crown atop her head of dark hair, which had been braided into an intricate pattern. It was his wife. Seraphina peered more into the memories of this woman that he had and saw through his eyes, him stabbing his own wife and giving her to sirens. Dark mages who gave such evil power for too high a price.
She saw his skin grow dark, grew with flames surrounding him, as he walked away from the sirens who now feasted on the body of his dear wife.
Seraphina gasped in shock.
Vortigern then looked up, startled at the sound, wiping the tears off his face and looking around to find where the gasp came from. Seraphina disappeared, though she still saw her captor in her mind's eye. She could see the tears that had escaped his dark eyes, and somewhere deep down inside her…
she had felt sadness for the man.
Back in her stone in Iron cell, Seraphina opened her eyes to see her surroundings. She felt something hot on her face. Raising her hand, she felt tears falling down her spotted cheeks, ' Crying… I'm crying for him. How quaint.', the mage thought to herself. ' Crying for the man who's killed hundreds, including his own wife and brother. How could I cry over a monster like him?', as Seraphina began to lose consciousness again, she thought that perhaps she could help him.
Who was she kidding? There was no way for her to fix a man so dragon-like, and she swore to herself she wouldn't dare attempt such a thing.
She wouldn't help that man no matter how much her heart screamed at her too.