Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape and minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.
As always, a huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyannaand @captainodonoghue! You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
Trigger warning: This chapter contains mentions of rape
"So you went to Dumnonia to check on the blood magic?" Emma clarified.
She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and a frown on her face as she tried to take in the new information she was offered.
"Yes," Regina confirmed. "There was something off about the story. I was right."
Emma turned to Killian.
"So, your mother killed all those people?"
He gave her a short nod, still focussing on a point on the ground somewhere behind her. His face was grim and he was clutching his jaw.
"Why?" she asked, knowing that it wasn't a great question to ask. But she didn't know what else to say.
"Apparently she was protecting me," he muttered.
Emma raised an eyebrow. "From whom?"
"Morgause."
She nodded. So Morgause was the ulterior enemy. She just exploited Morgana's love for her children to control her.
She looked at Killian. How did he feel about this? Clearly, he was upset.
Before she had the chance to say anything else, Nimue burst into the room. Not looking at everyone else, she stopped before Regina, firmly staring her down. Emma was still amazed at how scary this petite woman was when she was angry.
"How did you get here?" she hissed. "I didn't let you in."
Regina exchanged a look with Emma over Nimue's shoulder.
"I located my son with a spell and poofed here," she said.
"You shouldn't be able to do that. No one can come to Avalon just like that."
She turned away.
"This isn't good," she said, more to herself than to anyone else in the room. "Find your people and bring them to the main hall."
She left the room without waiting for their answer.
Emma looked at Killian and Regina, both as puzzled as she was.
"Was that the Lady of the Lake?" Regina asked.
Emma nodded. "Nimue," she said.
They followed her out into the hallway, knocking on the common room on their way to the main hall. Robin opened the door.
"Regina!" he exclaimed, jumping to her side and pulling her in for a hug. "Are you alright? Where have you been?"
Emma turned away to give them some privacy, quickly telling her parents what was going on.
Nimue waited for them, seated at the head of the table, as always. When they had all gathered, she started talking.
"The protection spell around Avalon is weakened. Morgause must've brought it down. As of now, anyone with a boat could enter."
"Can we put it back up?" Emma asked. "There's enough people with magic here, if we work together..."
Nimue shook her head. "It won't work. Besides, I used much of my magic to prepare a spell that could ban Morgause from setting foot here. Not that it will be of much use now. But I need time to recharge."
"Who could come here?" Snow asked. "I mean, Morgause is the biggest problem and she can come here anyway."
"Anyone could be a threat," Nimue stated. "Avalon is meant to be a private refuge, not a tactical base for a war."
She shot them a reproachful look.
"If Morgause brought it down, she has a plan. An ally she wants to bring here, maybe."
"Rumple?" Belle asked quietly.
"No. The Dark One was here before, he doesn't need an invitation."
"Should we prepare ourselves for battle?" David asked.
Nimue's head jerked around as if she was listening to a sound no one else could hear.
"It's too late," she said. "Someone is already here, I can feel it."
There was a knock on the door. Nimue got up, carefully opening it. They all tensed and prepared themselves to fight, if necessary.
"I am here on behalf of the king," a deep voice announced. Emma recognized Sir Gawain. "This place has been declared ungodly and unlawful. We are under orders to destroy it."
Emma managed to peek through the tiny gap that Nimue had opened. Her stomach clenched when she saw the army outside the door. Did Arthur send all his men here?
"You have two hours to discuss your surrender," Gawain continued. "Then we will take you with us to the castle and you will receive a fair trial. Otherwise, we will take the house with force."
Nimue closed the door without giving him an answer. She turned around, looking pale and unusually intimidated.
"How many are there?" David asked quietly. "Can we defeat them?"
Nimue shook her head. "Too many."
"But we have magic!" David protested.
"So what?" Regina asked. "You want to kill them all?"
"Morgause did this," Nimue said. "She sent them here. They wouldn't have known otherwise."
"What does she get out of it?" Emma asked.
"A distraction," Nimue whispered. "Maybe she made a deal with Arthur that she could keep Morgana and Kara."
She listened to the silence for a moment, but nobody said anything. She nodded, as if accepting that there was nothing left to stay, and left the room.
Killian sat alone at the desk in one of the bedrooms, impatiently drumming his fingers on the table. Everyone was in the main hall, discussing their options. He had excused himself and left. He couldn't be in the same room as his mother, not yet. Not after how she'd lied to him.
They had lost. The battle hadn't started yet, but that much was clear. They couldn't win against all these soldiers, and even if they did, they still had to face Morgause and Gold. They'd thought bringing the battle to them would be a good plan, but it wasn't. Now Henry, Kara and the babies were in danger as well.
No one was under any illusions when it came to the fair trial that they were promised. His mother had gotten a so-called fair trial, and it had ended with her and his sister on the pyre. Not to mention that Nimue would never surrender Avalon.
"Are you trying to come up with a battle plan?" someone behind him asked.
He turned his head, surprised to see Nimue standing in the doorframe. She seemed much calmer than before, but he suspected that she had only regained her composure.
"I'm afraid there is not much we can do," she continued. "We cannot leave Avalon. This place is too important."
"They wouldn't let us if we tried," he muttered.
"That wouldn't be a problem," she said almost cheerfully. "There is a secret tunnel in the basement behind the potatoes, no one would see us. No, the main problem is Avalon. It cannot be abandoned under any circumstances. We cannot allow them to destroy it no matter the cost, you must understand that."
Killian frowned. Why was she telling him all this?
"The frustrating thing is that Arthur sits in his castle, all alone. He sent every single guard here to do his dirty work. He won't move a finger. Morgause has really outdone herself this time," she sighed. "I thought she couldn't do more damage than last time, when she stole those two love potions. One for Arthur, to ruin his wedding. It took a powerful and complicated spell to undo that one. I couldn't do that for poor Tristan."
Killian looked up, confused. "Tristan?" he asked.
"Oh yes," Nimue said. "She met him under the name of Iseult when she was supposed to marry King Mark of Misthaven. She slipped him the potion, making him madly in love with her. They found him lying next to her the next morning. Both swore that nothing happened, but the wedding had to be canceled. They couldn't be certain that her maidenhood was still intact. Tristan almost lost his knighthood."
"But the second potion was for my mother," Killian recalled the story Arthur had told him all those years ago, when he'd approached him at his mother's execution, telling him that he was his father.
"Oh no, dear, your mother was never under any sort of spell," Nimue said.
He frowned, trying to wrap his head around this new piece of information. It didn't make any sense.
"But if she wasn't under a spell, why would she sleep with him?" he asked.
"Because he wanted it, of course," Nimue said lightheartedly.
Killian felt his heart drop to his stomach.
"What are you saying?" he asked.
"He's a king, he doesn't ask permission. He takes what he wants."
"No," Killian whispered, feeling the blood drain from his face. "You're lying. That can't be the truth."
"I thought you knew," Nimue said simply.
Killian clenched his fist, feeling blind rage flare up in him. There was no way this could be true. And yet... His mother had never shown any signs of loving Arthur. Or thinking that she did because of a spell.
His nails dug into his flesh, drawing blood. He forcefully opened his fist, reaching for the hilt of the sword he had equipped in case of a battle.
"Arthur...," he whispered, his voice trembling.
He felt something familiar creep up in him, next to the rage. The darkness was always there. No matter how long he'd buried it, he knew it would never leave him alone as long as he lived. And right now, he saw no reason to resist it.
"He has to pay for this," he whispered, walking past Nimue towards the basement.
She didn't try to stop him.
Morgana paced up and down the room, trying to come up with a plan. At the very least, she needed to make sure Killian and Kara were safe. She couldn't risk losing either one of them.
Kara was sitting at the table, head resting on her hands. She blamed herself for suggesting that they waited for Morgause, but it wasn't her fault. Her plan had been good, and no one could'va anticipated this.
She was worried about Killian. He hadn't talked to her after learning her secret. She understood that he was angry, but she needed to make amends with him. She couldn't let this stand between them.
"Killian should be back by now," Emma said. "I'm gonna go look for him."
"I'll come with you," Morgana offered quickly. "You're right, neither of us should be alone right now."
As far as she understood, Emma was Killian's love, although they weren't married. There was also a connection to this Milah, Calie's mother, and she was still confused, but she hadn't asked, deciding that Killian would tell her when he wanted to.
She was happy that Killian had found someone, truly, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel jealous. She had last seen her baby boy at age seven, and now he was all grown up, in the hands of another woman. He didn't need her anymore. Somehow, she felt as if he'd been taken away from her.
She followed Emma down the hallway, looking for him in every room. They didn't get far before the ran into Nimue.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him!" Nimue said as soon as she saw them.
She was looking at Morgana, ignoring Emma.
"Stop who?" she asked.
"Mordred!" Nimue said. "We talked and I mentioned the story of his conception. I shouldn't have, but I thought he knew..."
Morgana felt as if she'd been punched in the gut.
"You did what?" she asked.
"He took off through the secret tunnel, he's going after Arthur," her mother continued.
"Arthur!" Emma exclaimed. "He can't do that! According to the book, Arthur is the one who kills him!"
They looked at each other, eyes blown wide.
"I have to go after him," Morgana whispered.
"You can't," Nimue said. "I put up a spell. I'm sorry, Morgana, but your boy is on his own."
"If you put up a spell, how did he leave?" she snarled angrily, clenching her fists.
Something was very wrong here. Avalon was facing destruction, she wouldn't just casually walk up to Killian to have a chat. She had a plan.
"He doesn't have magic," Nimue said. "He's not crucial to the fight."
"Emma, go back to the main hall," Morgana ordered. "Send someone after him. Someone who doesn't have magic. There is a secret passage in the basement, it should be possible to escape that way. Now."
Emma didn't argue, quickly disappearing down the hallway.
Morgana pushed Nimue into the next room.
"What are you planning?" she hissed, barely containing her anger. "What are you going to do to him?"
"I'm not doing anything," Nimue said innocently.
"Of course you are!" Morgana hissed, anger rising up in her chest. "He's just another pawn in your game of chess, isn't he? Have you decided to sacrifice him now?"
"Morgana, he is my grandson," her mother stated. "Please don't be ridiculous."
"Stop it!" she yelled. "Stop pretending like you care about family! You and I both know you only care about yourself and your precious Avalon."
Nimue looked at her sharply. "You should be careful with your words," she warned her calmly, but Morgana was too far gone to stop.
"Do you want to know why Morgause turned out the way she did? You ruined her. You ruined her, just like you do everyone you touch. You ruined her, you ruined me, and now you're playing games with my son, but I won't let you do that. I won't let you ruin him."
She could feel the magic prickling in her fingers, and she brushed it off angrily.
"You created Morgause for her power, but when she was born, you were so scared that you locked her away! You took away the thing that she was born for. What did you expect? That her powers would just go away? That she would forget about them? No, instead, you have left her wanting for the thing you denied her. You keep talking about your precious trinity, about power, love and wisdom, but you never followed it, and you're the reason neither of us can."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. The prickling in her fingers was more aggressive now, she really needed to take a step back and regain control, but she didn't want to stop. It was all so clear now.
"And Elaine," she said. "Poor Elaine had to die. But who knows, maybe it was good that she did. At least you didn't get to ruin her. It was wise of you to have another child, yes. Morgause was clearly unfit to replace you, and I was married, so I couldn't, either. But where was your wisdom when she needed it? How could you not foresee that Morgause would come after her?"
She felt tears stinging in her eyes as she remembered her sweet sister, lying dead on the ground. She'd found her when visiting her mother for the spring equinox.
"And you?" Nimue asked. She didn't seem angry or upset, which was odd, but Morgana was too far gone to notice. "Tell me what I did to you."
"You left me," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "I was born as a result of your love for Uther, but you never loved me. You gave me up because he asked you to, you let me grow up with a stepmother who hated my guts. You let him marry me off. You didn't even care when Arthur did... what he did."
She swallowed hard, feeling little bursts of magic sprouting from her fingers. She realized that she was about to lose control, but she didn't care.
"Morgause was there for me. It was her fault, but she was by my side when Killian was born, not you. She never intended for things to happen the way they did. She just wanted to ruin Arthur's wedding, she didn't think he would go this far. Can you imagine that? My sister, who killed a little girl out of jealousy, who made this horrible thing happen to me and who now wants me dead apologized to me in tears! I was the only time I ever saw her cry. She nurtured me for almost a month that winter and saved my and Killian's life, she held my hand while my own mother couldn't even be bothered to come to my bed when I almost died in childbirth, because her precious winter solstice ritual was more important!"
She was talking very fast now, but the words wouldn't stop coming out of her mouth. The candles started flickering and she felt something rise up that she hadn't felt since Morgause held that knife to Killian's throat by the gates of Dumnonia all those years ago. And she realized what was about to happen, but she found herself unable to stop it.
"You didn't even care when Arthur sentenced me to death. I don't know how, but you didn't. How is that possible? Please tell me, because I don't understand! My son is dead. Liam died while we were all cursed, and it's killing me! I a, trying to tell myself that he lived long after I last saw him, that he got to grow up and die in honor, but I just... I want him here. I want him here more than I ever wanted anything."
The tears were coming out of her eyes in streams and the light flickered in tact with the violent shudders that went through her body.
"I want to see him, and I just want to protect him from anyone who would harm him. And I want Killian here and not wherever you sent him. I want to know that Kara is safe and not on top of Morgause's ingredient list, how can you not feel these things? How can you use people, even your own family as if they were mere tools for you to get what you want?"
There was no escaping the darkness now. It was everywhere, creeping up inside her and threatening to drown her, pressing down on her from the outside.
"I need to leave! I need to find Killian before he faces Arthur. I need to stop him! Let me go!"
"No," Nimue said simply. "I need you here."
A burst of magic left Morgana's hand as she screamed in rage. It brushed Nimue's cheek, leaving her bleeding from a cut.
She raised her hand to heal it and straightened her shoulders.
"You can do better than that. Come one, I can tell you're close. You know it's the only way."
"I'll kill you," Morgana said, her voice trembling weakly. "You know that, right? You're still weakened from the ritual."
This weeks List #12 is really long, and a little different. It is of course Captain Swan fics that were written or updated last week, 8/20-8/26, but there is now a third section for the @captainswanbigbang fics and their accompanying art work. As usual if I missed something you'd like added let me know. Happy reading! Don't forget to like, reblog and/or comment, show your writers and artists some love ❤️
MCs
A Cold Awakening ch.17 by @swanderful1
We've Got This ch.2 by @sambethe
A Helping Hand ch.9 by @hookedonapirate
Wednesday's Child ch.6 ch.7 by @dani-ellie03
Out of the Frying Pan ch.37 ch.38 by @welllpthisishappening
The Promise ch.3 by @flslp87
Princes and Princesses ch.5 by @artandteaandstuff
The Princess and the Pirate ch.12 by @whimsicallyenchantedrose (complete)
The Honeymoon ch.12 by @whimsicallyenchantedrose (complete!)
So Clear Now ch.13 by @cutieodonoghue
The Art of Remembering ch.9 by @swans-and-pirates
MissMatched.com ch.3 by @lenfaz
Stealing Secrets ch.12 by @itsalostgirlthing
A Once and Future Thing ch.1 by @distant-rose
Alone, Until I Get Home ch.11 by @peglegsjones
The Reason ch.10 by @xemmaloveskillianx
How Lucky Are We ch.14 by @totheendoftheworldortime (complete!)
CSBB
A Wing and A Prayer ch.1 ch.2 by @xhookswenchx
— Gifset by @couldnthandleit
—Art by @hopeandbeans
Not in the Game Plan ch.1 ch.2 by @onthecyberseas
—Cover Art by @cocohook38
Drowning is too Late to Learn ch.1 ch.2 by @accio-ambition
— Banner by @shipsxahoy
—Art by @queen-icicle-fandom
The Long Way Home ch.1 by @pocket-anon
—Art by @waiting-for-autumn
—The Tavern by @giraffes-ride-swordfishes
Wait for the Moonrise ch.1 by @lifeinahole27
— Banner Art by @clockadile
I Thee Wed ch.1 by @justanotherwannabeclassic
—Art by @just-be-magnificent
—Art by @piratesrumforswan
Tripping Over the Blue Line ch.1 ch.2 by @welllpthisishappening
—Cover by @beautiful-swan
This Graceful Path ch.1 by @unfolded73
If the Stars Align ch.1 by @swanslieutenant
—The Musketeer and the Queen by @hook-and-star-ink
—Image set by @acaptainswaneternity
—Image set by @seastarved
To Everything a Season ch.1 by @icecubelotr44
—Video by @ab-normality
—Image set by @optomisticgirl
Nuuk ch.1 by @wellhellotragic
—Banner by @shady-swan-jones
Model Behavior ch.1 by @shippingtheswann
—Art Image set by @acaptainswaneternity
When the Tide Turns ch.1 by @trueloveseyeroll
—Banner by @optomisticgirl
—Art by @theblacksiren
Heathens ch.1 by @mahstatins
—Image set by @seastarved
Assassin’s Creed: Misthaven ch.1 by @delightfully-difficult-pirate
—Cover Art by @cocohook38
—Assassin’s Creed: Misthaven Chibis by @utopiozphere
Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape and minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.
As always, a huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyannaand @captainodonoghue! You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
All the way to Avalon, Emma didn’t say much. Her mind was working relentlessly, trying to understand everything that had happened. Milah was here, alive. Maybe she shouldn’t be surprised. If Morgause could magically make a baby appear that had never been born, why not her mother, as well? It seemed so much more plausible that she’d just brought Milah back and let her give birth to Calie. Of course, that was assuming she knew how to bring back the back. Which she obviously did.
The truth was, she should have expected it. Considered it, at the very least. But she hadn’t, because she hadn’t wanted to believe it. With Calie there, the last thing she’d wanted to think about was the potential of her mother coming back, as well. And now it had happened. How should she deal with it?
She didn’t want to be unfair. She didn’t know what to think of her as a person. She knew she’d abandoned her son, but who was she to judge her without knowing her motives? And Killian had loved her. Christ, he’d spent two hundred years in Neverland for her, which meant that there must be something about her. Emma wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. It’d be easier to just hate her.
Regina, on the other hand, had disappeared without saying a word of where she was going or what she was planning. The queen flying solo shouldn’t surprise her, and she was the last person who should judge someone for a better-by-myself attitude, but she’d hoped that they’d all moved past that secrecy and distrust. Hadn’t they seen, time and time again, that they were all stronger as a team?
Peeling some fruits for dinner, her eyes once again fixed on Milah. They hadn’t talked much, although Rumplestiltskin had made sure to rub her relationship with Killian in Milah’s face. Between their constant bickering, she was surprised that the ex-couple had made it this far without scratching each other’s eyes out. How they had ever gotten married and raised a child together was a mystery to her.
Milah did seem interested in Henry. Emma tried to push away her suspicions towards her. She was his grandmother, after all, and had only recently learned that her son was dead. And Killian trusted her, didn’t he? She surely wouldn’t hurt Henry.
Besides, her son was more interested in Kara anyway. It was obvious that he had a crush on her, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. She felt a weird cocktail of emotions when she watched them together. There was happiness for him, maybe pride and relief that he was getting older and acting like a normal teenager amidst all this madness. But she also had the urge to press him close to her chest and stop him from ever aging, keep him as her little boy forever. And another little part of her wondered how weird this family tree was gonna get if he started seriously dating Killian’s sister.
“What are you going to do about that?”
Emma flinched at the unexpected voice behind her, hand automatically going to her waist, where she normally kept her gun. She spun around.
Gold was standing behind her, leaning on his cane and his eyes fixed on his ex-wife. He often strolled off on his own, saying he couldn’t be around Milah for long. Emma wondered where he went when he wasn’t with them. Was he searching for Regina? She was something like his protégé, after all. At least when they weren’t trying to kill each other.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Gold leaned in closer, briefly pointing at Milah with his cane.
“What do you think will happen when she is reunited with your dear captain and their daughter?”
Emma rolled her eyes. Yes, she’d thought about it many times, but when Gold said it, it just sounded ridiculous.
“She died two hundred years ago. Killian’s over her.”
“Are you really so sure?”
“Yes,” she said through gritted teeth, trying not to let him get to her.
Gold shrugged, sitting down by the fire and warming his hands.
“They haven’t seen each other yet,” he said quietly. “And accidents happen.”
Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
“Are you saying I should kill her? Seriously?”
Gold snorted. “You couldn’t if you tried.” He turned away. “Just forget about this conversation.”
“Forget about it?”
Emma got closer to him, struggling to keep her voice down. “There will be no accident,” she said, trying to sound as threatening as possible. “Understood? Milah is coming with us to Avalon, and if she doesn’t get there, I will make sure everyone knows exactly, why.”
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Gold hissed, and it seemed to be his way of giving in.
She leaned back, watching him with a frown. This wasn’t like him. The idea of killing his ex-wife was exactly what she’d expect, but the sloppiness with which he’d suggested it was very untypical for him.
Now he was quietly staring into the flames, cane lying beside him on the ground. Milah’s appearance must have really thrown him off the track, she thought. She suddenly realized that Killian wasn’t the only one who had loved her a long time ago. How did Gold feel about her now?
She shook her head. This wasn’t her problem. She had enough to worry about at the moment.
Milah came to the fire, dropping a fresh load of dry branches and twigs into it. Her eyes were focused on the task, clearly avoiding to look at Gold or Emma. In the light of the flames her hollow cheeks and paperlike skin became even more apparent.
Emma hadn’t known her before, but it was obvious that these were the tolls of months spent in Morgause’s prison cell. If she was still feeling weak, she didn’t show it, forcefully rubbing her hands to get the dust off them. And if she had overheard their conversation, she didn’t show it, either.
Killian looked around the house. So this was Avalon. He'd heard of it, of course he had. But he'd never been here.
It was somehow a lot less impressive than he'd imagined. Sure, the house made from dark wood was certainly beautiful, and the carvings in the walls showed how old it was, but it was a lot less magical that he'd thought.
There was a big carving on the wall of the dining room, where they were all seated. It was a triple spiral, just like the one his mother wore around her neck.
His gaze shifted to his mother once again. He had still not gotten used to her being there. Maybe he never would. He longed to talk to her, to ask her how she could survive the fire, but he supposed that had to wait.
Nimue had seated them at the table, sitting at the head herself. Her chair was much bigger and fancier than the others’, almost like a throne, but rather than making her tiny body disappear, it made her look taller and stronger. Her face was stern as she listened to their tale, and her fingers were curled around the edges of her chair. She looked like a matriarch if he'd ever seen one.
"So you want my help to defeat Morgause?" she asked, her voice echoing clearly in the hall.
"You are the only person she fears," Morgana said. "We can't beat her without you."
"Morgause is my daughter, too," Nimue said. "I already lost one, and now you want me to kill another?"
"Morgause is the reason you lost the first," Morgana reminded her, a sharp edge to her tone.
Nimue looked at the table, as if the solution was written on the surface.
"Everybody out," she said quietly. She pointed at Killian and his mother. "You can stay."
"But...," David began to protest.
Nimue cut him off coldly. "This is family business. Don't you have children to take care off?"
Morgana turned her head and gave the others an encouraging nod.
"Go, we can handle it."
Slowly, the others got up and left the room, closing the door behind them. Killian listened as their steps disappeared in the distance until he couldn't hear them anymore.
Nimue patted the seat to her left, opposite Morgana.
"Come here, Mordred. Let us all sit closer together."
He ignored the repeated use of his middle name and walked around the table, sitting down opposite his mother.
"Morgause killed Elaine," Morgana said, picking up right where she stopped. "She was just a child."
"I know," Nimue snapped. "You don't have to remind me."
"How can you protect her?"
"I am not protecting her," she said. "I am doing my duty. I am staying out of mundane affairs. I am protecting Avalon. It is not my job to run after children who have gone astray."
"Calie is your family," Killian said, unable to contain himself. His mother shot him a warning look. "You sent me a dream the night we found her. You told me to be careful. And you asked for my help to save Avalon."
Morgana's eyes widened as she listened, and she turned to look at her mother, expecting an explanation.
"This matters to you, and it concerns you. So help us."
Nimue looked at him coolly. "You are in no position to give me orders, Mordred."
"It's Killian," he corrected her through gritted teeth.
"A weak, mortal name," she scoffed. "Without doubt chosen by your father. Mordred is a name with a long tradition in our family."
"My name is Killian," he repeated adamantly. "So stop calling me Mordred."
Nimue didn't respond, but he saw her nostrils flaring. He didn't care if she was angry at him, her behavior drove him mad. She warned him. She came to him, and now she pretended like it didn't concern her?
"She is a le Fay," Morgana added. Don't pretend like you don't care about that."
"She is the child of a male le Fay," her mother corrected her. "She won't have magic."
"She might. Her mother does, I could feel it. It might be enough to channel it."
Nimue seemed intrigued, but Killian was confused.
"Calie's mother didn't have magic."
Morgana frowned. "I thought... the blonde..."
He shook his head. "Emma has magic, but she's not Calie's mother. It's a long story. And it doesn't matter."
He turned back to Nimue. "She is your great-granddaughter. If you care so much about family, you're going to save her, whether she has magic or not."
"I am bound to Avalon," Nimue said, and it was clear that her word was final. "I can provide you with knowledge. By doing so, I am already meddling more than I intended. But I will not leave Avalon to go to war against my daughter."
Killian wanted to say something, but his mother slightly shook her head, gesturing him to keep quiet. They'd lost.
"What about Kara?" Morgana asked. "Is she here?"
"She's alive?" Killian and Nimue asked simultaneously.
"Yes, of course. We survived together. I told her to go to Avalon!"
Morgana's eyes filled with worry.
"She didn't turn up here. Are you sure she's alive?"
"I saw her not long before the curse hit," Morgana said. "She must be."
Nimue seemed displeased.
"That is unfortunate."
"Excuse me?"
Morgana's voice was shrill. She swallowed and continued, trying to stay calm. "Why is it unfortunate that she is alive? She is my daughter!"
"Exactly," Nimue hissed. "If I'd known... it explains why Morgause took your daughter, M... Killian. This is her plan."
"What is her plan?" he asked, just as confused as his mother.
Nimue sighed. "The three-generation-spell. If you sacrifice three family members from different generations, in this case your mother, your sister and your daughter, you can absorb their power. If she succeeds, she will be able to beat me with ease."
Morgana rose from the table. "I have to go find Kara."
Nimue quickly got to her feet. "You stay here!" she thundered. "Your sister already has the babe, and we must assume she has your daughter, as well. If she gets you, we lose."
"Kara is my daughter!" Morgana yelled. "I have to find her, I can't leave her with Morgause..."
"As long as you are here, your daughter will be safe," Nimue said calmly. "She needs to keep her alive for the ritual, and she can't perform it without you."
"Just because she's alive it doesn't mean she's safe," Morgana whispered, tears in her eyes. "Who knows what Morgause is doing to her and Calie! Are you still not willing to help us?"
"As I said, I will assist you with my knowledge, but I cannot leave Avalon. Especially now that we know what she's after. And you, my child, must stay close to me. You will not leave, either."
Not allowing another word of protest, she left the room, leaving Killian alone with his mother for the first time in centuries.
Morgana hugged her body, looking at the floor. Killian watched her, internally conflicted.
He knew they both had children to worry about, and this was not the time for storytelling. But he had so much he wanted to talk about, or ask her.
He cleared his throat. "Mother?"
She turned around, wiping a tear of her cheek, and smiled at him.
"Killian. I didn't even get the chance to properly look at you."
She took his face in her hands, giving him the chance to study her face, as well.
In most cases, the first thing children knew about the world was their mother's face. It was a source of comfort, and something the never forgot. He had certainly never forgotten her, even though he'd lost her at a young age. But his childhood memory had become blurry over the years, and she looked slightly different than she had in his mind, for all those years. She looked a little older and a little more tired. She was definitely a lot shorter than he'd thought. As a child, she'd towered so high above him, and now she barely reached his chin. But the one thing that hadn't changed were her emerald eyes.
She smiled at him. "You're so tall."
Her eyes fell to his prosthetic hand. She grabbed it, holding it up.
"What happened to your hand?" she asked with concern.
"It's an old injury," he said, waving it off. "I picked a fight with the Dark One."
"The Dark One?" she asked. "And you're still alive?"
He shrugged, examining his good hand. "I have been known to survive difficult circumstances."
He could see her face fall when she spotted the ring on his index finger.
"What about Liam?" she whispered, dreading the answer.
"He... wasn't as fortunate," Killian said hoarsely, unable to look at her.
"How did it happen?"
"He, uh... he was a hero. A good man, so much better than me. Good captain. And he always saw the best in others. But the king who's navy we served in wasn't a good man. He sent us to find a wondrous cure, but when we arrived we were told it was deadly poison. He didn't intend to cure the wounded, he only cared about winning the war. Liam wouldn't believe it, and we got into a fight. He wanted to prove... I shouldn't have goaded him into it..."
He swallowed, his brother's death suddenly vivid before his inner eye. His mother was alive, his sister as well. Liam should be here celebrating with them.
"It's not your fault," Morgana whispered, pulling him in and hugging him tightly.
He could hear her quietly crying as she gently caressed his back, and breathing in her smell, he felt a tear run down his cheek as well. It really should be Liam who found her here, not him. He’d always been the better son, the better captain, and ultimately the better person.
He felt shame rise up in his chest as he remembered all the things his mother didn’t know yet.
When she looked at him, she saw her little boy, all grown up and a little rough on the edge. In so many other people, the same face inflicted fear. His mother didn’t know about all the crimes he’d committed and the lives he’d taken. What would she say when she found out?
“What did you do afterwards?" Morgana asked, as if she’d read his mind, stretching to rest her chin on his shoulders. He could still hear the tears in her voice. "Did you become captain after him?"
"Yes," Killian whispered, his heart pounding fast. "But... I didn't serve the king anymore."
"Of course not," she said. "Did you join a different navy or help bring him down?"
"I didn't serve any king," he said, swallowing hard and looking at the wall behind her. "I sailed under the crimson flag."
"Oh." Morgause pulled away a little to look at him, but he avoided her gaze.
He sat down at the table again, and she followed his lead, listening to his story.
"I wanted vengeance. I thought I could make the king pay by taking his money and sinking his ships. But after a while I really started to enjoy the freedom that came with being a pirate captain. I started to explore different sees. I met a woman, Milah, and fell in love. She's Calie's mother. We sailed the world together."
A smile ghosted over his face as he remembered those times.
"But the Dark One found us. He was her ex-husband, and he wasn't happy that she'd rather be with me than him. He killed her, and took my hand."
Morgana nodded, reaching for his prosthesis again.
"What about the blond woman?" she asked.
Killian smiled again. "Emma. After Milah's death I spent two hundred years lusting for revenge. I filled my heart with darkness, I... I did some truly horrible things. Emma made me want to be a better person. She saved me from the darkness."
Morgana smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you found someone like that." She picked up his good hand and kissed it. "You've been through so much...I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
"It's not your fault," he insisted, leaning forward. "It's Arthur's, and Morgause's. She forced you to use magic, and he sentenced you to death." He hesitated. "How did you survive?"
"It was a magic trick. Merlin's trick," she said. “As soon as they lit the pyre on fire, we disappeared. But it looked like we were there for everyone watching."
"It seemed very real," he whispered, shuddering.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that. I tried to come after you, but you'd already left Camelot, and I had to hide from Morgause. And then Merlin cast the curse."
Killian frowned. "Merlin cast it?"
"Yes. He was a very powerful magician. But even he had his limits. That curse cost him his life. He stopped time completely. He said that one day you would return, and then the curse would break."
Killian raised his eyebrows. "I broke the curse?" he asked surprised.
"You did. Merlin said that when you came back, we'd be able to defeat Morgause."
"So... I am supposed to defeat her?" he asked.
"No," Morgana said sharply. "Make no mistake, Killian. Morgause is a very dangerous woman, and the future a tricky thing. He specifically said we could defeat her when you came back, not that you would do it. It's about timing." She looked at him sternly. "Don't do anything rash."
He nodded, not looking her in the eye. His mother's words sounded reasonable, but he also knew that he would seize every chance he got to save Calie.
"How do Emma and the other's get to Avalon?" he asked to change the topic. "You could bring us here because you got Nimue's permission long ago. What about them?"
Morgana nodded, leading him to the front door of the house. She pointed at the big mirror on the wall.
"This shows the entrance to Avalon, the place where The Dark One will bring them. Once we see them there, we can open the passage for them."
She waved her hand to reveal the shore of the lake through which they had entered Avalon.
The others were already there. And they weren't alone.
"Bloody hell," he whispered as he watched Morgause throw a fireball at Emma.
She ducked, quickly countering with her own magic, but Morgause easily dodged the attack.
"She found them," Morgana said. Suddenly, she pointed at a spot behind Emma.
Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape and minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.
As always, a huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyanna and @captainodonoghue! You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
@thisisartyanna has actually made an amazing artwork for this chapter, you can find it here!
Killian looked around the ballroom. Ironic, that he of all people should find himself here. In a fancy, candlelit hall in the heart of Camelot, dressed like a nobleman. He remembered the last time he'd been to a ball. It had been in the past, with Emma. David's engagement ball. Emma's first ball. He looked at her now, standing next to her parents, dressed in a simple yet stunning white dress. Her hair was braided around her head, and there was a flower tucked between her blond strands. Clearly her mother's work.
His eyes scanned the room for Elaine. They had agreed not to do anything at the ball with the entire courtroom watching, but he wanted to make sure she didn’t escape him again. He found her on the dance floor, engaged in a waltz with one of the knights. Her purple dress almost brushed the floor, but she never stumbled. He watched her for a few minutes, trying to get more hints. What was going through her head? Was she thinking about where she kept Calie? Was she silently triumphing, or was she worried knowing he’d seen through her mask?
According to the crocodile, there was a chance that the diamonds only stopped the direct use of magic. Magical objects that had been enchanted before could still work. A cloaking spell hidden in a piece of jewelry, for example, could hide her real face. The only jewelry he could see was the silver necklace with the triple spiral, the pendant yet again hidden under her dress. He remembered his mother wearing it. It had meant a lot to her, she’d always said it reminded her of her roots.
Killian clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to keep himself in check. Who was with Calie at this very moment? Considering how often he saw Elaine around the castle, she couldn’t be with her enough. Maybe she had someone else look after her? He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.
"What are you doing?" he heard a voice behind him. He didn't need to turn around to recognize it was Emma's.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stab her in the middle of the ballroom", he muttered. "Just making sure she doesn't go anywhere."
"We can't know for sure that it's her." There was a warning tone in Emma's voice. "I know you want to find her, so do I, but let's not rush into things! What if we're wrong?"
"Who else could she be?" he hissed. “She knew my real name. She has magic. She is wearing my mother’s necklace."
"Are you sure it’s hers?" Emma asked, gently touching his arm. “It could just look the same. It could be a coincidence.”
“And my name?” He decidedly shook his head. "It must be her. I know it."
“You won’t find anything at a ball, Killian,” she whispered. “With so many people around, she’s gonna be extra careful.”
He sighed. "You're right, love."
She gently put her hand on his arm, sliding it up to his shoulder. It was a simple gesture, on that was almost second nature to them, but he realized it hadn't been like this since they arrived in Camelot. After their fight, and with all the worry about his daughter, being close to Emma had almost become a rarity.
"If we're not going to play detective, we might as well act according to the occasion," he said with a smile. He took her hand in his, kissing it in old gentleman fashion.
"Emma Swan, may I have this dance?"
After a moment, she smiled. "If you must."
He led her on the dance floor, the other couples making space for them. There were certain perks to passing as a royal, he figured, trying to ban Morgause from his mind. He’d been so focused on her that he’d distanced himself from Emma. She was right, there was nothing he could do at the ball. He wasn’t betraying Calie if he enjoyed his moment. He wasn’t about to lose what he had with Emma because of some sadistic witch.
Emma put one hand on his shoulder and grasped his prosthetic with her other. He slid his good arm around her waist, and they started moving to the rhythm. It took her a while to get back into it, but as he’d already told her last time, she was a natural.
“Your royal blood is starting to show,” he teased as he watched her spin in front of him.
“Shut up,” she scoffed, failing to suppress her grin.
“I am fairly certain a princess is not supposed to use such strong language.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you are one to talk.”
He pulled her closer, bringing his lips to her ear. “I’m a bloody sailor, love. It’s expected of me.”
She chuckled, wrapping her arms around him and slowly swaying to the music. “Pirate.”
“Always,” he grinned, sighing as he buried his nose in her hair.
Holding her felt so good. He hadn’t realized how desperately he yearned for somebody to lean on. With Calie gone, his mind seemed scattered, his body restless. Emma was pulling him back together again, and helping him calm down.
“I’m tired of fighting,” he whispered, his fingers gently caressing the small of her back.
“Me, too,” she answered, pulling away to look at his face. “I’m sorry for what I said.”
“So am I. You would never hurt Calie, or me.”
She smiled and pulled him closer for a kiss. He relaxed, as a huge weight lifted from his heart. Fighting with Emma had drained him more than he thought. But when she tried to deepen the kiss, he gently stopped her.
“This isn’t your world, love. We shouldn’t be doing this in public, even less in a royal ballroom.”
“Yeah, I know. This is basically porn for them.”
He raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What’s porn?”
Emma sighed. “Not here, not now. And don’t ask my parents about it, I don’t want to have to explain how it came up. Come on, let’s join the others.”
Still confused, he followed her through the crowd, trying to find the rest of their allies. How her world could have so many unfamiliar words even though they spoke the same language, he would never understand.
“They will all be fine,” Robin said, clearly trying to calm down the others.
“What’s going on?” Emma asked as they joined the group. As soon as they came to a halt, Killian slid an arm around her, enjoying the fact that he could do that again.
“I don’t feel good leaving Neal alone with a stranger,” Snow said, arms hugging her body. “What if he gets scared? That nanny won’t call for us.”
“It’s just for one night,” Emma assured her. “He’s gone that long without you before.”
“Yes, with you, or Granny, or someone else we trust!”
“And we were always one phone call away,” David added.
“Rose is too young to be away from her parents,” Belle said, biting her lip.
Tell that to Calie, Killian thought, but he could just about stop himself from saying it out loud. He understood their worry. He, himself, had thought questions like these were vital for Calie’s development only a week ago. If he let her out of his sight for too long, he’d been sure she’d grow up resenting him for it. Now, the questions he asked himself were more along the lines of Is she alive? Is she starving or freezing? Will I ever see her again?
“I hope she remembers to check in on Henry,” Regina said, pacing up and down. “He wouldn’t miss something like this for the world. If he says he can’t go to a royal ball, he’s seriously sick!”
“He’s a teenager,” Emma reminded her. And he’ll be fine.”
Suddenly, there was a violent tremor in the earth. They all grabbed each other’s arms to keep their balance, blending out the terrified screams from the other guests.
“What is this?” David asked. “An earthquake?”
Just as soon as it had started, it was over. The people were still frightened, looking around for loved ones. Thankfully, none of the prized chandeliers had fallen from the ceiling.
“No,” Rumplestiltskin snarled. He lifted his cane from the ground, carefully putting weight on his crippled foot. “Magic.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” a woman shouted, drawing several hundred eyes to herself.
“Morgause,” Killian whispered, recognizing her immediately.
He felt the blood fade from his face. He instantly searched the room with his eyes, looking for Lady Elaine. She was nowhere to be seen. He knew it.
“I am terribly sorry for that little earthquake, it was not easy to disable the crystal. But I can happily assure you that magic now roams free in this castle.”
The first one to speak was Arthur. He, too, was very pale. “Begone, demon!” he yelled, surrounded by his knights.
Killian frowned as he suddenly saw the hint of a purple dress behind him. Elaine? Was she not Morgause after all?
Now she stepped forward, and he could see that it was really her. But if she wasn’t Morgause, who was she?
“Killian!” Morgause shouted, quickly approaching him. “It is so good to finally see you again, annwyl. You have grown up. And how handsome you are! When was the last time I saw you? Was it that time you begged me not to hurt your mommy?”
She raised her hand, and suddenly his throat tightened. He couldn’t breathe and started gasping for air.
“Leave him alone!” Emma yelled, trying to push the air, but Morgause waved her hand and paralyzed her along with the others.
“I thought we’d been through that, little savior. You can’t beat me.”
The black spots in Killian’s vision got bigger, and his knees gave out beneath him. His hand was at his throat, frantically trying to push away the magical fingers blocking his windpipe.
“Are you going to kill him?” he hear Rumplestiltskin ask. He didn’t seem worried, just curious.
Why wasn’t he frozen like the others? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was oxygen, or his lack thereof. He gasped like a fish, barely clinging to consciousness.
“No, that would be boring. I’m counting on his mommy to save him.”
Suddenly the weight around his throat disappeared, and cold, fresh, wonderful air filled his lungs. He greedily inhaled it, his throat on fire, barely processing what was going on. There was a fireball in front of him. He should probably move, since it was coming closer, but the air was so wonderful he couldn’t think of anything else.
Then there was a purple flash before his eyes, and someone was standing there, shielding him. He blinking, finally slowing his breathing and with it, his thoughts. Shakily, he got back on his feet.
Lady Elaine was standing right in front of him, and she had her arms crossed above her head, a protective gloom surrounding her.
“There you are,” Morgause said with a smile. “But you are still hiding. Show me your face. I haven’t seen you in two hundred years!”
Elaine’s hand clasped around the triple spiral pendant. She yanked at it, and suddenly her features changed. Her red hair turned dark, and he couldn’t see her face from where he was standing, but he knew what it looked like. It was impossible for her to be here, and yet, she was.
“Mother,” he whispered.
Morgana looked over her shoulder, their eyes meeting. He stared at her blankly, mind racing, trying to make sense of what was happening. She had magic, she wore her necklace, and she knew his name. Of course these things wouldn’t only be true for Morgause, but also for his mother. But he hadn’t thought it possible, because he’d been convinced she was dead.
She was dead. He’d seen it. He’d been a child back then, but this moment had burned itself into his memory. He remembered the crowd gathering around the pyre and watching, cheering as the guards lit it on fire. Just before his father and brother made him look away, his eyes found his mother's. Then there was nothing but the darkness of his father’s clothes, which he pressed his face into. But he could still hear her scream, a sound more terrifying than anything else he’d ever heard again. He remembered the smell of burning flesh, cruelly reminding him of grilled pork.
Killian closed his eyes, shaking off unbidden memories. How could she be here? If she was alive, was Kara, too?
“It’s so good to see you, sister,” Morgause said with a grin. “It’s been a while.”
“Leave,” Morgana answered. “You cannot win this fight.”
The sister started circling each other like in a dance that both knew by heart.
“You and I both know that I am far more powerful than you,” Morgause scoffed.
“But you are alone,” Morgana hissed back, flicking her wrist and unfreezing everyone. “And you have a plan. I know you do. You can’t risk it to fail, not yet.”
Morgause seemed to consider her options, letting her gaze wander over everyone.
Morgana’s interference seemed to have weakened her sister’s spell. Emma shook it off and stepped forward, her hand glowing with magic. “Where are you keeping Calie?” she demanded.
Regina clicked her fingers, producing a flame.
Morgause looked back at her sister and smiled. “I got what I needed.”
Without saying another word, she disappeared, leaving behind chaos.
The other guests awakened from the shock they had been in.
“Demon!” someone yelled. “She has come back from the dead to haunt us!”
A wave of panic rolled through the crowd and they tried to run away, making the sign of the cross.
Arthur emerged from the mob, making his way to them. He looked mortified, and Killian wondered if it was because of the magic or because he was worried about his reputation as a host.
The king stared at him, and it suddenly hit Killian that he must recognize him. He slightly opened his mouth, unsure of how he should act. Every instinct screamed at him to run away.
“We should go,” Morgana said as Arthur’s knights approached them quickly, hoping to catch the witch. “Everybody hold hands!”
Before the king’s men could reach them, they had disappeared into thin air.
They reappeared in a small forest, no one else around them. Emma quickly scanned heir surroundings.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Far from the castle,” Morgana assured her.
“Mother,” Killian said, embracing her.
She responded by holding him tightly, hand stroking his hair. Emma could hear her quietly talking to him.
“My son,” she whispered. “My baby boy. Look at you, all grown up!”
She felt like an intruder in this private moment, but she couldn’t help her curiosity. This was Killian’s mother, after all. He’d never said a word about her before they came here, and now she was actually here. What was she like?
Suddenly she realized that this woman knew him as a child. What had he been like?
“How can you be here?” Killian asked, his voice breaking. He released her to look at her face. Despite everything that was going on, he looked truly happy.
Morgana smiled, caressing his cheek. “It’s a long story, one that we better save for another day.”
She seemed to want to say something else, but she didn’t get the chance.
“Our children are still at the castle!” Belle called.
Morgana looked at her, suddenly alarmed. “Are they in your chambers?”
When everyone nodded, she reached out her hands for Belle and Snow. A moment later they were gone.
Emma looked at Killian.
“So, your mom, huh?” she asked, unable to think of anything better to say.
He nodded silently, still staring at the spot where she had last stood.
“She was there the whole time,” David said. “She was Lady Elaine, and none of us knew!”
“How could you have?” Killian snorted. “You never knew her. I should have known. I took her for Morgause.”
“You couldn’t have known, either,” Emma said, trying to calm him down.
Suddenly Morgana and the others reappeared, Snow and Belle both holding their children.
“Henry’s gone,” Snow said immediately.
“What?” Emma and Regina blurted out immediately.
“He’s not in his chamber. The maid didn’t see him go.”
“What if Arthur took him hostage?” Emma whispered horrified.
Belle shook her head. “He didn’t have enough time for that. The maid didn’t even know what happened in the ballroom. We teleported outside the room, she didn’t see us using magic. She has no reason to lie to us.”
“Then where the hell is he?” Regina asked. No one knew the answer.
Henry looked at the cave in front of him and then back to Kara.
“Is this it?” he asked.
She nodded, eyes focused on the darkness within.
“The spell in there detects magic,” she explained. “It’s why I can’t go in. She’d know immediately.”
“But I can?” Henry clarified.
She hesitated, meeting his eyes for a split second.
“You should be able to. Look, you don’t have to…”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “I’ll be quick.”
Everyone thought he was a child, too young to be let in on their plans or even go to a stupid royal ball. He’d prove them wrong, once and for all.
Kara smiled. She stepped forward, giving him an awkward, quick hug. “Thanks. Be careful.”
He nodded, trying to look confident. “Careful is my middle name. What’s your mother’s name?”
“Morgana,” she answered. “Morgana le Fay.” Seeing the look he gave her, she added. “She’s Morgause’s sister. But don’t worry, the crazy doesn’t run in the family.”
“Okay,” Henry whispered.
He turned to the cave, heart beating nervously. What the hell was he doing? Deciding that it was too late to turn back, he entered, shivering against the sudden cold. It was dark, and he could barely see anything. He reached for the flashlight he had brought. Yep, he would need it. It was a good thing that it had been in his pocket when they went through the portal. He held onto it, not lighting it yet. He would need it later.
Morgana le Fay. If she was Morgause’s sister, she must surely be powerful. Would she help them fight her? He really hoped so. After all, he was about to save her and reunite her with her daughter.
Henry carefully tiptoed through the darkness. Where was he going? And why was he being quiet anyway? Morgause surely wasn’t here. She must be wherever she was keeping Calie. Where was she keeping Calie? What if she was keeping her here? He wondered if it had been a stupid idea to come here. But there was no turning back now.
He had already brought considerable distance between himself and the entrance, and he could barely see anything. He wouldn’t get far without a light, so he switched it on, covering it with his hand. Something rustled, and he flinched.
“Hello?” a weak voice called. It was a woman, he realized.
He wasn’t sure if he should answer. What if she wasn’t Morgana le Fay? What if someone was listening? He came closer, every muscle tensed, ready to turn around and run at any moment.
“Who’s there?” the voice called again. He was getting closer.
“Are you Morgana le Fay?” he asked, whispering.
He could see her now. She was standing behind the bars of a cell, her dark hair dirty and long. She squeezed her eyes and turned away from the light.
“Why?” she asked hoarsely.
“Don’t worry, I’m here to help you. My name is Henry.”
He pinned the light under his arm and reached under his coat.
“What are you doing here, Henry?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting you out! You are Morgana, right?”
“Yes,” the woman said with a smile. “Yes, I am. How did you find me?”
“I met your daughter, Kara.”
“Really?” Morgana said as she watched him search his pockets. “How is she?”
He grabbed the needles he had stolen from the castle and started picking the lock on her cell.
“She’s fine. But she misses you.” Scrambling with the needles, he tried to remember where to press.
“I miss her, too,” Morgana said. After that, he watched him in silence as he tried to pick the lock, constantly readjusting the light under his arms.
“My mom’s better at this, but she won’t teach me,” he said apologetically. “I learned it from a video on YouTube. It might take a while.”
He cursed quietly when his hands slipped and he almost dropped the flashlight.
“Can you hold it for me?” he asked and she reached through the bars to grab it, frowning at the unfamiliar object.
“Is this a magic tool?”
“No. Well, almost. It’s called electricity. But it doesn’t have anything to do with this world’s magic.”
“You shouldn’t be here”, Morgana suddenly said, nervously stepping from one foot on the other. “That witch locked the cell with magic. You can’t open it, and if she comes back and sees you, you’re in trouble.”
“She won’t! We’ll be gone before she knows it!”
“Is that so?” a cold voice behind him said.
Henry spun around, coming face to face with a woman.
He instantly knew this was Morgause. She looked down on him, smiling coldly.
“Leave him alone!” Morgana begged. “He’s just a child!”
“He should have stayed with his mother!” she hissed, producing a flame.
All Henry could do was close his eyes as she threw it at him, and then – nothing.
He opened his eyes. Morgause seemed just as confused as he was.
“What?” she stared at her hand. She produced another flame, throwing it at him, but it didn’t burn him.
Before she could launch another attack, someone swung at her from behind with a stick. Morgause dodged the attack, quickly grabbing the weapon.
When she turned, the light fell on Kara’s face and Henry’s heart sank,
“Who do we have here?” Morgause snarled, holding her tightly with her left arm and tightening her right hand around Kara’s windpipe, making her gasp.
“Into the cell, now!” the witch hissed. The door swung open behind him.
Henry watched Kara’s face turn dark as she struggled to break free and did as Morgause said.
“Please, don’t hurt her,” he pleaded.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill her today.”
Morgause let go of Kara and shoved her into the cell behind him, locking the door and sealing it with a flick of her wrist. She turned around and stalked away, spinning the keys on her finger for them to see.
“Are you alright?” Henry asked, looking at Kara.
She nodded, feeling her throat with her hands. “Alive,” she confirmed, her voice raspy.
“Morgana,” Henry said, turning to her. “I’m sorry our rescue mission kinda failed, but is there anything you can do to get us all out?”
She looked at him, eyes flicking nervously, her mouth half opened as if she wanted to say something.
“Henry,” Kara suddenly said, looking at her for the first time. “That’s not my mother.”
“What?” Henry asked. “But… I asked you and… why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I really wanted to get out,” the woman said, tears shining in her eyes. She blinked them away angrily. “I wasn’t sure if you’d still help me if I told you the truth. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to get stuck here as well.”
“Then who the bloody hell are you?” Kara hissed angrily as Henry examined the rest of the cell with the flashlight.
He noticed that the wall was covered in markings. Markings that prisoners made to count the days they spent in their cells. There were many. So, so many. One particular marking stood out, being deeper and longer than the other ones.
“My name is Milah,” the woman said.
“Milah?” Henry gasped, surprised. “Calie’s mom?”
“Calie?” Milah frowned. “Who’s Calie.”
“Do you know Killian Jones?” Henry asked, pointing his flashlight at her again.
To his left, he heard Kara suck in her breath.
“Yes,” Milah answered, barely audible. “Do you? Where is he? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. But… you had a kid with him, didn’t you? That’s Calie. Well, Calypso, actually. Calypso Milah. He named her after you.”
“Calie…,” Milah whispered. “She’s fine? She’s with Killian? I thought… the witch…”
“Well… she was with Killian...,” Henry winced. “Morgause kidnapped her a few days ago. That’s why we’re here. To get her back.”
“The witch – Morgause – kidnapped her?” Milah asked incredulously. “That doesn’t make any sense! She had her in the first place!”
“Yeah,” Henry sighed. “That’s weird.”
“So, back to Killian Jones,” Kara threw in, her voice shaking. “He’s my brother.”
Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape and minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.
As always, a huge thank you goes out to my wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyannaand @captainodonoghue! You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
"Arthur is your father?" David exclaimed. "How the hell did that happen?"
They were gathered in the room they had picked out for all their meetings. They called it their conference room, and when it wasn’t that, it was Snow and David’s bedroom.
Killian had finally decided to tell them the truth about his past in Camelot. He had tried to keep it a secret, but it only made matters more complicated, and right now, he needed everything to be clear. They had to focus on finding Calie.
"There is a story to this, and it's rather long, but this is a fact. He didn't raise me. I didn't even know for a long time,” he said, patiently answering all the questions they had. There were many.
"So you're a... I mean..." Snow started.
"Bastard? Yes. My stepfather raised me believing I was his son. My mother took that secret to her grave."
"But didn't you say Arthur killed her mother?" Emma threw in.
"Aye, that he did." Killian looked down at the table. "They didn't, I mean, they didn't love each other, not really. As far as I know, there were love potions involved, but they wore off. I don't know."
Emma nodded, avoiding his gaze. She had convinced him to tell them the truth. Mostly, she’d just told him how much it pissed her off that he hadn’t done so already. Now she seemed to regret asking, as if she understood why he’d wanted to keep it a secret. But he could see now that she’d been right. They couldn’t keep things like that from each other.
"And Arthur didn't recognize you?" Regina clarified.
She was frowning, trying to connect the pieces in her mind.
Killian shook his head. "Why would he", he said bitterly. "It's not like he really cared. He saw me once or twice as a boy, that's it."
"So, if you're Arthur's son, who's your mother?" Belle asked carefully. Her voice was gentle, but there was something else in her eyes, as if she knew something.
Killian hesitated. "Morgana le Fay", he said.
"Le Fay?" Emma asked, her eyes blown wide.
"Morgause's sister", Gold said quietly.
He didn’t usually say much during their meetings, preferring to stay out of it. He’d made it clear from the beginning that his goal was keeping his family safe, not fighting Morgause. If it hadn’t been for the portal, he wouldn’t even have come.
"Nimue's second daughter. As far as I know, she was also Arthur's half-sister."
Killian nodded, grimacing. "As I said, love potions."
"Whoa", Emma said. "That's... a lot to take in."
Robin cleared his throat. “Pardon me. But do I understand correctly that when Arthur talked about the sister that betrayed him… he meant your mother?”
“Aye, he did. But he was lying. She never hurt anyone.”
He clenched his jaw, looking down once more.
“She used her magic for good.”
Emma gently placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles.
“You said you had a sister,” she whispered. “Was she…?”
He nodded, trying to ignore the lump that was forming in his throat.
“They killed Kara as well.”
“That is horrible!” Snow gasped, raising her hands to her chest. “I am so sorry!”
Belle was still frowning as if there was something she wanted to say. Finally, she opened her mouth: “So, Killian, I’m sorry, but… are you Mordred?”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s my middle name.”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t say anything else. She just nodded slowly.
“Who’s Mordred?” Emma asked.
Belle looked around, realizing everyone around her was lost.
“You don’t know? Didn’t anyone here read Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur?”
When no one reacted, she added: “Marion Bradley Zimmer’s The Mists of Avalon?”
She named a few more books until she finally gave up, realizing that nobody knew what she was talking about.
“What do these stories say about me?” Killian asked.
Belle hesitated. “That you’re Arthur’s son. And Morgana’s. Although many versions seem to blend Morgana and Morgause into one person, making her an evil witch, Arthur’s sister and your mother.”
Killian frowned, feeling that she was leaving out something. But this was Belle, surely she would tell them if it was important?
“What about Morgause?” David asked. “So you are related. Do you know anything about her? What she wants, why she went after your daughter, anything?”
He shook his head, bitterly. “If I did, maybe I’d have a way of stopping her, or at least predicting her next steps. But I have no idea. I only know that she and my mother didn’t have the best of relationships.”
“Could this be about her?” Snow asked. “Do you think she’s after you because she can’t hurt your mother anymore?”
Killian shrugged, taking a deep breath. “Possibly. I wouldn’t put it past her. But she didn’t have to wait two hundred years for that.”
“Maybe she needed something first. Maybe she had to wait until the curse was broken,” Regina suggested.
“We’re not going to get anywhere by guessing,” David said. “It’s late. We should all get some sleep and think about it tomorrow with fresh minds.”
He gave Killian a long and thoughtful look. “Thanks for telling us the truth. It can’t have been easy.”
Killian gave him a short nod, still thinking about Morgause.
When everyone had left the room, Emma turned to Killian. He was looking at one of the paintings, but Emma guessed that he was really thinking about everything he’d just revealed to them.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have pressured you into telling them. I didn’t know…”
“It’s alright,” he said, turning to her. “You were right. I can’t hide these things forever. Especially not when we’re trying to fight Morgause.”
“You mean your aunt?”
He made a face. “Please don’t call her that.”
“Sorry.”
She took a deep breath, stepping closer. She missed him. She missed just being able to comfort him when he needed it without asking permission. She missed just kissing him when she felt like it. And never had she been more aware of it than now that they were standing close to each other.
Normally she wouldn’t hesitate to hug him, pull him close, let him lean on her. Now she wasn’t sure if he wanted her to.
“We’ll find her,” was all she could say. “And we’ll defeat Morgause.”
“Everyone keeps saying that, but we aren’t getting anywhere,” he responded bitterly. “All we do is talk.”
“If you think something often enough, maybe it will become reality.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you believe in that?”
She shrugged. ”Someone has to.”
Emma searched his face, not really knowing what for. By now, she felt like she knew every inch of it. She tried to see what he was feeling. Was he still angry with her?
He looked back, his face perfectly still, but his eyes constantly moving to take all of her in. Slowly, she stood on her tiptoes, leaning forward. He didn’t move away, and their lips connected, brushing lightly against each other. It was nothing more than the hint of a kiss, but it was all she wanted right now.
“I need to speak to Belle about something,” she said, and he nodded. She took one last look at him before leaving the room.
As expected, she found Belle at her daughter’s crib. Henry was sitting nearby, chewing on a slice of bread.
Emma came up to her son, kissing his head.
“Hey, kid. It’s late, don’t you wanna go to bed?”
Henry shrugged, getting up and leaving the room without a comment. She watched him leave with a frown. Was something wrong? She made a mental note to ask him about it later.
“Belle, I need to ask you something,” she said, turning to the brunette.
“Sure, what is it?”
Emma bit her lip. “I know there’s something you’re not telling us about these books you read. Something about Killian.”
Belle opened her mouth to protest, but Emma cut her off. “Superpower, remember? It might not always be reliable, but you aren’t exactly a good liar.”
Her face softened when she saw the other woman freeze on the spot. Being busted in a lie must be a new one for her. She didn’t want to be too hard on her.
“Look, I need to know, ok? This is about Killian.”
Belle nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry, I wanted to say it, but I didn’t know how.”
“What is it?” Emma urged her.
Belle closed her eyes for a moment.
“In the stories, Mordred isn’t just Arthur’s son, he is his nemesis. His arch enemy.”
“What does that mean? Does he kill him? Is that what it is? Is Killian the one who kills Arthur?”
“Worse,” Belle whispered. “They kill each other.”
“My my, Camelot really is cursed.”
Morgause spun around, only to see the Dark One poking at a leaf that had frozen mid-air. “I must admit, I am impressed. The wizard really is as powerful as they say.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, of course, Merlin was the greatest of them all. Would you like me to bring you to his tomb so you can kiss his rotten feet, or can we get to business?”
Rumplestiltskin turned to her, grinning impishly.
“Ah, Morgause le Fay. Lovely to finally meet you.” He indicated a bow. “I see you have your mother’s temper. You might not know it, but she and I have crossed paths many years ago, when you were yet to be born.”
“I don’t care what business you had with my mother, I want to know what you can do for me”, Morgause hissed.
The imp laughed. It was a strange sound, shrill sound, not human at all.
“Family trouble? Oh, don’t worry dearie, I understand that all too well. But tell me: If all of Camelot was frozen, why weren’t you?”
“I managed to flee to Arendelle before the curse hit. I came back later, so I wouldn’t age.”
“So you can move freely, but time still stands. How convenient.”
He danced around her, admiring the environment. He picked up twigs, plugged leaves and insects from the air and knocked on tree trunks.
“I’d rather have the curse gone,” she snarled, annoyed by his childish games. This Dark One was so different from the last.
Rumplestiltskin turned on his heels to look at her. He raised a finger, like a teacher that was about to instruct a child.
“If that is what you called me here for, I must disappoint you: I cannot simply break a curse this powerful.”
“Then I am glad it is not what I called you here for. I know how to break the curse, I just need a little more time.”
He came closer, finally intrigued. Walk wasn’t the right term to describe the way he moved. It was smoother, but somehow unsettling. He seemed to be lurking, slithering like a snake waiting for the right moment to strike. His abnormally big eyes were fixed on her, and she refused to break eye contact. She was the most powerful le Fay that had ever lived, and she wouldn’t let this creature intimidate her.
“What is it?” he asked as he grew impatient, waiting for her answer.
Morgause opened stretched out her hand and clicked her fingers, producing a flame. It burned bravely for a few seconds before slowly losing power and shrinking. Shortly before it vanished completely, she had to let it go, or it would have burned her.
“My magic,” she explained. “It’s tied to Avalon. Normally, it works in Camelot, as well. But now Avalon and Camelot are frozen.”
“You’re losing your magic,” the Dark One summarized. “It’s cut off from its source of power. So now you want me to help you keep it.”
“Not only that. I need to be able to use it outside of Camelot, as well. I can’t normally do that.”
“Outside of Camelot?” Rumplestiltskin asked. “What do you want there?”
Morgause smiled at him. “You don’t need to know that.”
“I don’t need to help you, either.”
She sighed. “It could be decades until the curse breaks. Centuries, even. You can’t expect me to stay here all the time.”
The Dark One seemed to consider her wish. He cocked his head to the side and calmly drummed his fingers against his thumb.
“Fine. Give me your necklace.”
He pointed his long, dirty finger at her chest, where her pendant lay warm against her skin. Instinctively, she covered it with her hand.
“I can’t give you that.”
“Getting sentimental?” he teased.
Hesitantly she pulled on the pendant until the clasp opened. It was a silver triple spiral, or it had been, long ago. When she’d found it as a child, it had already been damaged. The tip of one spiral was missing, the rough edge suggesting that it had broken. Maybe that way why Nimue had thrown it out. It wasn’t good enough for her. And for that reason alone, she’d kept it.
Later it had been caught in some of her experimental magic, resulting in another broken spiral. A small piece of the circle surrounding it was missing, as well. But she refused to throw it away.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get it back. I’m not the jewelry type,” Rumplestiltskin said.
She handed it to him and he held it up against the light, examining it skeptically.
“This was made in Avalon. It will do.”
He waved his hand over it and it lit up for a second or two.
“There. Wear it, and it will allow you to channel your magic even from afar.”
Morgause reached for it, but he held it out of her grasp.
“Not so fast. What do I get in return?”
She snorted. “So this is what you do? Your Dark One thing is trading? You’re a merchant now?”
“More of a collector,” he said. “And I call it making deals.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have gold.”
His lips curled in amusement. “No you don’t. And if you did, I wouldn’t be interested. I have magic, I don’t need to buy things. People give them to me willingly. Or after some… creative persuasion.”
“I need my magic. I’ll give you whatever you want!”
“Careful, dearie. Don’t promise more than you can give.” He sang the last part like a child might sing while playing. “However, you’re in luck. There is one thing I want, and it isn’t much to ask.”
Somehow, she doubted that. But it wasn’t like she had much of a choice.
“What is it?”
“Immunity. If you are out there with your magic, which I gave you, I want to be sure that you can never use it against me. Or my blood.”
He looked at her expectantly.
She eyed him for a second or two.
“Deal.”
He giggled, handing her the necklace. As soon as she touched it, she could feel fresh magic running through her fingers. By the time she had fastened it on the back of her neck, she felt reborn.
She clicked her fingers again, and now the flame had no trouble staying alive. It felt bigger and stronger than ever.
“You know, this deal-making of yours is better than what the last one did, I have to admit.”
“What did he do?” Rumplestiltskin asked curiously.
“You didn’t know him?” Morgause asked surprised.
“Only as long as it took to kill him.”
She smiled. Finally someone who thought like her.
“He gave people what they wanted, but he made them regret ever asking.”
“And how did he do that?”
She shrugged, rubbing her pendant between her fingers.
“I have only heard of him. Perhaps you should ask someone who treated with him, like Queen Igraine… oh, wait, she’s dead.”
“Yes, I suppose she is.”
Killian was strolling through the royal gardens. It was a good place to get away from everything and clear his mind. The evening was fresh, and the cool air felt as cleansing as a cold shower. There was nobody around, and he was grateful for that. Following the man-made path, he tried to lose himself between the trees, listening to the birds' songs.
It had been days since they arrived in Camelot. Calie had gone all this time without him. Did Morgause provide for her? The Charmings kept telling her that all signs pointed to Morgause needing Calie alive, but what did they know? Maybe she needed her for a spell, the same way Zelena had tried to use Neal. Maybe she needed to be four months old for the spell to work, and she'd given her to him so he could, unknowingly, raise her like a pig for slaughter. If she was dead, would he ever know? Would Morgause come and brag to see his face, or would she keep quiet and take pleasure from watching their useless attempts of finding her? Killian hadn't had to deal with her since childhood, he had no idea what horrible idea she would come up with to satisfy her sadistic heart.
He reached a turn and, still lost in his thoughts, almost collided with someone. Perplexed, he looked up, recognizing Lady Elaine, who seemed just as surprised as he was.
"Apologies," he said. "I wasn't looking."
"Me neither," she replied.
He gave her a tight smile. "I should be going." He tried to push past her.
"Not so fast, Sir Charles." Elaine blocked his path, the corner of her lips turned up. "You and your family have been staying here for almost a week, and I hardly get the chance to talk to any of you. Let us walk together."
Killian frantically searched his mind for a way to get out of this situation without being rude or unprincely, but he couldn't think of anything.
He swallowed his frustration and forced himself to bow, remembering his training in the royal navy. "I would be honored, milady."
He turned around, joining her in her way back to the castle.
"Drop the pleasantries. I feel they always get in the way of a proper conversation. Besides, you married into a royal family, our statuses should be considered equal."
"I have always been taught that birth ranks higher than marriage," he replied, thinking of all the things he'd rather do than having a dull conversation with someone he couldn't even tell his real name.
"At least you have a kingdom to rule over, I have none."
"What kingdom are you from?" he asked, hoping that she would talk and he could just pretend to listen and let his mind wander.
"Agrabah," she replied. "You have likely never heard of it, it is far away from here."
"Agrabah?" he asked, skeptically looking at her from aside. He took in her red hair, her pale skin and the fabric of her clothes. Not only was she most certainly not part of the royal family, Killian doubted she could even point at it on a map. "As it happens, I do indeed know your kingdom. I have visited it on more than one occasion."
"You have?" her eyes widened in surprise and, as he supposed, fear. "I had no idea you were a traveler."
"Before my marriage with the princess of Misthaven I was a captain in the royal navy," he lied, suddenly much more interested in the conversation. He'd always suspected that something was off about Lady Elaine, but truth be told, he hadn't given it much thought. But now, as the evidence against her piled up, he remembered Emma talking about a possible ally of Morgause's in the castle. Could it be her? Did she know where Calie was? He suppressed the urge to press her against the next tree and scare the truth out of her. He couldn't lose his temper. Calie's life was on the line.
Elaine's lips smiled, but her eyes remained worried. "How wonderful to hear that my kingdom has recovered. I left more than 200 years ago, you see?"
Of course she did. He had been to Agrabah more than 200 years ago, as well. If the royal family had been slaughtered, he would have heard of it.
"Why did you come to Camelot?" he asked, keen on finding more clues to who she really was. "Surely other kingdoms are much closer to your home."
"That was what worried me," she explained, gaze focused on the path ahead of them. "I didn't want to risk being found. I travelled for weeks until I came here. I meant to go even further, but the king's men found me and brought me to the castle. Arthur offered me asylum."
Killian nodded, pretending to buy her story. His mind was racing. If she wasn't from Agrabah, where was she from? Judging from the color of her skin and hair, she could be from around here. She could've met Morgause and started working for her. Why? What did Morgause need from her? A spy in the castle? Or did Elaine have a skill that Morgause lacked?
"I hear many of the paintings in the castle were created by you," he said to keep the conversation going, and to stop her from asking questions herself. She was, after all, not the only one with a secret. Although, he thought, if she really worked with Morgause, there was a good chance she already knew everything about him, starting with his real name.
She chuckled. "I have to pass my time. I don't like to leave the castle grounds, in case my family's enemies come looking for me."
"The scenes you paint don't look a lot like Agrabah," Killian commented, biting his tongue. He didn't want her to know he was on to her.
"I will always carry my kingdom in my heart," she replied with a smile, "but Camelot has it's own beauty. I wish I could explore it more, but I can't. I have to use my imagination."
"Well, with the curse broken...," he started when he heard a loud crackling sound above his head.
"Killian!" Elaine yelled, pushing against his chest. He flew backwards until he stumbled against a tree, watching the branch land where he'd been mere seconds ago. It was solid and thick. It could have easily killed him.
"Are you alright?" Elaine asked, her voice shrill with worry.
"I'm fine," he said, rubbing the back of his head and brushing the dirt off his clothes.
His eyes met hers. "You used magic," he said slowly. The speed at which she'd moved and the strength with which she'd pushed him away left no doubt.
"You are mistaken," she said quickly, but he didn't need Emma's skill to see she was lying.
"You said my name," he continued. "My real name. You know who I am."
So she was Morgause's spy, after all. A witch at the heart of Camelot. Why did she save him? He could only assume Morgause needed him alive.
"Of course I know. You are Sir Charles, husband to the princess of Misthaven."
"That's not what you called me." Killian walked around the branch to stand closer to her. He didn't want to miss a single hint.
Suddenly a pendant around her neck captured his eyes. It must have been hidden under her dress before, and fallen out when she'd leaped at him.
It was a triple spiral inside a circle. He recognized it immediately.
And suddenly, all the pieces fit together.
"How dare you?" he said, his voice trembling with anger. He clenched his fist at his side, fingernails digging into his palm. "How dare you wear that?"
Elaine's eyes widened as she stepped back. "I don't know what you mean," she whispered.
Now he knew why her face didn't seem familiar. She was masking her true appearance, somehow. Magic was blocked in the castle, but she must've found a way. She always did.
"It belonged to my mother," he hissed, coming closer.
He saw the fear in her eyes as she backed away until her back hit the trunk of a tree. He felt a sudden wave of dark satisfaction. People used to be afraid of him, back in the old days. He'd left Captain Hook behind, but it was easy to find him again, looming on the inside. He needed him, if he wanted to save his daughter.
"You killed her. You set her up. You watched her burn. You won't destroy my family. Not again."
In that moment, he'd give anything to have his hook. But it was safely stored away in Storybrooke. His hand around her neck would have to suffice.
"Where is my daughter?" he hissed, only inches away from her now.
"Please, I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered, eyes filling with tears.
"Of course you do, Morgause," he growled. "You took her."
Elaine's eyes widened with realization. Her voice was barely audible.
"You think I'm Morgause?"
"Of course you are!"
"Is anyone there?" a voice shouted.
Killian mentally cursed as he backed away from Elaine. She straightened her clothes, avoiding his eyes.
"Yes, who's asking?"
A royal guard came into sight. "I need to ask you both to return to your chambers. You cannot be out here after nightfall, for your own safety."
"Of course," Elaine said. Her smile was perfect, as if nothing had happened. "We were just on our way there."
Killian nodded at the guard, following her back to the castle. His eyes were fixed on her the entire time. When she reached the door to her room, she hesitated and looked around. She didn't say anything, and he wasn't quite sure how to interpret her face. He'd expect teasing from her, but her expression almost resembled sadness. She quickly turned back, disappearing into her chamber and closing the door.
Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape, minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.As always, a huge thank you goes out to wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyannaand @captainodonoghue!You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
The table was bursting with food. Ornate silver plates filled with pies of all sizes covered most of the table's surface. Boiled eggs were placed between them, the shell gilt so that before she saw Arthur crack open one open and eat it, Emma thought they were for decoration. The golden bowls closer to the edge of the table were spilling with fruit, plums mostly, and provided some culinary variety. The fancy goblets filled with wine each one of them had before them looked like they belonged in a museum. They were frequently refilled whenever someone emptied theirs.
Nothing, however, compared to the main dish. On a giant golden plate, a roasted stag was served, perfectly brown and crispy. They’d been told that the hunters had killed it just for them, and apparently that was an honor. At least it wasn’t chimera again.
Emma carefully raised her goblet to her lips, taking the tiniest sip. It looked like she had a long night ahead of her, and she didn't want to get drunk. But she had to do something, and at least there wasn't much she could do wrong with drinking.
Eating was a whole different story. How was an alleged princess supposed to eat? She had tried copying her parents and Regina, but their movements were so delicate, and yet seemed so natural, that she doubted she would ever be able to eat like that.
How was she supposed to hold her fork? Snow seemed to only touch it with her fingertips, but when Emma had tried that, it had slipped from her hand and loudly scattered on the table. After that, she had barely eaten anything. She feared she would give them away if she did.
So she had focused her attention on observing the room. They were dining in a big hall with a long, dark wooden table and fancy chairs. Arthur had invited her parents, Regina, Robin, Killian and her. The royals, or so he thought. They had told him that she was David’s sister, and Killian her husband, so they wouldn’t have to explain why she was the same age as her parents.
Arthur and Lady Elaine were the only ones from his court to sit at the table, but almost all knights were standing in the room, quiet in the shadows, observing them. She wasn't stupid, she knew they were there to protect Arthur, should they turn out to be enemies.
She could feel Kay's eyes piercing her as he slowly moved his gaze over them, still suspicious, even though Arthur had officially welcomed them. Tristan, on the other hand, gave her a friendly nod when their eyes met.
As for the people at the table, Robin seemed to be as uncomfortable as her. He, too, didn't know how to act, and Emma saw Regina subtly nudge him with her elbow when he picked up the fork with the wrong hand. It must be even harder for him, Emma figured, after having lived in the woods for so long.
Killian, on the other hand, was surprisingly adept at eating like a nobleman, despite only having one hand. He must have learned it in the navy, she thought. His gaze, however, was stubbornly fixed on his plate, and he didn't speak unless spoken to. Most of all, he avoided looking at Arthur.
They had introduced him as Charles, hoping that Arthur wouldn’t recognize him. All of this secrecy had been Killian’s idea. Her parents’ initial thought was to tell Arthur everything and hope for his support, but Killian had been adamant about keeping as much to themselves as possible. And yet, he still hadn’t told them how they knew each other. And honestly, his secrecy about his past in Camelot was pissing her off. They were trying to save his daughter, and they really needed to know why Morgause had taken her in the first place. And even if he didn’t know the answer to that question, they might be able to figure it out if he just talked to them. If he at least talked to her.
She remembered the night they’d found Calie. He’d had a nightmare, and he’d been at the brink of telling her about it before David’s call. Back then, it had been so easy. Now, things were tense between them, and apparently he didn’t trust her enough to speak to her. Not anymore.
Facing him, to Arthur's left, sat Lady Elaine, who hadn't spoken much either. Emma wasn't entirely sure who she was or why she was at the table. As far as she knew, her kingdom had been destroyed, and now she lived in Camelot and painted pictures to thank Arthur for taking her in.
She noticed that every now and then, Elaine’s gaze flickered over the guests. She thought she had seen it linger on Killian, but she pushed that thought away. She must have imagined it. Besides, there were more important things to worry about right now.
"May I ask how you ended up in a portal to Camelot?" Arthur asked after a while, lifting the wine to his lips. Snow and David quickly exchanged a glance.
"We don't know," Snow said, sticking to the story they had agreed on earlier. “We were all in the throne room of our castle when suddenly, the portal appeared."
"Someone must have created it," Arthur reasoned.
"Surely. But we don't know who would do such a thing," Regina said. They had debated whether they should tell him about Morgause, maybe to get some help fighting her, but in the end, they'd agreed it was best to not even mention her. They didn't want anyone to grow suspicious.
"And you are sure it was none of you?" Arthur asked.
"Absolutely," David assured him. "I can assure you, I have known these people all my life. They wouldn't betray us."
"You never know," Arthur said. "I was betrayed by my own sister. Regardless, I choose to trust you in this matter. I cannot judge your companions better than you. But heed my advice: Be careful. Magic is elusive. And more importantly, it is always evil."
"You seem to have some experience with that," Regina said, smiling amicably.
"Yes, indeed I have."
Arthur hesitated and took another sip from his goblet.
"Have you ever heard of the kingdom of Dumnonia? It is close to Camelot, and it used to be independent until my father and mother's marriage, which joined them. The king was an old man, tired of ruling, and he abdicated. He and his family lived blissfully in their castle, enjoying their lives. My father ordered a protection spell put on them. It was bound to family, so no stranger could enter. I remember visiting them there with him when I was a boy. It was a beautiful place. However, many years later, after my father's death, an evil witch by the name of Morgause found a way to break the spell.” He took a moment to look at each one of them, his face serious. “She killed everyone.”
"That is horrible!" Snow gasped.
"There is more," Arthur continued. "She didn't simply kill them, she... slaughtered them. Every living soul. Even the children and the old. I saw the bodies. The people did not die painlessly, I can assure you. I have never seen anything so gruesome."
"Let us not speak of these things at dinner, please," Lady Elaine interrupted. It was the first time she had spoken after greeting them when they entered.
"You are right. My apologies."
Arthur took another sip of his wine.
"We have suffered from magic as well," David said hesitantly. "There was an evil in our land, known as the Dark One."
"Do not speak this name here!" Arthur hissed. "Yet another ungodly soul that would see this kingdom destroyed!"
"Well, rest assured, he is no longer harmful."
"You defeated him?" Arthur asked incredulously. "How did you manage to achieve such a thing, if I may ask?"
“We banished the darkness to his vault and destroyed the key”, Regina said with a sharp look at David. “No one will ever open it again.”
“That is indeed wonderful to hear”, Arthur said. “Then we shall all drink to his defeat.”
He raised his goblet, and they all joined in.
“I’d like to use this opportunity to invite you to the ball we will have to celebrate the breaking of the curse,” Arthur continued. “It will be a small event, I am afraid we cannot invite the royals of other kingdoms. We will need time to restore our foreign relations. But you, I would be honored if you came.”
“The honor is ours,” Snow replied.
“Morgause!” Nimue called. “I need to speak to you.”
The girl looked up. She had been picking apples in the garden, and now she rose to her feet and started walking towards her.
No, she wasn’t a girl anymore. She hadn’t been for some time now. She was a grown woman, as Nimue reminded herself.
Unlike most le Fays, she didn’t have dark hair and pale eyes. Her hair was blond like Merlin’s, just like she had her dark eyes from him.
She wasn’t beautiful. Her face was hard and edgy like a man’s, and her shoulder’s broader than a lady’s. Nimue had warned her not to swim too much.
“What is it, mother?” Morgause asked. Her voice was not the voice of an obedient daughter. Her words were polite, but her tone was cold and impatient.
Nimue smiled. “Come inside, child. Let us sit together.”
She walked into the house, gesturing for Morgause to take seat. Her daughter didn’t move.
Nimue shrugged, lowering herself onto one of the chairs by the chimney.
“Uther has asked me a favor”, she started.
“Uther?” Morgause exclaimed. “Again? I don’t want to hear it and I won’t!”
She headed for the door, but Nimue snapped her fingers and it slammed shut.
“Yes you will!” she said sharply, giving her a look that Morgause did not dare to talk back to. Quietly, she sat down, crossing her arms in silent rebellion.
“He wants you to marry King Mark of Misthaven.”
“What?” Morgause shouted, slamming her hands on the table. “I am your heir! I cannot marry! Please, mother, tell me you said no!”
“I said yes.”
Morgause jumped to her feet.
“You can’t do that! You can’t let Uther keep using you! You do everything for him, whatever he says, whatever he asks of you, you obey him! You gave him my sister! And where is she now? Married off to some poor fisher, invited over to Avalon once a year at winter solstice! And now you want to do the same to me!”
“Firstly”, Nimue said, her eyes shooting daggers. “Your sister is my concern, not yours. And secondly, I am your mother and you will do as I say. King Mark is an old man, and he has no heir. He is infertile, so you won’t have to bear him children. When he dies, you will rule. When you become queen of Misthaven, you will give the kingdom to Uther. He will unite Camelot and Misthaven. Then you will return to Avalon and take my place.”
Morgause shook her head, her eyes shining with tears. “I won’t do it! You can’t make me!”
“Yes, I can. You know that. But I’d prefer it if you agreed on your own terms.”
“Why do you keep punishing me?” Morgause screamed. “What have I ever done? All the others of my age became woman years ago, and I am still a maiden at twenty five, because you control my every step! Where I am, who I talk to, what I do! You don’t trust me! And now you want me to marry an old king just to give over my kingdom when I become queen?”
“Misthaven is not your kingdom, nor will it ever be,” Nimue said. She was still sitting in her chair, her posture appearing calm, but the look in her eyes would have made the most valiant knight run in fear, and her voice cut through the air like a whip. “Your kingdom is Avalon.”
“My kingdom is an island! Why do we let Uther gain even more power? He is already trying to control us now!”
“He is not trying to control us, we are allies.”
“Only you believe that”, Morgause said bitterly. “Because you love him.”
Nimue was silent for a moment, avoiding her eyes for the first time.
“We don’t choose who we love.”
“Then at least choose not to let it blind you!”
“I am not blinded!”
“Then you must see that he is not a good man, and neither is he a good king! He is weak! We could take over Camelot! Expand our kingdom.”
Morgause’s eyes shone hungrily. She had stopped yelling, and her voice was now a lot calmer. She described her vision with a desperate passion that scared Nimue.
“I will do no such thing, and if I ever hear you speak of it again, I will disinherit you”, Nimue hissed, rising to her feet. “I have enough of your childish dreams. You want to be treated like a woman? Start behaving like one! Accept your fate! It is far better than what most people get!”
“It is still less than you promised me years ago”, Morgause whispered, opening the door with a flick of her hand and leaving the room.
Nimue sat back down, following her with her eyes. She was not ready to rule Avalon, she had once again proven it. She was almost a decade older than Nimue had been when she had begun her training, but there was no point in training her if she expected the world to fall at her feet.
She was powerful, yes, just as they had wanted her to be. But she was also ambitious and selfish. At this point, her power was more of threat than anything.
“Oh, Merlin”, she whispered. “What have we done?”
The royal palace was huge. It had countless stairs and corridors, all different and yet all decorated in the same beautiful, if somewhat showy manner.
Henry loved every part of it. He loved walking around, seeing the fairytale world for the first time. He loved all the medieval-ish things about Camelot. He loved being a prince.
He hadn’t forgotten the reason why they came here, just as he hadn’t forgotten Killian’s dislike for the king and their conversation on witchery. And for that reason, he was never completely trustful of the knights and everyone under Arthur’s command. Well, save for Tristan maybe. He seemed to be a genuinely good guy. And yet, he couldn’t resist the childish excitement that overcame him every time he found something new that would never be possible back in Storybrooke.
He admired the ornaments on the ceiling as well as the paintings on the wall. There was one particular painting that he liked, one that he revisited every now and then when he could. It showed Arthur pulling Excalibur from the stone. Everything about it was pure perfection, and it captured the heroic moment he had so often imagined.
Henry had always looked up to Arthur when he had read the stories, and everything he had seen of him so far was noble and good. Now, with the witch trials, he was questioning those beliefs. However, a not so small part of him wanted to believe that Arthur had simply met the wrong magicians, and now thought badly of them. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. Maybe, if he knew that magic could be used for good…
“Are you lost, my prince?” he suddenly heard someone say. He spun around, only to face the giant figure of Sir Gawain.
He’d seen the knight around. He was Arthur’s shadow and often followed him wherever he went. He’d expected him to be at the dinner, as well. The dinner he hadn’t been invited to because he was considered ‘too young’.
“I’m fine, thank you, Sir”, he replied politely.
He turned back to the painting, but Gawain didn’t seem to get the hint.
“You appear to take a great interest in our palace”, he said.
“It’s just interesting to see one. Another one, I mean”, he quickly corrected himself. “I know ours like the back of my hand.”
“Would you like to see more?” the knight offered.
“More?”
“I could show you around the castle. And the forecourt, if you want.”
Henry eyed him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”
The knight smiled amusedly. “Because I know what it means to be a curious boy. And it is safer if you are with me than if you wander around alone.”
Henry quickly considered his offer. He was a knight of the court, right? He knew Gawain from the stories, he was a good guy. He had no reason to distrust him. Should he tell Gold and Belle where he was going? At first he thought that yes, he should, or they’d be worried. But, he reasoned, he wouldn’t be gone for long. And no one ever told him about their plans. He was old enough to make decisions on his own.
So he looked at the knight and shrugged.
“Sure, I’d love to see more.”
Henry eagerly followed him down the stairs to the main hall.
“What do you mean by ‘safer with you’?” he asked on their way out. “Is it not safe here?”
“In a land of sorcery, you can never be safe”, Gawain replied. “Do you have sorcery in your land?”
“Yeah, we do”, Henry answered. Then he caught himself. “I mean, I’ve heard of it. But we never encountered it.”
“The you are very lucky”, Gawain commented. “Do you have siblings?”
“I have a sister”, he replied, not wanting to explain that she was only his stepsister and actually his aunt. “And a brother”, he added, thinking about Roland.
Gawain nodded in satisfaction. “It is always good to have more than one heir, especially in a royal family.”
The forecourt was a beautiful place. He’d caught a glance of it when they’d arrived in the carriage, but now, taking in the sheer size of it, it was simply breathtaking.
It was a busy place, bustling with people and filled with carriages. Some were royal. Others seemed to belong to merchants trying to sell their ware. Guards patrolled the place to make sure everything was done orderly.
Around the forecourt there were trees and bushes, the outlines of the royal gardens. Other than some gardens that he had seen in his school textbooks, these ones weren’t perfectly tamed and symmetrical. They were beautiful and cared for, yes, but there was still something wild about them.
They crossed the place when Henry noticed a giant wooden pole in the middle of it.
“What is that?” he asked as Gawain led him closer.
From up close, he could see many markings in the wood, as if they were counting something.
“This”, the knight announced proudly, “is the proof of the good work our king and his father have done for this kingdom. Every single marking represents an evil witch, burned at the stake.”
Henry suddenly went quiet, all his ideas of Arthur’s nobility vanquished from his mind as he took in the sheer amount of innocent people that had died for nothing. The pole was covered in markings, as far as he could look. There must be hundreds of them. These couldn’t all be evil. They were probably not even all witches.
“Look at this one.” Gawain pointed at a marking somewhere further up. It was significantly longer than the others, and crossed by a smaller one on one end. “The king’s own sister. A cunning witch. Happens in the best families. It was a shock for his majesty, of course. He had to eliminate her and her daughter, to make sure they wouldn’t harm anyone anymore.”
Henry focused on the smaller notch crossing the big one, and felt his stomach turn.
“I need to pee”, he suddenly said, not bearing to hear anything else the knight said.
“Excuse me, my prince?”
“I… was wondering if I could use the bushes.”
Gawain frowned.
“Surely for a prince it is not fit…”
“It’s really urgent”, Henry said, disappearing before the knight could stop him.
He made sure Gawain couldn’t see him anymore before sitting down, cowering behind the branches. He needed to take a deep breath. The notch on the pole appeared before his inner eye, together with the smaller one crossing it. The king’s sister and her daughter. How old had she been? Not old enough to get her own marking, apparently. He was utterly disgusted, and for a moment he thought he might throw up.
Suddenly there was uproar at the market.
“Thief!” someone shouted. “Stop the boy!”
Henry pushed a few branches aside and saw a hooded figure running towards him. A guard caught the thief by his wrist and yanked back his hood.
“It’s a girl!” he screamed. He looked at her, and suddenly her hair started to change, becoming darker and longer.
“A WITCH!” he shouted, stepping back and crossing himself. Gawain strode forward, drawing his sword with a disgusted snarl on his face, but the girl pushed the air and he flew backwards.
She started running towards the gardens, coming right at Henry. Not even thinking what he was doing, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her deeper into the forest. At first she fought him.
“I’m helping you!” he assured her.
He could hear the guards behind them catching up. Suddenly he got an idea.
“Run!” he told her, letting go of her wrist.
“Really? I wouldn’t have thought of that!” she hissed.
“I’m gonna distract them, find a place to hide!”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but when she heard Gawain yell instructions nearby, she took off.
Henry nervously licked his lips. He really hoped this would work. He sat down by the tree and quickly tried to rub his clothes in dirt, roughening them up in the process. Shortly after, the guards appeared before him.
“There you are, my prince!”
Gawain extended an arm and pulled him up.
“Are you injured? There is an evil sorceress in these woods, it is a miracle that you are unharmed!”
“Yes, I know, I s-saw her!” Henry did his best to appear scared. “She came by and p-pushed me away. W-without touching me!”
“Sorcery,” Gawain said darkly.
“She went that way!” Henry pointed to his right, as far away from the girl as possible.
“Thank you, my prince. You shouldn’t be on your own.”
“I’ll be alright. You...you’ll catch her, right?”
“Of course. Better get back to the castle. It is safer there.” With one last look at him, the knight ordered the guards to follow him and ran off.
Henry waited a few moments to be sure they couldn’t see him anymore, then he turned followed after the girl.
“Hey!” he called quietly. “It’s me, they’re gone!”
He tried to find clues as to where she might have gone, broken branches or something alike, but he couldn’t see anything. In that moment, he really wished Robin or his grandmother were there. They’d find her.
He stopped when he reached the castle wall. If she had left the grounds, he wouldn’t find her. That was probably a good thing, after all, it meant she was safe. And yet, somehow he was disappointed.
Suddenly an unripe plum hit him on the head.
“Ouch!” Henry exclaimed, bringing up his hand to rub the spot.
He looked up. There, up in the tree, sat the fugitive, grinning unashamedly.
“Watch where you’re going!” she called.
“The guards are gone,” Henry told her. “I told them you went the other way.”
“My hero”, she scoffed. “What are you waiting for? Come up and see!”
“You mean… climb the tree?”
“Unless you can grow wings I’m afraid you’ll have to!”
He hesitated, considering the task before him. The tree had some strong looking boughs close to the ground, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. He grabbed the first one and pulled himself up. After regaining his balance, he reached for the next one.
“No, not that one, try the one to your right!” the girl called from above.
It took him a few minutes, but finally he pulled himself up next to her.
“So…,” he said after finding his balance. “This is what you do, then. Sit on trees and throw plums on people.”
“Sometimes,” she grinned. “Although I also like to just enjoy the view.”
Henry looked around. He could see a good deal of the garden from up here, and even caught a glimpse of the forecourt. He could also look across the wall and see the moat from here.
“Yeah, I can’t leave,” the girl said. “Obviously. The only way out is over the drawbridge, and they’re not gonna let me. I’m stuck.”
Henry turned his head, noticing the loaf of bread she was holding in her arms. This was probably what she had stolen.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I could ask you the same.”
“You have magic. What blew your cover?”
“What makes you think I’d trust you?” she snapped, her voice suddenly sharp.
“I saved your life,” Henry reasoned. “Plus, you invited me on the tree. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Maybe pushing you down seemed like the easiest way to kill you,” she shot back.
Her fingers dug into the bread and angrily ripped out a small piece, which she stuffed in her mouth. When he didn’t answer, she sighed.
“Kara. My name’s Kara. Your turn.”
“I’m Henry. Prince Henry,” he suddenly remembered.
She burst out laughing, a sound that quickly turned into coughing, since she still had bread in her mouth. She pressed the back of her hand to her lips to muffle the sound.
“Prince Henry?” she said when she caught herself. “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? You’re no prince. Besides, there is no Prince Henry in Camelot!”
She stuffed the rest of the bread into the inside of her cloak.
“I never said I was from Camelot!” he said, wounded and starting to regret he’d mentioned it at all.
“Alright, Prince Henry from not-Camelot, why did you help me?”
While she was waiting for an answer, she pulled a small piece of rope from her pocket and started to loosely braid her hair over her shoulder.
“They would’ve killed you,” he said.
“Why does that bother you?” she asked “I’m a stranger to you. Why do you care?”
“Because it’s not right!” Henry answered through gritted teeth. “I know magic. Where I come from, it’s normal. It’s not seen as evil. It saved us many times! I know that magic doesn’t make you a villain!”
She eyes him suspiciously. “A land where magic is normal? I find that hard to believe.”
“It’s true, I promise you!” he insisted. “My…” He leaned closer and whispered: “My mom has magic. Both my moms, actually. And my dad’s dad. And his dad, but he was evil, so that’s not a good example. So was my mom’s mom. One of them.”
While he was talking, Kara’s right eyebrow rose higher and higher.
“You seem to have quite the family tree.”
“Yeah. So… you can trust me. I’m not gonna sell you out.”
She hesitated, focusing on braiding her hair instead. Finally she used the rope to fix her braid and threw it back over her shoulder.
“I’m still learning. I thought I could change my face for long enough, but apparently I was wrong.”
“Who’s teaching you?” Henry asked.
“My mother. Well… she was.” She looked down at her hands.
“I’m sorry,” Henry mumbled. “I lost my Dad, too.”
“What? No! She’s not dead!” Kara said. “She’s just… being held captive.”
“By Arthur? Because she’s a witch?”
“No, not Arthur.” She took a deep breath. “Morgause le Fay.”
“Morgause… Morgause le Fay?” Henry gasped.
Kara’s head turned sharply. “You know her? How?”
“She took someone from my family, too. My sister. That’s why we’re here!”
“Sorry”, Kara mumbled.
Henry shrugged. “We’ll get her back. It’s kinda what my family does. We fight villains, and we always find each other.”
“You’ve never stood up to Morgause. She’s… she’s a demon.”
“They said that about Pan as well. My evil great-grandfather. And we beat him”, Henry said confidently. “We’ll find my sister, and your mom. I promise you.”
Kara’s fingers peeled at the bark, raining tiny pieces of wood on the ground beneath them.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she warned him. “Finding them isn’t the problem. I know where she’s keeping my mother. I just can’t get in.”
Henry frowned. “Wait… you know where she’s keeping her? And Calie?”
“I don’t know about your sister, but how many hiding places can she have?”
Henry tried to turn on the branch, and as a result he almost fell off. He grabbed the wood tightly to regain his balance.
“We can work together! I could smuggle you into the castle, and my family could hide you, and then we’d find a way to free your mom and my sister together!”
“You could never smuggle me into the castle”, she said. “Especially now that they’ve seen me. They will be very alert.”
He wanted to protest, but he knew she was right. Even if she could change her face again, it would only last her until they entered the castle. Magic was blocked there, and everyone would see her change back.
“What if I bring them to you?” he asked instead. “I’ll tell them, and then we can plan something together. Think about it! We’re fighting the same enemy, it’s the only thing that makes sense!”
“Alright,” she said, drawing out the word. “I trust you, Prince Henry from not-Camelot. Don’t make me regret it.”
“You won’t!” he assured her, climbing down and jumping to the ground when he wasn’t as high anymore. “I’ll come back. And I’ll bring you some real food!”
Summary: Not long after receiving a strange warning in a dream, Killian finds himself forced to go to Camelot and deal with a long forgotten enemy. The heroes follow to aid him, but soon they are pulled into a net of family secrets and intrigues, with a foe who seems to bring back the dead. Killian is reunited with his family, but can he trust them?
Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Mention of rape, minor character death. Corresponding chapters will be marked accordingly.
As always, a huge thank you goes out to wonderful beta @onceuponadisneypotter (AO3) and my two amazing artists:@thisisartyanna and @captainodonoghue!
You can find the story on ff.net, as well.
Emma groaned when the wailing child woke her. Why did babies always have to be so loud?
Killian stirred next to her, sitting up in bed. He never complained about his little princess, Emma thought bitterly. She pushed that thought away. She knew it was stupid to be angry at him, or Calie. He was a good father, and she should be happy for him. Then why did she always feel like the child had come between them?
Killian came back, carrying his daughter and a freshly warmed bottle of milk. The girl had grown a lot in the past four months. If she had wanted to believe that there had been a mistake and that she wasn't his in the beginning, by now there could be no doubt whatsoever.
Her hair was undeniably black, and while you could argue that her baby blue eyes might change color when she grew older, Emma highly doubted that. Sometimes she even felt like the four-months-old had the same facial expression as her father.
"I took her sailing last week", Killian told her, for what seemed like the hundredth time. By now he had almost perfected the art of manhandling a child one-handedly. "She loved it; I could see it in her eyes. It's in her blood, after all."
Emma forced herself to smile. "I bet she would make a great pirate one day."
Killian seemed shocked and covered the baby's ears.
"Don't put ideas in her head, Swan!" he whispered with playfully sparkling eyes. To Calie, he said:
"You're gonna be a ship captain one day, aren't you, my little love? But remember to always stay on the right side of the law, or you'll get in big trouble. Daddy knows!"
Emma felt the need to throw up, and then she felt guilty again. Her pirate was clearly happy with his daughter. Milah's daughter, a voice in her head said, and as much as she wanted to push it away, she couldn't. He had even named her after her mother, Calypso Milah.
"I think I'm gonna go shower while you're busy", she said instead. It was already eight o'clock in the morning, after all. Time to get up. Part of her wanted him to tell her that he would join her when he was done feeding the child, like in old times. But, of course, he was completely captured by his daughter and only nodded, not even looking at her as she left for the bathroom. And again, she swallowed her bitterness, trying to wash it off in the shower.
Killian pulled the door open and entered the diner. Granny's had just opened, and yet it was already filled with people. He gave Robin a friendly nod and winked at Henry. Regina ignored him in cold affection. He ordered two grilled cheese, and while Ruby went to prepare them, Granny smiled at him and asked about 'the little one'.
Only a few months ago she had shot him a reproachful glare every time he set foot into her establishment. Another good thing Calie had brought to his life. Even Emma's parents saw him in a new light since he was a father. They somehow seemed to like him more, and the prince didn't look like they wanted to tear his throat out every time he saw him at Emma's place in the morning, which happened more and more frequently.
Maybe they should move in together, he wondered. Emma had recently gotten her own place, and Henry adored Calie. The four of them could be a real family.
His heart beat faster at that thought. He'd never thought he could have that. Even to find love again after Milah was something he had never seen coming, but a child… or was it even two? Sometimes it felt that way with Henry. He wondered if the lad thought of him as a father. Neal was dead, after all, and he hadn't known him for long.
"Killian!" Belle called. She greeted him with an awkward sideway hug, baby Rose peacefully sleeping in her arms.
"I did a little more research on the le Fay family", she told him straight away. "Well, it was really just a little before Rose woke for her feeding. I'll get right back to it after breakfast", she promised him.
"Don't", Killian said, smiling at the baby. She was only a few weeks younger than Calie, and he really hoped they would grow up to be friends. "I think we should stop all the researching."
"Don't you want to know where your daughter came from?" Belle asked with a frown, gently rocking her baby.
"All I want to know is that she's healthy and happy. I don't want to spend every day worrying about her. It's been four months and nothing happened. For once I want to believe that there is no crisis waiting for us."
"But what about Milah?" Belle asked confused. "What if we find her?"
"Milah is dead", he said firmly. "I've accepted that long ago. And I'm done following loose threads. I would rather spend my time with Calie and Emma."
"Fine", Belle smiled. "I'll tell Rumple."
In that moment Ruby returned with the food. Killian paid and waved goodbye to his friends. He felt good. Finally letting go of all his worries about Calie's origins had lifted a heavy weight from his chest.
"You want to go back?" Emma almost dropped her phone when she realized what her mother was saying. "To the Enchanted Forest?"
She was pacing back and forth in her bedroom, her free arm hugging her body.
"Oh, we haven't decided yet", Mary Margaret told her. "David and I were just thinking about it. I know the last time we said it you weren't happy about it, but I thought you might have changed your mind…"
"Why would I have changed my mind?" Emma's voice sounded harsher than she intended. When she passed the window, she peeked outside to see if Killian was coming back with breakfast. Of course he wasn't. He had just left.
She sighed, finally slowing down her steps.
"Look, I know that place means a lot to you, it's just… our lives here are good! For once we don't have to fight weird villains that were somehow a lot funnier when they were cartoon characters in a Disney movie. You guys have Neal, I just got a house… can't we just leave it like that?"
There was a small pause, and she could hear her parents whispering to each other in the background. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the crib. Calie was thankfully sound asleep. She hoped she would stay that way until Killian returned. She didn't want to have to pick her up. It was easier if she kept her distance. That way she didn't have to admit that Captain Hook and his true love had made a fucking adorable baby. Feeling guilty again, she bit her lip.
The phone cracked. "Emma?" she heard her father say.
"Still here."
"Look, we're not saying we want to go back today, or even this month, it's just… I know our lives here aren't bad, but this isn't who we are. We don't belong here. It just feels wrong to be here when we have a kingdom in the Enchanted Forest that probably needs our help. And you… you are part of that world, too, Emma. You were born a princess…"
"But I never was a princess", Emma interrupted him. "I never got a chance to do any of that, and I can't imagine doing it now. I am just figuring out my life here! And you guys never seemed to mind being sheriff, or teaching."
"We don't, it's just… this is not where we belong. Something is missing, you know? Look, we won't force you to go back. If you really don't want to, we will stay. Family is more important. We just wanted to see what you thought about it. It's just an idea. We don't even have a portal."
Emma sat down on her bed, closing her eyes. This wasn't fair. She could understand that her parents wanted to go back to the place they considered their home, but why did that have to be now? She had just found her own home. Or something like that.
"I'll think about it, ok?"
"Yes. As I said, if you don't want to, we won't go."
Emma nodded, even though her father couldn't see it. "Sounds good."
"Anyway, how is our granddaughter?" David asked, his voice casual, as if their conversation before hadn't happened. Emma couldn't hold back the silent gasp that left her lips. Granddaughter?
"She's… fine", she managed to say. "Look, Killian's gonna come back with breakfast any moment now, I should probably set the table…"
She finished her conversation with her parents and got up from the bed, starting to pace again.
"You're not their granddaughter", she said to the sleeping child. "That's not how it's supposed to be!"
She sighed and braced herself on the window sill. Had it really come to this? Was she competing with an infant for Killian's attention?
"What a harsh thing to say to a babe", she suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice behind her. She spun around.
There, at the crib, stood a woman she had never seen before. She was taller than her, and she wore a deep purple dress that was so obviously not from this world that Emma had to bite back a groan.
"Who are you?" she asked through gritted teeth. "How did you get here?" Her long, blonde hair screened her face from Emma, but she was sure she heard her chuckle.
"You are such a beauty, aren't you, annwyl?"
Only now Emma realized she was talking to Calie. She was holding Calie in her arms.
"Let her go!" she demanded, taking a step towards her. The woman turned her face to her.
"Careful", she smiled, although her dark eyes remained cold. "We wouldn't want to wake the little princess, would we now?"
"Put her back in the crib", Emma said darkly. "I don't care who you are, but I am pretty pissed right now and you don't want to get on my bad side."
"Or what?" The woman snorted. "You'll strike me with that adorable light magic of yours? Please. You are no match for me. Besides, don't you want her gone anyway? I am doing you a favor."
Emma bit her tongue. Her being jealous of Calie was one thing, but she couldn't let this woman hurt her. It wasn't right. None of this was her fault. She was just a child.
She closed her hand to a fist and opened it again, her magic shining brightly.
"Don't test me. Put her down now!"
The woman impatiently clicked her tongue.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Emma barely saw her move her fingers as she was already flying backwards. She hissed in pain when she hit the wall, sliding down to the ground. Before she could get up again, the woman threw something at her. Instinctively she caught it in her hand. It was an apple.
"If you should decide you want her back after all… this will help you find me."
"Wait!" she shouted, but the stranger had already disappeared into thin air.
When he returned to Emma's house, Killian immediately knew something was wrong. Emma was sitting on her bed, her eyes red and swollen. She heard him and turned to look at him.
"Killian", she said, tears streaming down her face. Only now he noticed the red apple in her hand.
"What happened?" he asked. His eyes scanned the room. "Where's Calie?"
"She's gone", she whispered, barely audible. "I'm so sorry, Killian, I tried to stop her…"
Killian felt like all the air was pressed from his chest.
"Gone?" he repeated, not grasping the meaning of the word, the bags with the food sliding from his fingers. "What do you mean, gone? Stop who?"
Emma was shaking with sobs. "Suddenly there was a woman. I've never seen her before. She took her and… and disappeared…"
He felt anger rise in his chest. Who dared take his child from him?
Unable to hold back, he snarled: "And you let that happen?"
Emma's eyes widened. "No, I-I tried to stop her, but she had magic!"
"So do you!" Killian snapped. He walked to the crib, looked out the window, under the bed, not really expecting to find her, but needing to do something. He knew that he was being unfair to Emma, but he couldn't contain his anger, his desperation.
"She was more powerful than me!" Emma seemed to be getting angry, too. "Do you really blame me for this?"
"Maybe I should!" Killian yelled, finally looking at her. "Do you think I don't see how you look at her? Aren't you glad she's gone?"
"What do you want to hear?" Emma screamed back. "Yes, it sucks that you spend more time with her than with me, that you barely seem to care about me at all, and that she's the child of the woman you loved more than you will ever love me! And of course I sometimes wish we would've never found her! But how can you ever think that I would harm your child?"
Only now he saw the blood trickling down the back of her neck.
"Swan…", he started, reaching out to examine the wound, knowing that he had gone too far, but she just wiped away her tears and stormed out, slamming the door shut.
"A red apple! That's my signature!" Regina snarled as she eyed the object on the table. "When we find this witch she and I are gonna have a little talk. No one steals my methods!" Looking at Killian, she quickly added: "And your child, of course."
They had all gathered in the loft to discuss their next step. A location spell on one of Calie's pacifiers had proven useless, which meant that she was no longer in this world. Or dead. Killian swallowed.
"Don't worry, your majesty, I doubt she tried to steal your methods", Gold said, taking the apple in his hand. "This is not just any apple. Tell us more, Miss Swan. This woman… did she have magic?"
"Yeah. I tried to fight her, but she was stronger than me."
She subconsciously touched the back of her head where she had probably hurt herself when she landed.
"Then she just disappeared. With the baby."
With these words she looked at Killian, and he felt a twinge of guilt about his former accusations. How could he ever suspect her?
He had been going crazy with worry for his child, he still was, but he knew that was only an explanation, not an excuse.
Gold nodded, holding the apple against the light and then taking a healthy bite.
"Are you insane?" Regina shouted, trying to stop him. "It could be poisoned!"
"It's not", Gold replied, spitting it into his hand. "That would be your signature. I thought we had already agreed that this was not a copy."
To everyone else, he said:
"Disgustingly sweet, and perfectly red, combined with an unmistakable aroma. The woman who gave it to you had magic more powerful than you, Miss Swan. That tells me one thing. She came from Avalon. And most likely returned there."
"Why would you assume that?" Regina asked.
"Because she gave Emma a hint with the apple!" Snow said as realization dawned on her.
"Avalon is known for its apples, that's how it got the name", Belle explained.
"She obviously lied!" Regina shot them a how-can-you-be-so-naïve-look. "Who would kidnap a child and tell their parents where to find them?"
"It could be a trap", Emma said.
"Oh, it most definitely is", Gold said matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't matter." Killian stared at the apple, the images from his dream appearing in his mind. "I'm going to get her, and if anyone stands in my way I'll kill them."
"Of course, just like you killed me", Gold snarled. "When did you promise to do that? Two hundred years ago? And yet I am still here."
Killian clenched his jaw, but before he could reply, David interrupted them:
"Let's focus on the problem on our hands rather than on past vendettas. What can you tell us about Avalon?"
"It is ruled by the Lady of the Lake", Gold explained. "When I last visited Camelot, that was Nimue, a member of the 'le Fay' family."
"The elves?" Emma asked, remembering their conversation four months ago.
Gold nodded.
"However I can't tell you what Nimue would want with your child."
Killian paused for a moment, a horrible thought crossing his mind.
"The woman who took Calie, what did she look like?" he asked, turning to Emma. Please don't let it be her.
Emma frowned. "Uh. Long, blond hair, freaky dress…"
His heart sank to his stomach.
"Dark eyes?"
"I don't know. Maybe? Yeah, I think so. Do you know her?"
Killian nodded darkly and turned back to Gold.
"Her name is Morgause", he said. "Morgause le Fay."
"Morgause le Fay? How can you be so sure?" Gold asked.
"I saw Avalon in a dream. A woman warned me about her."
He really didn't want to go into detail about this. So she had found him, after all. How was she not dead, after all these years?
"You saw Avalon in a dream?" Belle asked, rocking baby Rose in her arms.
Gold looked up, interested.
"Who was this woman that warned you?"
"I didn't recognize her, but she seemed to know me."
"Only the Lady of the Lake could have sent you a dream from Avalon. Morgause is Nimue's eldest daughter, and if it wasn't her, that means Nimue still reigns."
Regina raised an eyebrow.
"So you know Morgause, Nimue came to you in a dream… what is your business with them?"
"It doesn't matter."
"If we're going to fight this elf bitch to save your daughter, we need to know!" she snarled.
Killian sighed.
"Let's just say that I don't recall meeting Nimue before, and that Morgause and I are not exactly fond of one another. How do I get to Avalon?"
"Oh, you can't get to Avalon just like that!" Gold said like it was general knowledge. "You have to go to Camelot first."
Killian clenched his fist, annoyed by the Dark One's vague answers. "And how do I bloody get to Camelot?" he asked, raising his voice. "It's not like we have any magic beans left!"
"We'll find a way", David assured him.
"We, mate? You're coming with me?"
"Of course I am! You should know us long enough to know we always have each other's backs!"
Killian couldn't help but feel touched by David's comment. He hadn't realized he was part of the 'we' now.
"We'll all help you", Henry promised.
"Kid, I think you should stay here. This Morgause is dangerous."
Emma gave him an apologetic smile.
"Stop calling me kid! I'm thirteen, and Calie is basically my sister! And my aunt! I'm going."
"Henry, you're staying."
Regina gave him her don't-argue-with-me look. Henry kept quiet, but the expression on his face made it clear that for him, the discussion was not over.
"Well I'm definitely going", Robin said, looking at Killian.
"I will help you find your daughter."
The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "Thanks, mate."
"How touching", Gold snarled. "Maybe we could focus on finding a portal now, or no one will help anyone find their child."
"Great, any suggestions?" Emma asked.
"Not so fast. I need to prepare first. And if you don't mind, Miss Swan, I would like to see the room where it happened."
Emma shrugged. "Sure. If you think you can find something."
"Wait, can I see the apple?" Killian asked before they could leave. Maybe there was something in his dream that he had forgotten?
Gold handed it to him and Killian grasped it. It was burning hot. He hissed in pain and dropped it immediately. It fell to the floor. The fruit glowing and radiating a heat that soon filled the loft.
"What the hell…" Emma started, her voice trailing off as she looked at what was happening right in front of her.
The light spread, turning into a whirling mass of colors. It was windy, and noisy.
"Is that…" Snow started, looking at David.
"Looks like a portal", he agreed.
It grew bigger, sucking in the table and one of the chairs.
"Everybody step back!" Regina shouted over the rising noise.
"Neal!" Snow screamed, rushing past Killian and reaching for her son, who had started crying.
The portal reached them, and all she could do was hold on to the crib while it sucked them in.
"Neal! Snow!" David shouted, jumping in right after them.
Emma watched her parents disappear, her eyes wide.
"Well, I guess that settles that", she said, but before she could follow them, Regina grabbed her arm.
"Are you out of your mind? We don't even know where it leads!"
"Avalon", Killian said, realization dawning on him. "The apple. It was a portal. It leads to Calie."
Without taking another look at them, he stepped forward.
