FATED ▹ NIMUE [CURSED]

ONE ▹ BAPTISM BY FIRE

CHAPTER ONE.
BAPTISM BY FIRE.

"Why do you insist on constantly driving your mother mad?" A light-haired woman entered the garden, her skin pale amongst the green leaves and the tattered clothes she wore didn't help add any vividness, holding a faded brown colour.

The only vibrance was in her eyes, which were bright blue — eyes that had seen a lot come and go. Ones that would make a King turn his head and bring men to their knees.

Lenore had sent her looking for her daughter, she was grateful to her, she had helped aid her in a time of need. It was hard to find anyone who wasn't prejudiced against Fey's these days.

Of course, Lenore's daughter was in the floral grove as she had guessed, walking through peacefully with flowers. "Nimue? You can't ignore me..."She was staring into the distance, mildly distracted by a deer, "Look, it's just an animal..."

Then she spoke, "I don't understand. Save who?" An arrow shot past her, right into the deer's chest. "No! What did you do?"

"What do you think, fool? Shot supper," One of the hunter's spoke, he looked down to the deer, "Don't get too close to this witch, you'll get worms."

"It's okay, Nimue...ignore them," Gwendolyn placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her away. "Call her witch one more time and see what happens."

"Why do you defend her? Even her dad left her. Left his own clan because he was scared of her." She felt Nimue tense, she turned around.

"What did you say?"

"Don't get brave with me hag," Benum approached her, ready to start a fight.

"Get out of my forest."

"I'm not afraid of you..."

"Nimue, it's not worth it. They don't understand, they're just silly boys who can barely read or write," Gwendolyn tried to pull her away before it was too late.

"You should listen to your little servant girl."

"Get out of my forest!" Then it started happening, veins began to pop out of her neck like vines, green and thick as the wood on his bow started to snap, curling around his hand.

"Ah!" He screamed as she strangled him, "Pull it off! Help!" He was beginning to suffocate.

"Nimue!" Gwendolyn shouted again, "You've got to get this under control, right now! It doesn't matter what they've done or how much of an arse he is..." She grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes, "Listen to me. Let him go."

The vines around his neck snapped and he was let free, unfortunately it brought a crowd, his mother rushing to them. "Benum? What happened?"

It wasn't long before the accusations started to pile up, and Lenore appeared quickly, "Come...."

"It wasn't my fault," Nimue began to say as they walked down the hill. "It just happened. I'm sorry, Mother, I couldn't control it."

"I tried to tell her, madam," Gwendolyn sighed, "I'm sorry, she refused to hear reason, I should've got there earlier..."

"No one asked you to follow me around, I should be able to stop it on my own. I'm not a child."

"Yes, you are, and a annoyingly stubborn one. I tried to push away, I did..."

"No, it's alright. Gwen, you've done more than enough," She talked to Nimue, "He will live, you will make an offering to the family. I will explain to the Elders."

"I just want it to stop, why won't it stop?" Nimue questioned.

"It will not stop."

"No, I hate it! It's right what they say about me..."

"No. Never be ashamed of who you are."

"They don't call you demon, witch..." Nimue spared a look toward Gwendolyn, they knew why she was here. She'd suffered those fools twice before...

•

"I want her out of my castle!" King Elmore had been disgraced with the news, his very own ward had been caught using magic in the castle.

Gwendolyn sat on her knees in front of him, "You can't push me out, I have no home outside the castle. You took me in, you know this..." Her hands were held by chains, locked tightly around her wrists, though she would undo them.

"I trusted you, welcome you, treated you like a daughter and this is how you repay me? By practicing witchcraft in my home, my kingdom?"

"You don't understand, it was a mistake..."

"Silence!" He gestured to the guards, "Take the whore back to her cell, she will burned tomorrow as a witch."

"No!" She screamed as she was picked off her feet, dragged with chain mail back to the dark abyss that was the dungeon...

•

The darkness befell the sky as the Elders and Sky folk gathered around a fire pit for the ceremony. The moon had covered the sun, in an eclipse and Nimue looked to Gwendolyn, "What's happening?"

"Just shut up and listen," Gwendolyn told her and Ninue obeyed for once in the only time she'd known her. She was probably intrigued, the mark of her powers began to show, the green vines on her face...

Gwendolyn felt her own mark rise, the blue curled snake figures rose onto her forehead, curving down into her temples.

"The Hidden are with us," Sparks of fire from the pit started to rise, "They choose the new Summoner."

It came up in a tornado of lights, it rushed down onto Nimue, circling around her. Gwendolyn smiled softly, "You've been chosen."

"Been chosen? What?"

"No," an Elder spoke up, "No, not her. She is marked by the dark gods."

"Who are you to alter what they have appointed?" Gwendolyn shouted, "You do not get to decide fate."

"And why should we listen to a lowly she-devil?"

"You should listen to me," Lenore spoke up, "Nimue is the new Summoner."

"I don't want it," She could sense she was scared, to turn down such a role, "I don't want to be your Summoner."

"Nimue!" The fire scattered as she ran away, Lenore called after her to no avail and she continue to go.

Gwendolyn placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's okay. I'll talk to her," and she followed her into the village.

AUTHOR'S NOTE !
I'm sorry, I know this first chapter sucks
but we'll get more into their relationship
and Gwendolyn's powers in the next one!
I promise, it's gets better. This whole show
gives me dark and twisted OUAT vibes so
I had to. Hope you like it ❤️