The Founders Four

Captured

"Well, what do you think to this one?" The queen urged.

Rowena stood facing a most magnificent garment. The upper body of the wedding gown was beaded beautifully and intricately, shimmering in the summer sunshine that streamed into her tower room. The skirts of it hung delicately, the lace underside finishing the effect. It looked too magnificent to touch.

"Rowena?" Her mother prompted, waiting impatiently beside the dressmaker.

"I...it's beautiful," she murmured.

"You will be wanting to try it on then?"

"Yes, she will!" The queen said excitedly, chivvying her behind the screen in the corner of her room, where the dressmaker helped her into the gown.

Once it was slipped on and had been altered and fussed with until the queen was satisfied, Rowena could step forth to take a look in the mirror. As she did so she could barely believe it was her staring back. As far as she was concerned, the dress was a perfect fit and she wasn't sure whether she was pleased about this or not. The gentle lacing of the long sleeves fell just over her wrists. Her mother soon rushed forth with a veil made from similar material, fastening it into her hair.

"I think we shall have her hair up," she told the dressmaker excitedly.

Rowena had decided it was best to just let her mother make all the choices for this wedding. Whenever Rowena's opinion had been asked for her mother was basically demanding that she agree. If ever she disagreed it would lead to many questions, her mother demanding why her decisions were not good enough.

Besides, as Rowena looked at herself in the mirror, the veil falling gently against her pale face, she rather thought this was the nicest gown she could get married in, even if it was to someone she hated.

"Come now, Rowena, take that off and we shall go into the grounds," the queen said suddenly, causing her to snap sharply from her stupor.

Rowena did so, soon joining her father in the grounds.

"So, what do you say to the ceremony being outdoors?" The queen demanded of the king, as though Rowena's involvement was irrelevant. This was the happiest day of her life, after all - in theory.

"Outdoors?" He demanded, as though the very idea was preposterous. "You expect all our guests to eat outside with the flies and the birds, do you?"

"Don't be so ridiculous!" She chuckled. "No, we shall have the great feast inside," she explained. "I just thought, as it's summer, it would be nice if we could enjoy it outside!"

"That's the problem with you women!" He exclaimed. "You should leave the thinking to us men!" He chuckled. "We will have the ceremony in the great hall, it's far more fitting!"

She nodded, looking too abashed to argue. Rowena couldn't care less and so nodded in reply to her father's decision. God forbid she be out in the sun too long and let her skin adopt an appearance that suggested it actually belonged to a living person!

"Right then!" Her mother said, after her father had walked away. "We must discuss the decoration for the evening, when we shall dine!"

*

"We're lost, aren't we?" Helga demanded.

She and Godric had dismounted their horse and were staring through the mass of trees surrounding them. It all looked the same now that they were uncertain of the route they should take. It was mostly Godric's fault, who'd been certain that he could work out an efficient short cut.

"Well, I think we're heading in the right direction," he said uncertainly, knowing full well that he had no idea where they now were.

They had been travelling for many days. They'd been forced to travel along less busy roads, through the risk of being seen. They'd also had to sleep in woodland areas or disused farm buildings. It wasn't an ideal situation but the thought of Rowena spurred him on.

"We should ask someone," Helga said matter-of-factly.

"Oh yes, let's!" He said sarcastically. "Excuse me, Mr. Oak?" He asked mockingly, sidling over to a tree that towered high above him. "Could you be so kind as to tell me the way to the castle of the king of England?" Helga rolled her eyes. "Straight ahead? Thank you so much!"

"Godric!"

"Don't you trust the tree?"

She stared at him with raised eyebrows, giving the look that mother's often gave to mischievous children.

"Or my sense of direction?"

"Forgive me, Godric," she said. "But I don't believe you have any navigational skills whatsoever."

"It's nice to know you have faith in me! Now, are we going to take heed to the tree or just stare around this clearing for the next day or so?"

"Fine," she sighed. "We'll go Mr. Oak's way!"

Godric led the way forth with Helga close behind and their horse, which stuck out considerably because it was white, obediently bringing up the rear.

*

"Milady!"

Rowena turned around in annoyance as one of the servant girls approached her, just as she was about to climb the spiralling stairs up to her tower room.

"What is it?" She asked, noticing that she was breathless, as though either something was terribly wrong or that she'd ran all the way here.

"The king and queen...wish to tell you...that...that..." She gasped.

"Yes?" She urged, fearing the worst.

"The Eve before your wedding," she said. "There will be...Masquerade ball..."

"Oh," she said, feeling that this was highly unimportant when compared with other issues that were going on.

"The king and queen wish to know if there is anyone you would like to invite?"

"No," she grunted, turning in the opposite direction once more.

"Very well, Miss," she nodded, hurrying off.

Rowena knew it would be an occasion where all of her father's friends came together to brag and every well-off air-headed woman would tell her how lucky she was to be marrying prince Edmund. It made her feel sick.

"Wait!" She called, just before the girl disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor. "I do want to invite someone - Salazar Slytherin!"

*

Night had how fallen upon the forest Godric and Helga were still trekking through. Their legs ached and they knew it was pointless to carry on; they could see nothing in the dark. As they settled down for the night in a sheltered spot Godric couldn't help but notice how eerie it was.

"Godric?" Helga asked quietly, as she lay huddled beneath the large animal skin blanket they shared.

"Yes?" He replied sleepily.

"How do you think Rowena will react when she sees you?"

"I hadn't really thought about it."

In actual fact, it was the thing he thought about most these days. His ideal greeting would be one of love, where she threw her arms around him in gratitude for rescuing her.

"Have you thought about how you're going to do it?" She asked warily, sounding a little doubtful.

"Do what?" He asked, staring intently at the place her face would appear had it not been pitch black all around them.

"Stop the wedding," she said. "And then get her away from the castle."

He remained silent, the panic beginning to set in. No, he had not come up with a plan cunning enough to fool the king's guards. He'd never even been near the castle so how he was going to formulate a plot to break into it, he didn't know.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," he muttered, lying down and knowing he'd never be able to sleep now.

Helga opened her mouth to point out all the problems with this but then obviously thought better of it.

*

A few days later Salazar awoke with a start, squinting as the early morning sun burst its was into his room. He was soon rushing to get ready when he realised how late it was. He smiled in greeting to Bella as he joined her and Arthur at the dining table for breakfast.

"Good sleep?" Arthur chuckled.

"Very good," he replied.

"This was delivered earlier," he said, passing him a very official-looking envelope.

He took it, staring down at the recognisable seal in confusion. Was this a letter from the king telling him to get back to his duties? He reluctantly prised it open and was rather surprised to see a sheet of parchment with much artistic scribbling around the edge.

"What is it?" Belle asked.

"An invitation," he replied, as he read the last few lines. "I've been invited to a masquerade ball, to take place the evening before the princess's wedding."

"Just yourself?" Arthur inquired, looking as though he very much desired to go.

"It would seem so," he replied. "Sorry," he said awkwardly to Belle.

"There's no need to apologise," she insisted. "You should have fun, it sounds like quite an occasion."

"For some more than others," he muttered under his breath.

"How long until the wedding takes place?" Arthur asked.

"Two weeks."

He knew this time would fly by, most undesirably in Rowena's case.

*

It soon felt that Godric and Helga had been travelling for months, not weeks. Every bit of woodland they were forced to travel through started to look the same. It was taking them longer because their horse had to rest and moving through dense undergrowth wasn't exactly easy, especially in the heat of summer. Godric was just glad it was almost over. They had now come as far as middle England or thereabouts, which they felt was quite a feat, considering they'd come most of the way on foot.

"You know," Godric said thoughtfully, as they wandered across a dappled forest floor one sunny afternoon. "I bet Salazar used to live around here."

"Really?"
"Well, his uncle did. He told me. I'm not sure exactly where but I believe we're close."

"It's just lucky we came by that main road yesterday," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You would quite happily have bypassed Nottingham and gone the wrong way!"

"Okay. I'll admit you were right about this," he grinned.

"Only this?"

"A lot of things then!" He chuckled.

"This woodland must span for miles," she breathed, when they came to rest in a sunny clearing, allowing their horse to drink from a stream. "I hope we don't get lost."

"I'm sure we won't," he assured her. "How hard can it be to find your way in this forest?"

Helga turned to stare at him with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"You can't say that when you've got us lost on a countless number of occasions!" She laughed.

"Fair enough!" He smiled. "I'm sure we'll be at the castle in no time!"

"Let's go then!" She beamed, looking rather enthusiastic.

Godric nodded and was about to follow when he froze. He had sensed something behind them, as though someone was watching them. He glanced over his shoulder and stared intently into the trees. There was nothing there.

"What is it?" Helga asked, noticing his anxious expression.

"Nothing," he said quickly, not wanting to worry her.

He decided he must have been imagining it and followed behind her, trying to move the thought to the back of his mind.

They travelled for the rest of the day, all the trees they passed looking alike. The sun was soon beginning to set and Helga insisted they rest, coming to stop in an open area amongst the trees.

"How much further does this forest go on for?" Godric asked, more to himself than to Helga.

"It looks like we'll have another day full of these trees tomorrow!" She replied.

Godric suddenly froze. All day he'd been ignoring the sensation of eyes following every move they made but now they'd come to a standstill he couldn't do it any longer. He spun on the spot to stare in every direction, scanning their shadowy surroundings. The rays of summer light streaming through the canopy overhead didn't help his vision.

"Godric, what's wrong?" Helga asked, looking worried.

He stared intently to his right as he heard a strange rustling sound. There was a steep incline in that direction, which would have made a good look out point for any enemies.

"Godric!"

"Shh!" He hissed, listening intently. "Come on," he said finally, when silence followed his words. "We have to keep moving."

"But I thought...Godric, what's going on?" She demanded, sounding rather scared now.

"Keep your voice down!" He snapped, leading the way through the trees ahead.

He spun round as he heard the whistling sound of an arrow speeding towards them. Helga screamed in shock as it thudded into one of the trees rather close to them. This caused their horse to rear in alarm and pull itself free of Godric's grasp, galloping off through the trees.

"Run!" Godric roared.

She did so, with Godric following close behind, but he could tell they were being pursued. He slowed a little to provide a distraction to the enemies gaining on them, allowing Helga to get away safely. Luckily, she never looked back.

Godric suddenly flung forwards as his legs became entangled. His chin hit the ground hard and he felt his ribs bruise painfully. He breathed in the strong scent of soil and tried desperately to roll over in order to see who this attacker was. He sensed more than just one pair of feet nearby. Just as he was about to roll onto his back, a strong force pressed down upon his shoulders, preventing him from doing so. He could see shadows moving about nearby but he couldn't distinguish them.

His blood suddenly ran cold as Helga's scream echoed through the surrounding trees. Nothing but silence came after.

"Helga!" He roared, trying desperately to wriggle free from his captor.

"Silence him," someone muttered.

He felt a hefty blow to the back of the head and then all turned black...