Before anyone had even begun to thought to react, the door had been slammed shut.

No one moved for a brief moment, no one knew how to respond. Charlie had the distinct feeling that up until the moment before, they had been of the belief that they would never see their King again.

Yet here was, but a shell of the former man.

Shaved of his beard and hair, eyes bloodshot and lips bust. It took Charlie aback to see his father in such a state. It didn't seem real, it couldn't be real. The King had always seemed so immortal to his subjects.

And this was a broken man.

Dragging himself to his feet, the King said nothing. Regarding them with a look as though he had just returned from tea, not torture. His eyes narrowed as he drew his lingering gaze across the gathered group, disgust lighting his gaze.

Then his eyes at last landed on his youngest son.

"Good to see your still alive." The sarcasm dripped from his tongue, "Now why the hell are you all still here?"

In those words, the King was quick to disperse any idea that he was not the same man. The same anger still blazed in his dark eyes, the same fury seemed to below from his every movement.

Our enemies can take everything from him, and he'd still be the same man. Charlie hated himself for almost praising him, not that he would have ever said it aloud. The young wolf shifted from one leg to the other.

But the return of the King had been coupled with confusion.

Robert was the first one to speak with some clarity to his voice. "There is no way out, father." He explained as calmly as he could, though the anger was rippling in the under tone. "We're trapped."

King James sighed, as though this was a mere inconvenience. The King very nearly went to run his fingers through his hair, only to remember that it was no longer there. He didn't react to his own mistake and continued.

"Honestly, I thought I'd taught you boys better then that." He spoke with a sigh to his voice.

Despite the insult, every person perked up at these words. Hope lighting their eyes.

All they needed was the smallest amount of hope, and that could be enough to get them out of here.

Charlie had a little more doubt to him however, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to give his father his full attention. Heart so far into his throat that he was sure it wouldn't take much for him to start choking on it.

The King lowered himself to the ground again, each movement was defined by pain but he didn't let him stop it. Soon he had shifted into the four legged tawny brown wolf, it didn't seem to have faired the torture much better. But in this form, movement was much easier for the King.

It was only in this moment that Charlie was beginning to notice how old his father truly was.

And how much of a toll his long life was beginning to take on him.

Charlie had little to no pity for him either way.

Now every pair of eyes in the room was following the King like starving hawks, waiting on the edge of their seats. They didn't know for what he was searching, or if it even existed and their King had merely lost his mind.

But no amount of pessimism was going to make them any less hopeful in that moment.

The King was their last hope, and everything now rested on his shoulders.

For a moment the King paused, waiting by the fireplace he seemed to contemplate something for a short moment. His long tail darting from left to right with concentration, he was perfectly silence. As was the rest of the room.

No one dared to breathe for fear it would distract the King. Every second counted, and they were quickly running out. They all had their eyes on the King, and their ears on the door. In terror that they would be spotted.

At last something seemed to click in the King's head, and he stepped forward. Using the edge of the fireplace to prop himself up to a height where his nose was in line with the top grate of the fireplace. And there he paused again.

Gentle panting sounds came from the King, telling them that he was searching for a certain scent.

Yet for a moment he moved no further, and panic sparked in Charlie's chest.

Cant he find the scent? His heart raced so hard he was certain it would be audible. Whatever the scent is.

Just as he was beginning to dread the worst, that even the King wasn't going to be able to save them from this mess. Was when the King finally stepped forward, pressing his nose to a stone four from the right of the edge of the fireplace.

Nothing happened for a short while, and Charlie's heart fought higher and higher into his throat.

It seemed that everything was intent on going wrong for them this day.

Then all at once chaos began to happen. A horrendous grating noise sounded, like a great mechanism was working somewhere deep within the fireplace. It made everyone jump, and they all stared intently at it.

After what felt like an eternity, though in reality could have been no more then thirty seconds. The back great of the fireplace fell backwards and in, revealing nothing but pitch black.

Even if it didn't appear like the most inviting place in the world, it was their one hope. And for all Charlie cared, it could be the entrance to hell and he would have still gone inside. Better that then face whatever waited for him on the world outside this little room.

"When the palace was built, we knew the chances were there would be another rebellion," the King explained stepping back from the entranceway to look at his subjects. The palace had been built after the first, the one of their ancestors, had been burnt to a crisp in the first war. One of few victories the enemy had managed before losing.

"And we didn't want to risk being caught in our own home, with so few ways out." He continued, his tone almost bored like it was something he had been taught since he was a child, and he knew it inside out by now. "So we had this commissioned, using mostly dark magic to ensure that the exit is not visible to anyone from the outside."

It made sense, but there was one thing which was irking at the back of Charlie's brain.

He questioned it quietly, a nervous tone of voice. "What happened to the witches who did it for you?"

As far as he was aware, Briar was one of the only witches who worked for the King. It may have been a while, but part of Charlie new better then to assume that they had died of natural causes.

But still he wanted the answers to come from the King's own lips, not his own assumptions.

With a casual shrug of his shoulders, he looked his youngest son directly in the eye and didn't break it. The anger was again beautifully apparent in the eyes of the King, and for a moment he didn't say anything.

For a split second, Charlie began to doubt if he ever would.

"I had them killed," he spoke calmly. "Too risky to let a member of the enemy know our weakness."

Charlie winced, he was beginning to see why the people had rebelled in the first place.

But it appeared they at last had a way of getting out of this hellish place, and nothing could have ruined the joyous moment of victory in that moment. A few victorious cries sounded, which were quickly silenced but the happiness was palpable either way.

They might well make it out of this place alive.

Violet, one of few still thinking logically in that moment in time approached the window on tip toe. Both as a manner to silence her footsteps, and so she was able to see out of the window which otherwise would have been out of her reach.

She peeked out of it with caution, barely daring to breathe as though they might have been able to here her from miles below.

But she looked back with a confused expression lighting her expression. Eyes narrowed she said. "There's no one there." She exclaimed, the panic flickering in her eyes was fortunately not reflected in her eyes.

"Don't look a gift horse in the eye, Madame Violet," one servant said. Words which Charlie doubted she would never have dared said under any other circumstances. "We don't know what else they might have going on, for all we know they may be taking down the other Kingdoms right now."

"Let's just go and cross that bridge when we come to it," another agreed with enthusiasm. Looking over to King James, as though asking for permission to throw himself through the hole then and there.

But the King had remained silent up until that moment. He followed in Violet's wake to look out the window, and from the frown which deepened on his face, he saw something which agreed with his only daughter.

And he liked it about as much as Violet had.

The look he gave the rest of them was enough to quickly silence the group, as they watched him return to the mix.

Returning his gaze to the fireplace, he grabbed the underside of the door and pulled upwards. Yanking it back into place and then he turned his attention back to his subjects. "Now we have just one issue."

This had everyone's attention, it had all seemed so perfect. No one could understand what could possibly be wrong.

"Whose going to stay behind?"

His words seemed to echo across the room, and was met with only silence for a short while. No one had a clue as to how on earth they could respond to this question. Whatever they said, the likelihood was that they were going to betray someone.

Charlie could guess what the first thought on their mind was going to be anyway.

Recoiling a little at this, for a moment no one responded. No one could see why anyone had to remain. All they could see was the positives of the situation.

Only Charlie it seemed was able to understand what was being implied.

"I will," he spoke up after a second. Perhaps a little too quick, too eager. But there was meaning behind his words. "My middle name might as well be distraction."

At this last word it quickly fell into place for everyone, and there was no question left as to what needed to be done.

They weren't the only ones left in this castle.

They needed to get as many of the rest of them out as they were able to.

Arthur included.

Charlie was willing to die a horrendous death trying to ensure the safety of his elder brother, after all he had done, it was the least he could do. To at least finish his hours doing something honourable.

Robert, however, was less certain.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said firmly arms crossed before him. "It's more likely that you'll get them all killed then do any good," he said lowly. "You go with the rest of them, one of us will do it better."

Charlie lowered his head, not insulted but the pain was a similar one.

"That's not what he meant." Violet was the one to make the realisation, always the sharper one of the bunch. Her eyes narrowed until they resembled a cat's more than a wolf, as she continued in a low tone.

"He's going to be the distraction to let the rest of you get out of here," she said with a sigh. "And he reckons he'll die doing it."

Violet made careful eye contact with her glaring younger brother, raising an eyebrow she asked. "Am I wrong?"

She wasn't.

"But it may be our only chance," Charlie said quietly, looking to the side. "And I don't care if it means the rest of you will get out."

"You've always been a stubborn idiot, Charlie, but this is something else entirely."

The King cleared his throat, and in an instant all eyes were on the monarch again.

"For that reason, he's not going to be alone."

Now he definitely had their attention, even if it was terrified.

"I, Violet and Elliot will go down to the cells, or at least that's where I expect the others can be found, it's the most logical place for them to have been kept." The King explained with careful emphasis.

Unless their all already dead, Charlie didn't say it aloud though. Moral as low enough.

Charlie made careful note of the fact that he wasn't giving Robert much choice in his role.

"Robert and you," the King said, pointing his nose to the other wolf and his brother. "Will be our distraction."

Evie had opened her lips to disagree, but she couldn't force the words to come. She knew this was the way it had to end, even if it broke her heart. She stepped forward, ignoring everyone else in that moment and put her arms around her husbands neck.

Like this they stayed for a moment, breaking Charlie's hearts.

They expect this to be their last goodbye, Charlie almost choked.

Part of him very nearly reached for Briar, but he couldn't bring himself to. The pain that it could be their last goodbye, after such a small time together broke his heart into what felt like a million different pieces.

Instead he caught her line of sight, and only nodded. For it was all he could think to do.

For a moment she did nothing, only making eye contact with him and little else.

Then with great hesitation, she nodded back. She understood what had to be done, and wouldn't try to stop him.

She had her own place here, and they needed her as much as his group needed him. And even if it broke their hearts far beyond that which seemed repairable, they were going to stay where they were needed most.

It had always been in their nature.

But it could very well be the only way for this to end.

In the corner of his vision, he spotted his brother and sister in law pull apart at last, Lyra's sobbing was even louder then it had been before, and Robert placed a small, delicate kiss on her forehead. Charlie pretended not to notice that he too had tears in his eyes, even if they were better disguised then his daughters.

Robert refused to look back in spite of her continued cries.

He shifted, quickly taking on his four legged form rather than two legs and moved to the door.

"Ready?" The question was directed at Charlie, his stance prepared.

Charlie nodded.

The second the nod was done, behind him chaos arrupted. As at once the rest guessed what their purpose would be, they screamed and begged for help as loudly as they could.

And for the first time, Charlie had to pretend to lose his mind.

It didn't take long before the door swung open, revealing men at the ready. Three of them, two in wolf form and the third holding a crossbow. One Charlie recognised to be appropriated from the great dining hall downstairs.

But they didn't have the time to react before as one Charlie and Robert leapt.

Ripping through them with surprising ease, they left the three men on the ground in their wake.

And lunged into the depths of the palace once again.