Author's Note: Basically thought this up this afternoon and well here it is. I probably should have been studying, but I was bored... hence the starting theme of this fic.
I've seen the movie three times and I love it more with each time I've seen it. I'm a big fan of Balthazar and Veronica and would have been quite happy if the whole movie had been about them. Maybe the sequel will be : ) .
Disclaimer: Well, I think it is fairly clear that I do not own the movie, or the characters or anything else associated with it. If I did own the movie, the whole film would have been about Balthazar and Veronica and Horvath too I suppose. He is such a likeable Villian.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Being Bored and Hiding
They were bored. Simple as that. And as simple as that, it was never a good thing. It usually meant something would end up blown up by a Plasma ball or one of them would get stuck in a mirror or a rug with other panicking because neither could remember the counter spell.
Boredom never mixed well with young apprentice sorcerers', especially ones that had something of a rivalry between them whenever they met something new (spell or sword technique. Anything really) and wanted to master it before the other.
These moments of boredom, when their Master was not around, were the perfect times for their friendly rivalry to be given a slight longer lead, meaning neither of them would hold back until a) one of them ended up with a broken nose (both had lost count to how many times their noses had be broken because of a mishap spell… or a well-aimed punch) or b) they forgot how to stop the spell they had cast.
Both options happen fairly frequently, making it amazing that their Master ever allowed them to be left alone for any period of time at all. Though usually they weren't left alone, like they presently were now. The third and youngest apprentice was usually around to keep them in their place, but at that present moment in time, she wasn't there.
So now, not only were they bored, blowing something up and not having a fifteen year old girl yelling at them for doing so kinda took all the fun out of it, they were now also rather worried, for said fifteen year old girl had been gone for several hours, unusual for her. And she was a, well a rather attractive fifteen year old girl, and this being her first time at Court since she was eleven years old, both male apprentices were a little apprehensive as to what sort of attention she might be receiving now, being all by herself, without their Master and themselves being present with her.
"This is ridiculous! Let's just go find her already. It'll kill time until Master returns." Maxim Horvath exclaimed with frustration. Really trying to blow up a suit of armour without her shrieking at them in the background to stop, really was taking all the fun out of it for him. And Balthazar too, Maxim added, noting that his best friend's heart really weren't in his beloved Plasma balls today.
"Might as well."
The two apprentices left the private chambers' that King Arthur had had set aside especially for their Master and them whenever they came to Court for business. Business that their Master and King were tending to now and so kindly left the two of them out of, something about 'not wanting a pair of hot-heads to get into a fight in the middle of important meeting between Kings and treaties and so on' or something along those lines.
Both men felt that was bit rich coming from their Master, since he too was rather well known for his own hot headed temper and for picking fights with neighbouring Kings or even his own King when things weren't going his way.
But both had decided however and only due to the threat of facing the wrath of one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, sorcerer of their age or any age really, to keep their mouths shut about those particular traits of their Master's personality.
"Where is she?" Maxim growled after an hour of search the Castle for the third apprentice. They had searched all the likely places they would figure she would go; the stables to see to their horses, the library for peace and quiet and to read, or to the gardens. They had even gone back to their private chambers' just to check that she hadn't already returned, but she had not and now their worry for her had grown to an almost alarming level.
"I mean, what could a fifteen year old be possibly doing that could be taking so long?" Maxim exclaimed irritably. Balthazar just looked at him, eyebrows raised, as if daring him to admit what he himself had been doing when they had been at Court when he was fifteen.
"Veronica! I meant what could Veronica be possibly doing that is taking her so long?" Maxim growled at his friend in annoyance.
"Maybe Master has sent her on an errand." Balthazar suggested, though he had little hope in that theory. If that were the case, she would have come and told them and they would have gone together, as they always did.
Maxim didn't reply to that suggestion, just continued to stomp down the servant's corridor, passing a broom cupboard, kicking it to vent some of his frustration, causing it, oddly enough, to squeal. Both men stared at the broom cupboard as it gave another squeal as several things banged around within it. The squeals were then followed by a series of soft curses spoke in a familiar soft, rich voice. Both men glanced from each other then back at broom cupboard, before Balthazar grabbed the cupboard handle and wrenched its door wide open, causing another squeal as a dark haired girl came toppling out of the cramped space along with a series of brooms, mops and buckets.
"Eh, Veronica?" both men looked down at the struggling to rise into a sitting position girl, who while doing that, was trying to, and without much hope, push her great mass of dark hair out of her face.
"Yes?" she sounded so innocent. Looked so innocent as she stared up at them with her big brown eyes, sitting amongst an array of brooms, mops and buckets.
"What were you doing in there?" Maxim asked trying to keep himself from laughing. She shrugged her thin shoulders calmly.
"Practicing creating light."
"Veronica, you've been able to do that since you were ten years old." Balthazar pointed out.
"Well, you know what Master is always saying, 'practice makes perfect', so if you would be so kind as to excuse me, I'm going to go back inside and practise some more." She was lying, Balthazar just knew that she. It was her eyes that always gave her away somehow. Her face could be completely neutral but her eyes would give away what she was truly feeling.
"Oh come now, as if." Maxim snorted. He had caught on to her lying too.
"Oh please, you two." Her eyes were quite wide now and she was beginning to bite her lower lip, a sign that she was nervous about something. "I promise I'll be back before Master is back, but at the moment, I just have to hide…" she trailed off as she clapped a hand to her mouth. She shouldn't have said 'hide'! Now they would never leave her alone.
"Hide? Hide from whom, pray tell?" Maxim asked quietly, a deadly note to his voice. Veronica glanced at Balthazar for help, but he was now leaning against the cupboard's doorframe, a sign that meant he was not going to leave until she told them every thing.
"Just a couple of boys. But it is nothing that I can't handle." She added extremely quickly as the two older and male apprentice glanced at each other, nodding as they did so, as if they had come to a silent agreement about something. Which Veronica, having known the two for quite some time, knew that that was a quite possible. When it came to forming a plan, the two only had to look at the other for them to have one created between them.
"Nothing you can't handle, hmm? Hence you're hiding in this lovely broom cupboard." Balthazar commented.
"Please, it really is nothing. I'm just…" she trailed off again as all three apprentices heard her name being called by a young and male voice.
"Got to go." Both male apprentices felt a tingle of magic and heard the slamming of a door. And when they looked away from the direction that the call had come from they found that both their fellow apprentice and all the brooms, mops and buckets that had been scattered around her were gone and that the broom cupboard's door was once again firmly closed.
The two male apprentices glanced at each other then at the broom cupboard door where they could faintly hear heavy breathing from within and now the sound of running footsteps upon stone floors.
"Veronica? Where are you? I have something to ask…" a youth popped into view from around the corner in front of them and visibly whiten at the sight of the two apprentices before him.
"Ah…" he started weakly, his eyes clearly drifting back in the direction he had come, obviously contemplating bolting for it.
"Are you looking for Veronica?" Maxim asked pleasantly. They both heard the furious squeak from within the cupboard but ignored it.
They had started this whole search mission because they had been bored and now they wanted to have some fun. And who better to mess with then an over-confident squire who was tormenting (at least that was how they were going to think of it) their friend and fellow apprentice.
"Ah, yes, I was actually. Um, have you seen her? I need to ask her something, I mean," he looked the two apprentice sorcerer's up and down and gulped, "I need to ask Lord Merlin something first of course before I ask her. I mean, it's only polite."
"And what, pray tell, do you need to ask our Master, that you can't simply ask of us?" Maxim asked, still sounding pleasant, but both Balthazar and Veronica knew that this was just him luring the squire into a false sense of security before he unleashed the full strength of his sharp and lethal tongue.
"Ah well, you see, I was going to ask her, I mean, your Master or yourselves of course, if I could possibly court her." The squire, as he spoke, had drawn himself to his full height. Seeing this both apprentices did the same and the squire shrank back a little.
Both had guessed this was the reason behind the whole hiding business that Veronica was pulling but for some reason hearing it actually being spoken, out loud and by this arrogant youth, just about made both their blood boil. Brotherly protectiveness and friendship, the two quickly put it down to as they now glared at the youth.
"She's too young to be courted." Balthazar growled softly.
"Much too young for all that nonsense." Maxim agreed, even though all three of them knew that he himself had started courting girls at age fourteen.
The squire grew once more to his full height (which really made no difference at all as the two male apprentices were still taller than him even when slouching) and quite stiff and arrogantly said. "Fifteen isn't young for courting. Some girls are even married at fifteen." He snapped.
"Not our girl." Both apprentices growled as one.
From within her cupboard, Veronica felt her heart do a funny little leap at the word 'our'. They obviously hadn't realised what they had said, but she… her face suddenly felt quite flushed. She shook her head firmly, trying to rid herself of her blush.
Don't be silly, she scolded herself mentally, they think of you as their sister. They are your brothers and you are their little sister. They're protecting you because that is what brothers do for their sisters!
The youth shrank back once more at the two apprentices' tone, but it was obvious that he still wasn't about to give up on his argument.
"Well, its not really up to you is it? It's not even up to Lord Merlin either, not if she wants me to court her, which I know she does." The cupboard seemed to give a little revolted shudder but remained quiet.
"You think so, do you?" Balthazar asked. He was growing tired of this.
He was a patient man, probably the most patient out of all the apprentices and their Master, but this boy's attitude was weary through his patience. Quite a feat really, but Balthazar was too annoyed to acknowledge it.
"Of course. She will feel lucky to be courted by me." The boy replied arrogantly.
"I wonder if any girl would feel lucky to be courted by you if you were a pig." Maxim commented lightly, fingering the blue gem that was placed at the hilt of his sword. "Maybe they'd even prefer you being a pig." His dark eyes flashing dangerous at the youth, who had turned slightly green. Balthazar could feel a smirk pulling at his lips but forced it back, fingering his own yellow-green gem stone set as a ring on his finger, making it glow as Maxim gem now was.
"You-you wouldn't." the youth squeaked. Both men raised their eyebrows at him.
"Oh, we wouldn't, would we?" Maxim replied calmly.
"The King…" the youth stuttered.
"Wouldn't mind too greatly if we removed an arrogant, rude, little pig, like yourself, from his services. Actually come to think of it, I think he would thank us, don't you think so Balthazar?' Maxim turned, grinning slightly to his friend who grinned back nodding. They then glanced back at the youth and once more became deadly serious.
"Now you listen here very carefully; if you so much as disturb our fellow apprentice with this courting nonsense again, we will know and there will be one more pig in the pig yard, do you understand?" Maxim asked the youth. The youth, now completely white and sweating, eyes completely focused on the apprentices gems, nodded enthusiastically.
"Same goes for any of your friends too." Balthazar added, remembering Veronica stating 'boys' earlier.
"Alright, if we're come to that understanding, you may leave as the arrogant, rude, little human pig that you are. Goodbye now." They both watched the youth bolted back the way he had come. When they could no longer hear his frantic footfalls, the two allowed their laughter to be unleashed, almost doubling over at the strength of it.
"Oh, stop it you two. It wasn't that funny." Veronica scolded them both as she stepped carefully out of her hiding place, glancing quickly up and down the corridor to make sure the youth was truly gone.
"Yes, it was." Balthazar sniggered.
"No, it wasn't. Maxim, you weren't truly going to turn him into a pig, were you?" Veronica asked solemnly. Maxim forced his laughter back under control and looked at the youngest apprentice calmly.
"For you, I would. But not over something as trivial as that!" he broke out chuckling again.
"You sounded pretty serious about doing it." Veronica accused, biting her bottom lip.
"Well of course. I had to or he never believe me and leave." Maxim replied. "Right Balthazar?"
Balthazar nodded, grinning.
"Well…" she trailed off as if lost for words and sighed heavily. "I don't want to hear about this again, alright." She grumbled softly. The two men looked at each other then back at her, confused. Her cheeks grew a delicate red colour.
"Just don't." she grumbled.
"Don't what?"
"Just don't anything. Please, no teasing or laughing." She sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm not in the mood. I've been fending off those self-centre bastards," the two male apprentices looked at each other with startled eyes. Veronica never used such language, unless she was truly upset! Those little…
"For almost a week now! I honestly do not understand why they are throwing such a fuss over me!" she ended in a slight wail, drawing her friends out of their mental image of several pigs walking around the fencing yard dressed in squire's clothing.
"What do you mean?" Maxim asked puzzled.
"Well, it's not like I'm exactly pretty! I'm hardly a royal beauty!" she spat angrily. "They're only interested in me because I am one of Master's apprentices. If I wasn't, they wouldn't look twice at me!" Somehow, they both doubted that. "They most likely only want to court me so that I can help them solve all their silly little problems with my magic!" She exclaimed venomously.
Both male apprentices doubted greatly that being Merlin's apprentice and her having magic had anything to do with the youths' interest in her, they probably thought of those facts as being added bonus.
But neither said that as it was quite clear that Veronica was in a foul mood and would most likely be in it for quite some time.
And she was, so that when Merlin finally returned much later that evening, asked what on earth the pair of them had done this time to put her into such a mood.
Neither of them told their Master the true reason for Veronica foul mood, partly because she had asked them not, mostly because neither of them wanted to.
The idea of Veronica courting anyone had caused a sore spot for them both. What would happen the day that she actually wanted to be courted? What would they do then? Could they do anything? No, because they would want her to be happy, but…
The thought jabbed at the two apprentices minds, but they forced the thought to the back of their minds, planning on taking it out and thinking over properly the next time their Master was away and boredom once again came knocking on their doors. Which knowing their luck, would mostly likely be tomorrow.