Chapter Two: The Wandering Strangers
"Mother, Mother
Tell your children that
Their time has just begun
I have suffered for my anger
There are wars that can't be won."
~ From "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi
King Wendell White tossed the golden ball in his hand a few times and then tossed it to the hallway again. The Golden Retriever leaped once more into the air to catch the ball then ran back to the red-blond haired king with all of the energy of a puppy.
"Good boy," Wendell said patting the dog on the back.
Prince once again wailed at the window. He didn't really need to go out, but the dog just wanted to run into the woods like he did when he and Wendell went hunting.
Wendell laughed, "Sorry boy, but I won't let you out in this weather. You could get lost again."
Prince wailed slightly, but brightened up as he and Wendell continued the game. It was one of the few pleasures in the young king's life, playing games with his beloved dog. It was a nice stress reliever from all of the events and day-to-day pressures of being a king. And Happily Ever After knows that he sure needed it after the scare from last week.
The golden doors burst opened and a middle- aged American man barged in.
Wendell looked at his friend Tony Lewis facetiously. "Antony, I must have told you at least one hundred times, that you are to knock, announce yourself, and ask permission to come in before you enter my private rooms."
Tony smiled and then went into a mock-bow. "A pox upon your highness make it 101." He then turned to the open door and knocked on it. "It's Tony, can I come in?"
"Well, that's better," Wendell smirked. "You know I do believe that I get very little respect from you."
"Now, that's not true," Tony objected. "You get no respect from me."
Wendell couldn't help, but laugh. Tony was one of his best friends and could cheer him up whenever he was feeling low, plus in their own unique way he and his family provided a lot of support for Wendell, being his only real true friends in the kingdom.
"So what are you doing in here so excited?" Wendell asked.
"I just wanted to tell you, Virginia, Wolf, and the kids are here," Tony said excitedly.
A happy grin spread across the king's face. "Fantastic, earlier than I expected."
"Well, it's not like they have to go through customs in the mirror," Tony countered.
Wendell, Prince, and Tony ran down to the main chambers and saw the family greeting them. They were greeted by a handsome dark haired man with yellow eyes and a ravenous look, a pretty young woman with brown hair down to her shoulders and wearing a peculiar Tenth Kingdom style clothing a short black skirt and black top that left her midriff showing (a fashion style that no woman in the 9 kingdoms would wear since it would be considered immodest) and two small three year old children, a boy and a girl. The girl had the same soft brown hair and friendly features of her mother and the boy had the dark hair and sharp features of his father, but they both inherited his wolfish eyes.
"Uncle Wendell!" they ran up to him delighted and hugged him almost tackling the king down.
"Hello Luna and Grayson," Wendell said delighted. They hugged a bit more.
"Uncle Wendell where's Prince?" Luna asked.
Wendell took on a playful gesture on his face. "Oh, I see I know who you like visiting here more than me. I know when I'm not wanted."
The girl's large yellow eyes widened and her lips stuck out in a pout. Wendell laughed. "Just kidding, here boy!" He called to Prince. The children ran up to the dog and their grandfather delighted.
Wendell took the opportunity to stand and greet Virginia and Wolf. He slapped Wolf on the back and they grasped hands in a hearty handshake then he embraced Virginia and kissed her on the cheek. "How are my stepsister and beast-in-law?" he asked.
"Fine, great, we're both okay," Virginia and Wolf said, but something in their voices indicated the exact opposite. Wendell hoped there wasn't trouble in the marriage, but knew it wasn't the time to press the issue.
"How are you?" Virginia asked. "Dad told us about last week." She nodded at her father who was taking turns swinging the two children up over his shoulder.
Wendell sighed. "I wish he hadn't mentioned it," he said. He remembered for the last month that he had been plagued with nightmares and restlessness. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it had begun to affect his daily performance as king. He couldn't concentrate, he skipped meals, and often felt far apart from everyone else. Things finally came to a head, when last week he had fainted in his room and his servants had to put him back to bed. Of course he was fine within an hour, but he supposed Tony was still concerned.
"Don't worry," Wendell said. "I'm fine. It isn't any trouble, and I haven't been ill since then. I'm okay." Virginia and Wolf nodded satisfied with the news for now.
The family then sat down to drinks and caught up with the news of their daily lives. A knock at the door interrupted the laughing and talking wildly. "It's Lord Rupert, your majesty, may I come in?"
"See how he does it?" Wendell teased Tony. "Come in." He called. The dark haired courtier entered the room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your majesty, but the servants found an unconscious man outside the castle. They think he wanted to get in," the lord said evenly.
Wendell, Virginia, Tony, Wolf, Luna, and Gray opened the front door. True to Lord Rupert's words a young man was lying near the castle door. The rain fell on his face and black clothing. He breathed laboriously. He looked a mess.
"Is he dead?" Gray asked standing behind his mother shyly.
Wolf knelt down and sniffed the man. "Nope, he's still alive. No rigor mortis, no flesh falling out, no stench of being worm foo-."
"WOLF!" the others said in unison.
"Uh, I meant no, he's still alive," Wolf said.
"He's not a beggar," Wendell said. "His clothes are too nice."
"Is he hurt?" Virginia asked.
Wolf then sniffed him up and down. "Bruises, probably been in a fight. Also, he's pretty tired."
"Well, shouldn't you bring him in?" Virginia asked Wendell. "I mean you can't leave him out here in this."
"Remember the last time, the people in this castle played Good Samaritan for someone in the rain?" Tony reminded them. No one needed him to continue. That person was Virginia's mother, Christine and later Wendell's stepmother and she poisoned Wendell's mother and father only to be imprisoned. She escaped later and tried to take over the 9 Kingdoms, but luckily Virginia and the others stopped her before she had completed the job.
"True Antony," Wendell agreed. "But Castle White has always had an open door policy. Besides, I doubt he is in any condition to do us any harm." He called two of his servants over and to bring him inside so that he may sleep in his chambers.
The servants had barely gotten him out of the main hall and up the stairs when Prince started barking and growling strangely.
"What is it boy?" Wendell asked the dog.
Suddenly, Wolf started up as well. He began howling and sniffing outside the castle.
"Huff Puff, I felt it too!"
"What is it, Wolf?" Virginia asked.
"That!" Wolf pointed far from the castle. The rain had stopped, but a dark cloud hovered about 13 miles from the castle. The cloud swirled into a vortex as light tried to break through the cloud. The darkness overcame it, and swirled around. Lightening crashed through the ground and thunder rumbled.
"That's the direction of the Swamp!" Wendell yelled. Suddenly they felt a strange feeling, an eerie feeling. Like when someone has just received terrible news, or right when they are facing their worst fear only it was ten times worse. It was not only bad, but it was painful. Tony leaned to the side of the building for support. Wolf and Prince continued to howl to get away from it, even Luna and Gray started picking it up. Virginia and Wendell doubled over in pain. They knew whatever feeling they had it, wasn't just bad, it was evil.
Inside the castle, the servants who were holding the visitor struggled to hold onto him while they too fell over in pain, but only slightly managed to keep him from falling to the ground. The visitor woke up in sharp pain, looked around in horror, then only managed to fall back to sleep.
The feeling wasn't just limited to the House of White either. In Snow White's icy chamber, she felt the cold feeling and shuddered. "Something isn't right," she muttered to herself.
In the First Kingdom, Cinderella and her subjects felt it during one of her usual grand balls. All at once the music stopped and the dancers quit dancing and they fell over in unanimous pain.
The trolls felt it as they were polishing their shoes. The force knocked them into each other and they got up fighting swearing that they had knocked each other down.
The lovers in Kissing Town, the dwarves in the mines, the residents of Beantown and Peep's village, no where in the 9 Kingdoms was untouched by this feeling of fear and impending dread.
It was even felt by three visitors who had set up camp on their way to Wendell's castle. The old man with the beard trailed down almost to the ground looked out where the storm came from as his two companions an elderly woman with white hair in a braid and a small white haired man with long ears and not-quite human eyes tried to calm the horse that was by their side.
"Mab is here," Merlin informed his two companions, Nimue and Frick. "Come we have much to do, and not much time to do it in."
Acorn the Dwarf munched hungrily on the eggs. The disturbing feeling was over and now he was famished. He helped himself to another egg when he felt a bang at the door. He saw a shadow through the window that almost made out the image of a woman. He slowly picked up his axe and crept outside. He opened the door, forgetting to ward the visitor off with his "Swamp Witch" routine. He slowly opened the door and glanced outside first holding his axe out the door then poked his head out. "Is anyone out there?" he called, but his voice echoed through the swamp. "Just look out, I am armed and dangerous." He said raising his axe, but he didn't get the chance to use it as the intruder knocked him out with a magic blast.
Mab looked down at the dwarf that she had knocked out. "Insignificant fool!" she sighed. She then floated down to the basement of the dwarf's home to see the shriveled skeleton lying there.
The voice from the skeleton cackled with her eerie voice. "Up the airy mountain down the rushing glen/We dare not go a hunting for fear of little men," she quoted. "Mab, it has truly been a long time."
"Too long it seems, Hilda," Mab agreed. "I see you are doing rather well."
"About as well as you, forgotten by the modern world," the former evil queen said.
"At least I am not a rotting stinking corpse wallowing in the swamps," Mab countered, but realizing that this infighting would really get the two of them nowhere and they would never accomplish their goals. "How would you like me to restore your beauty and give you the chance to regain the throne to the House of White?"
The queen cackled. " I would say what would be in it for you. What could the glorious Queen Mab want?"
Mab chuckled innocently. "Oh nothing just to make sure that we lead the 9 Kingdoms into darkness so they can worship me alongside of you of course."
"And this wouldn't have anything to do with the prophecy of Camelot would it?" Hilda inquired.
"It has everything to do with it," Mab replied. "Would it satisfy you to regain the Fourth Kingdom?"
"I have gone beyond that, my successor as weak and pathetic as she was had the right idea, I want the entire 9!," Hilda said.
"Of course they are all yours," Mab said. "After all every spirit must have a human ruler to sway them."
"What do I have to do?" Hilda asked.
Mab grinned. "Just take out your hand." The skeletal hand jutted out. Mab put her hand on the decayed corpse and let the magic leave her hand on to the body. The body grew warm and regained flesh. Suddenly the entire body regained its life as the corpse became a woman once more instead of a dead body. The woman looked sat up and realized that not only was she brought back to life, but that she had regained her youth and beauty. No more was she a bent old pathetic woman. Instead she was a raven -haired statuesque beauty again. Even though she didn't have them with her, she couldn't resist asking, "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all?"
"Time for that later," Mab said. "Now we must be off, King Wendell's men are bound to find us." Then the two women disappeared from the Swamp.
Virginia woke from her reverie shaken and disturbed. She and Wolf were outside watching the children play with Prince and Tony while they were having some private time alone. She was safe in Wolf's arms when she woke up from the vision. "Virginia, what is it?" Wolf asked concerned as ever.
"Nothing I just had a bad image," Virginia asked.
"Was it about your mother again?" Wolf asked quietly. Virginia gulped. During the last month of her pregnancy before the twins were born, she had frequent dreams of her mother Christine, remembering the bad parts of her childhood the night she tried to kill her and then ran away. After Luna and Gray were born, she had stopped having them up until a few months ago. This time they were more frequent than ever and some of the worse nightmare she kept to herself.
"Virginia, your mother is dead," Wolf told her. "She can't hurt you anymore."
Virginia leaned against her husband for his strength and support. "I know, I should know that," she said. "But every once in awhile I feel like she is still watching me."
"Is it being here?" Wolf asked. "Do you want to go home?"
Virginia shook her head. "We just got here. I'll be alright."
"I hope so," Wolf said lightly. "I would hate to tear apart anyone who tried to hurt you or the kids."
Virginia laughed as they sat together on the bench.
The residents of Wendell's castle were gathered in the throne room. They had received word that they were to be entertained by a traveling magician and his companions. It was always great fun when traveling entertainers came.
"It must be our day for visitors," Wendell said to his friends. "Speaking of which, how is our other guest?"
He asked the servant. "Still drifting in and out of consciousness your majesty," his servant answered. "Right now, he is asleep."
"Well all the better for him then," Wendell said. "Let the entertainment begin."
The door was then opened and in walked two men and a woman. The bearded man spoke first. "Your majesty, we have traveled long and far to entertain you and our only payment is sleep for the night."
Wendell laughed. "The price I love, it is granted."
The man then proceeded to astound them with magic tricks after tricks, and illusions such as making dragons appear and light stream from his hands. He even put his companions into the act, making the woman disappear and end up in the audience. The residents of Castle White applauded.
The smaller man bowed as though he were in a stage show. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen we will be here all week!"
"And they didn't even need a white tiger," Tony said amazed.
When the show was over, Wendell applauded. "Well done sir, you have definitely earned your reward."
The old man smiled. "There is one last trick to show you, your majesty. Actually, this one is real magic."
Wendell waved his hand. "Proceed." The man then held out his hands and held each one over the woman and the other man's faces. Suddenly before their eyes, the three became younger in appearance. The woman's gray hair turned brown and regained a youthful face. The strange looking man's long hair disappeared, until he took on the appearance of a gnome and the lead magician's beard disappeared and his hair became brown. The three bowed and smiled.
Wendell and the people applauded. "I must say, in lands where magic is commonplace that is astounding," Wendell said. "May I get the pleasure of your name?"
"I thought you would never ask," he answered. "My name is Merlin."
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf exchanged surprised glances between them. Tony held up his hand. "Wait a minute, you don't mean Merlin as in King Arthur, Camelot, and all of that stuff, do you?"
Merlin nodded. "The very same."
Wendell and his subjects looked confused and quizzically at each other. "Who?" Wendell asked. They shrugged.
Merlin turned to his companions. "Well that was a bit ego-deflating." The other two laughed slightly.
Tony's eyes widened. "You mean all of that stuff is real, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table thing?"
"Dad," Virginia reminded him. "I am married to a half-wolf, we are standing in Snow White's castle and you are surprised that King Arthur was real?"
"I presume you have heard of us," Merlin answered.
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf nodded. "Movies, musicals," Tony said.
"I had to read Morte D'Artur in high school," Virginia said.
"I have heard Camelot is a very silly place," Wolf countered.
The others looked at him. "He watched our Monty Python and the Holy Grail DVD," Virginia answered.
Merlin smiled. "A funny man, Mr. Chapman," he said then turned to his friends. "This is my wife, Nimue and our friend, Frick."
"Hello, how do you do?" Frick greeted the locals.
Tony thought. "Nimue, Nimue. Ah yeah, the chick who trapped Merlin in the cave."
Nimue's eyes flashed and she turned to Tony in anger. "How dare you say that-?"
Merlin held his wife back. "It's alright he doesn't know how it really happened."
Wendell clapped. "Well such distinguished guests deserve no more than our best dinner, would you like to join us?"
"And we thought you would never ask," Frick answered.
During the dinner, the guests and residents spoke excitedly. Frick glanced over his eyes at Luna and Gray watching him. He waved, but they held back slightly, then he stuck his tongue out at them playfully. Then he made their food dance on the table. The two kids burst into laughter.
"Adorable children," Frick observed.
"Thanks," Wolf and Virginia said in unison.
Virginia then turned to Merlin. "Umm sir, Mr. Merlin wizard person, sir?"
"Please just Merlin," he said.
"Okay Merlin," she asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but umm how did you get here and wouldn't you be I don't know real-?"
"Old," Merlin asked. "Yes, probably over 900 years by my estimation. Well, I suppose by the modern world we should be dead in our graves, but many years ago, the three of us found a strange portal that led us to this place and we have been here ever since."
Frick nodded. "And the oddest thing is before we were in the real world, we had lost our magic well except Nimue who never had any, no offense I mean we are after all the Three Musketeers and all-."
Nimue cleared her throat knowing that if Frick didn't get a warning he would talk forever. "Anyway when we arrived here we had regained our magic," he finished.
"We have traveled in and out to the real world using a traveling mirror. But the last time we were going to go through, we learned that it had been lost to -"
"-The sea," Virginia and Tony answered. The three looked at her quizzically. Virginia shrugged. "Well one was in Snow White's castle so you couldn't have used that one, the other was in her prison. So, I figured that the one you used must have been the one thrown in the sea bed."
"Intelligent girl," Frick answered.
"Uh, can I ask why?" Tony asked. "I mean why go in and out?"
"Well, there were some things that are very dear to us that have been kept from us and we were looking for them," Nimue answered.
"And to make sure no one we didn't want to find them did," Merlin added.
"So why are you here suddenly in our lives?" Wendell asked curiously. "Does it have anything to do with what happened this morning?"
The three nodded and Nimue spoke for them. "Have you ever heard of a woman called Queen Mab?" They shook their heads. "Or the Fairy Queen?"
This time the blank recognition turned to nods as Nimue continued. "She is an evil woman."
Merlin and Frick nodded in agreement. "I think she may have come to your kingdom. We are here to warn you that she could destroy you in any way possible."
The dining room fell to silence as they comprehended the warning.
Merlin turned to Wendell. "Your highness, this is desperately important were you visited by anyone else before we arrived?"
Wendell turned to the others as they nodded. "Well, yes, if you must know this morning right before the disturbance in fact I provided shelter to a man."
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick's faces fell as they exchanged anxious glances over something they knew. Frick was the first to speak. "And was this man by any chance youngish, dark haired, cold blue eyes, dark clothing, insane mad-at-the-world look."
"That's the man," Wendell said.
Suddenly a dagger emerged from one of the higher levels. The crowd gasped, but Merlin nonchalantly held it by the blade and tossed it away. "You can come down Mordred," he said. "I know that you are listening."
Mordred then leaped down sword in hand to attack Merlin! He held his sword ready to strike at the wizard, but Merlin then held the sword back with his magic. This time he tried to attack him with his bare hands, but was held back by Wendell's guards.
The diners stood up in the mass confusion. Some ran at the prospect of a battle, but Tony, Virginia, Wolf, Wendell and the kids stayed put.
"Enough of this," Wendell commanded. They stopped and Wendell stood between Merlin and Mordred who was held by two guards. "What is the meaning of this? Who is this man?"
"This is Mordred," Merlin said the young man's name in contempt. "King Arthur's son and the betrayer of Camelot!"
"So nice to see you too, Merlin!" Mordred snapped back. "Will you tell these oxen to let go of me?" But despite his suggestion, Wendell told the guards to keep holding him.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked. "Were you sent by Mab?"
"And why should I give you the satisfaction of my answer?" Mordred asked, but he answered anyway. "If you must know, no, that old hag doesn't give a damn about me any more than I do for her! As far as I know she doesn't even know I am here. It was her sister!"
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick looked at each other. "The Lady of the Lake?" Nimue asked.
Frick turned to him. "He's obviously lying!" He then turned to Wendell and the others. "You can't trust him, he will betray you like he has everyone else!"
"Frick, you are as stupid as you are ugly," Mordred retorted. "If I were going to take this kingdom, do you really think that I would do it alone? I am only seeking asylum here, I only wish to sleep for the night."
"Lier!" Frick told him. "Murderer!"
"Really Uncle Frick, you flatter me," Mordred answered.
"Go to Hell," Frick hissed at him
"Too late," Mordred retorted.
"ENOUGH!!!!" Wendell yelled loud enough for them to stop fighting. Merlin, Nimue, Frick, and Mordred looked down like children who were caught fighting.
"Whatever quarrel you have with each other, will not be shed in my castle," Wendell commanded. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
They turned away from each other. Merlin then turned to Merlin. "This is a warning, this man may destroy you. He has brought disaster before."
Mordred smiled. "But on the other hand according to the law in Castle White, once a stranger is allowed in here he is under the king's protection, is that true your highness?"
Wendell nodded. "It is true," he answered.
"Unless the protection is removed by the king himself, so will you follow up to that and allow me under your protection. Or am I to be judged for a crime I did not commit?"
They looked at Wendell in silence as he thought. "You are under my protection, your blood will not be shed tonight," he said. He turned to Merlin and his friends. "You are still welcome to stay for the night, if you choose to." He said.
The three seemed to have a private conversation, but nodded. "That will be fine, your Majesty."
Wendell whispered to one of his servants. "Make sure that they are on separate sides of the castle and I want Mordred's room to have two guards in front of it as well as the magic locks on all of the doors and windows." Things returned to slight normalcy as the diners retired for the night. Luna and Gray yawned and Wolf and Virginia went upstairs to put the children to bed. Mordred, Merlin, Nimue, and Frick continued to give each other wide berths at each other as they were separated into their rooms.
Tony and Wendell were left behind. "What a night, hmm?"
"Uh, Wendell do you think it's a bright idea to keep that guy in this castle? I mean he did try to stab one of your guests," Tony asked.
Wendell shrugged. "I know but he is right, once in the castle he is under my protection. Besides, I have seen that man somewhere before. Those dreams you know the ones I had last week? He was in some of them."
"What was he doing?" Tony asked.
"I don't remember," Wendell said. "But something tells me that none of this is a coincidence."
Merlin was about to retire for the night, when he saw a body sleeping on the bed. He tenderly lay next to it. "Asleep already?" he asked and uncovered the sheets to kiss his beloved wife but drew back in horror. "You," he hissed.
Mab laughed. "Yes Merlin, missed me?" she teased.
"Like the bubonic plague," he said dryly then tried to attack her with his magic.
Mab laughed and disappeared. "Can't touch me! Can't touch me," she teased.
"Wow, it is nice being in a place where magic is so potent, makes things a whole lot easier," Mab observed.
"What do you want with these people?" Merlin asked. "I will not allow you to harm them in an attempt to get after me or Camelot!"
Mab waved her hand. "Camelot is old news for now," she said. " I have no use for the mortal world. It seems that modern times, well you have seen it need I go on? But in this world, I don't think that they show signs of ever forgetting magic, or the Old Ways."
"I crushed you once," Merlin threatened. "I will do it again."
"That was luck, this time I am in the mood for something bigger," Mab said. She laughed her laugh as Merlin lunged to attack her.
Merlin woke from his sleep with a start. Nimue woke next to him. "Merlin what is the matter?"
"A nightmare," he said. "I hope,"
Nimue bit her lip then looked outside at the moon through their window. "They are beautiful kingdoms aren't they?" she asked.
Merlin nodded and held her closer. "Merlin," she asked. "Why didn't you tell Mab about Mordred?"
Merlin looked at his wife quizzically. "You can read my mind now?" he asked.
Nimue laughed. "I have been married to you to over eight centuries I think I know your dreams rather well by now."
Merlin shrugged. "Because if he is telling the truth that the Lady of the Lake sent him and not Mab, then Mab really doesn't know he's here and for now it is better if she doesn't. Because if those two reunited, it could cause more trouble than they might be in."
"As I recall the truth was never one of Mordred's strong suits," Nimue said.
"No, he did," Merlin reminded her. "It was just a rather twisted version of the truth, and that sometimes was more dangerous than a lie."
Nimue then looked again at her husband. "What else?"
"Something Mab said," Merlin said. "About Camelot being old news for now. It seems like," then he knew. "Nimue do you remember what the people who wrote about us had often said of Arthur?"
"That he would return in a time when he would be needed," Nimue said then their eyes met and they both knew exactly why they had been sent to Castle White!
"Mother, Mother
Tell your children that
Their time has just begun
I have suffered for my anger
There are wars that can't be won."
~ From "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi
King Wendell White tossed the golden ball in his hand a few times and then tossed it to the hallway again. The Golden Retriever leaped once more into the air to catch the ball then ran back to the red-blond haired king with all of the energy of a puppy.
"Good boy," Wendell said patting the dog on the back.
Prince once again wailed at the window. He didn't really need to go out, but the dog just wanted to run into the woods like he did when he and Wendell went hunting.
Wendell laughed, "Sorry boy, but I won't let you out in this weather. You could get lost again."
Prince wailed slightly, but brightened up as he and Wendell continued the game. It was one of the few pleasures in the young king's life, playing games with his beloved dog. It was a nice stress reliever from all of the events and day-to-day pressures of being a king. And Happily Ever After knows that he sure needed it after the scare from last week.
The golden doors burst opened and a middle- aged American man barged in.
Wendell looked at his friend Tony Lewis facetiously. "Antony, I must have told you at least one hundred times, that you are to knock, announce yourself, and ask permission to come in before you enter my private rooms."
Tony smiled and then went into a mock-bow. "A pox upon your highness make it 101." He then turned to the open door and knocked on it. "It's Tony, can I come in?"
"Well, that's better," Wendell smirked. "You know I do believe that I get very little respect from you."
"Now, that's not true," Tony objected. "You get no respect from me."
Wendell couldn't help, but laugh. Tony was one of his best friends and could cheer him up whenever he was feeling low, plus in their own unique way he and his family provided a lot of support for Wendell, being his only real true friends in the kingdom.
"So what are you doing in here so excited?" Wendell asked.
"I just wanted to tell you, Virginia, Wolf, and the kids are here," Tony said excitedly.
A happy grin spread across the king's face. "Fantastic, earlier than I expected."
"Well, it's not like they have to go through customs in the mirror," Tony countered.
Wendell, Prince, and Tony ran down to the main chambers and saw the family greeting them. They were greeted by a handsome dark haired man with yellow eyes and a ravenous look, a pretty young woman with brown hair down to her shoulders and wearing a peculiar Tenth Kingdom style clothing a short black skirt and black top that left her midriff showing (a fashion style that no woman in the 9 kingdoms would wear since it would be considered immodest) and two small three year old children, a boy and a girl. The girl had the same soft brown hair and friendly features of her mother and the boy had the dark hair and sharp features of his father, but they both inherited his wolfish eyes.
"Uncle Wendell!" they ran up to him delighted and hugged him almost tackling the king down.
"Hello Luna and Grayson," Wendell said delighted. They hugged a bit more.
"Uncle Wendell where's Prince?" Luna asked.
Wendell took on a playful gesture on his face. "Oh, I see I know who you like visiting here more than me. I know when I'm not wanted."
The girl's large yellow eyes widened and her lips stuck out in a pout. Wendell laughed. "Just kidding, here boy!" He called to Prince. The children ran up to the dog and their grandfather delighted.
Wendell took the opportunity to stand and greet Virginia and Wolf. He slapped Wolf on the back and they grasped hands in a hearty handshake then he embraced Virginia and kissed her on the cheek. "How are my stepsister and beast-in-law?" he asked.
"Fine, great, we're both okay," Virginia and Wolf said, but something in their voices indicated the exact opposite. Wendell hoped there wasn't trouble in the marriage, but knew it wasn't the time to press the issue.
"How are you?" Virginia asked. "Dad told us about last week." She nodded at her father who was taking turns swinging the two children up over his shoulder.
Wendell sighed. "I wish he hadn't mentioned it," he said. He remembered for the last month that he had been plagued with nightmares and restlessness. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it had begun to affect his daily performance as king. He couldn't concentrate, he skipped meals, and often felt far apart from everyone else. Things finally came to a head, when last week he had fainted in his room and his servants had to put him back to bed. Of course he was fine within an hour, but he supposed Tony was still concerned.
"Don't worry," Wendell said. "I'm fine. It isn't any trouble, and I haven't been ill since then. I'm okay." Virginia and Wolf nodded satisfied with the news for now.
The family then sat down to drinks and caught up with the news of their daily lives. A knock at the door interrupted the laughing and talking wildly. "It's Lord Rupert, your majesty, may I come in?"
"See how he does it?" Wendell teased Tony. "Come in." He called. The dark haired courtier entered the room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your majesty, but the servants found an unconscious man outside the castle. They think he wanted to get in," the lord said evenly.
Wendell, Virginia, Tony, Wolf, Luna, and Gray opened the front door. True to Lord Rupert's words a young man was lying near the castle door. The rain fell on his face and black clothing. He breathed laboriously. He looked a mess.
"Is he dead?" Gray asked standing behind his mother shyly.
Wolf knelt down and sniffed the man. "Nope, he's still alive. No rigor mortis, no flesh falling out, no stench of being worm foo-."
"WOLF!" the others said in unison.
"Uh, I meant no, he's still alive," Wolf said.
"He's not a beggar," Wendell said. "His clothes are too nice."
"Is he hurt?" Virginia asked.
Wolf then sniffed him up and down. "Bruises, probably been in a fight. Also, he's pretty tired."
"Well, shouldn't you bring him in?" Virginia asked Wendell. "I mean you can't leave him out here in this."
"Remember the last time, the people in this castle played Good Samaritan for someone in the rain?" Tony reminded them. No one needed him to continue. That person was Virginia's mother, Christine and later Wendell's stepmother and she poisoned Wendell's mother and father only to be imprisoned. She escaped later and tried to take over the 9 Kingdoms, but luckily Virginia and the others stopped her before she had completed the job.
"True Antony," Wendell agreed. "But Castle White has always had an open door policy. Besides, I doubt he is in any condition to do us any harm." He called two of his servants over and to bring him inside so that he may sleep in his chambers.
The servants had barely gotten him out of the main hall and up the stairs when Prince started barking and growling strangely.
"What is it boy?" Wendell asked the dog.
Suddenly, Wolf started up as well. He began howling and sniffing outside the castle.
"Huff Puff, I felt it too!"
"What is it, Wolf?" Virginia asked.
"That!" Wolf pointed far from the castle. The rain had stopped, but a dark cloud hovered about 13 miles from the castle. The cloud swirled into a vortex as light tried to break through the cloud. The darkness overcame it, and swirled around. Lightening crashed through the ground and thunder rumbled.
"That's the direction of the Swamp!" Wendell yelled. Suddenly they felt a strange feeling, an eerie feeling. Like when someone has just received terrible news, or right when they are facing their worst fear only it was ten times worse. It was not only bad, but it was painful. Tony leaned to the side of the building for support. Wolf and Prince continued to howl to get away from it, even Luna and Gray started picking it up. Virginia and Wendell doubled over in pain. They knew whatever feeling they had it, wasn't just bad, it was evil.
Inside the castle, the servants who were holding the visitor struggled to hold onto him while they too fell over in pain, but only slightly managed to keep him from falling to the ground. The visitor woke up in sharp pain, looked around in horror, then only managed to fall back to sleep.
The feeling wasn't just limited to the House of White either. In Snow White's icy chamber, she felt the cold feeling and shuddered. "Something isn't right," she muttered to herself.
In the First Kingdom, Cinderella and her subjects felt it during one of her usual grand balls. All at once the music stopped and the dancers quit dancing and they fell over in unanimous pain.
The trolls felt it as they were polishing their shoes. The force knocked them into each other and they got up fighting swearing that they had knocked each other down.
The lovers in Kissing Town, the dwarves in the mines, the residents of Beantown and Peep's village, no where in the 9 Kingdoms was untouched by this feeling of fear and impending dread.
It was even felt by three visitors who had set up camp on their way to Wendell's castle. The old man with the beard trailed down almost to the ground looked out where the storm came from as his two companions an elderly woman with white hair in a braid and a small white haired man with long ears and not-quite human eyes tried to calm the horse that was by their side.
"Mab is here," Merlin informed his two companions, Nimue and Frick. "Come we have much to do, and not much time to do it in."
Acorn the Dwarf munched hungrily on the eggs. The disturbing feeling was over and now he was famished. He helped himself to another egg when he felt a bang at the door. He saw a shadow through the window that almost made out the image of a woman. He slowly picked up his axe and crept outside. He opened the door, forgetting to ward the visitor off with his "Swamp Witch" routine. He slowly opened the door and glanced outside first holding his axe out the door then poked his head out. "Is anyone out there?" he called, but his voice echoed through the swamp. "Just look out, I am armed and dangerous." He said raising his axe, but he didn't get the chance to use it as the intruder knocked him out with a magic blast.
Mab looked down at the dwarf that she had knocked out. "Insignificant fool!" she sighed. She then floated down to the basement of the dwarf's home to see the shriveled skeleton lying there.
The voice from the skeleton cackled with her eerie voice. "Up the airy mountain down the rushing glen/We dare not go a hunting for fear of little men," she quoted. "Mab, it has truly been a long time."
"Too long it seems, Hilda," Mab agreed. "I see you are doing rather well."
"About as well as you, forgotten by the modern world," the former evil queen said.
"At least I am not a rotting stinking corpse wallowing in the swamps," Mab countered, but realizing that this infighting would really get the two of them nowhere and they would never accomplish their goals. "How would you like me to restore your beauty and give you the chance to regain the throne to the House of White?"
The queen cackled. " I would say what would be in it for you. What could the glorious Queen Mab want?"
Mab chuckled innocently. "Oh nothing just to make sure that we lead the 9 Kingdoms into darkness so they can worship me alongside of you of course."
"And this wouldn't have anything to do with the prophecy of Camelot would it?" Hilda inquired.
"It has everything to do with it," Mab replied. "Would it satisfy you to regain the Fourth Kingdom?"
"I have gone beyond that, my successor as weak and pathetic as she was had the right idea, I want the entire 9!," Hilda said.
"Of course they are all yours," Mab said. "After all every spirit must have a human ruler to sway them."
"What do I have to do?" Hilda asked.
Mab grinned. "Just take out your hand." The skeletal hand jutted out. Mab put her hand on the decayed corpse and let the magic leave her hand on to the body. The body grew warm and regained flesh. Suddenly the entire body regained its life as the corpse became a woman once more instead of a dead body. The woman looked sat up and realized that not only was she brought back to life, but that she had regained her youth and beauty. No more was she a bent old pathetic woman. Instead she was a raven -haired statuesque beauty again. Even though she didn't have them with her, she couldn't resist asking, "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all?"
"Time for that later," Mab said. "Now we must be off, King Wendell's men are bound to find us." Then the two women disappeared from the Swamp.
Virginia woke from her reverie shaken and disturbed. She and Wolf were outside watching the children play with Prince and Tony while they were having some private time alone. She was safe in Wolf's arms when she woke up from the vision. "Virginia, what is it?" Wolf asked concerned as ever.
"Nothing I just had a bad image," Virginia asked.
"Was it about your mother again?" Wolf asked quietly. Virginia gulped. During the last month of her pregnancy before the twins were born, she had frequent dreams of her mother Christine, remembering the bad parts of her childhood the night she tried to kill her and then ran away. After Luna and Gray were born, she had stopped having them up until a few months ago. This time they were more frequent than ever and some of the worse nightmare she kept to herself.
"Virginia, your mother is dead," Wolf told her. "She can't hurt you anymore."
Virginia leaned against her husband for his strength and support. "I know, I should know that," she said. "But every once in awhile I feel like she is still watching me."
"Is it being here?" Wolf asked. "Do you want to go home?"
Virginia shook her head. "We just got here. I'll be alright."
"I hope so," Wolf said lightly. "I would hate to tear apart anyone who tried to hurt you or the kids."
Virginia laughed as they sat together on the bench.
The residents of Wendell's castle were gathered in the throne room. They had received word that they were to be entertained by a traveling magician and his companions. It was always great fun when traveling entertainers came.
"It must be our day for visitors," Wendell said to his friends. "Speaking of which, how is our other guest?"
He asked the servant. "Still drifting in and out of consciousness your majesty," his servant answered. "Right now, he is asleep."
"Well all the better for him then," Wendell said. "Let the entertainment begin."
The door was then opened and in walked two men and a woman. The bearded man spoke first. "Your majesty, we have traveled long and far to entertain you and our only payment is sleep for the night."
Wendell laughed. "The price I love, it is granted."
The man then proceeded to astound them with magic tricks after tricks, and illusions such as making dragons appear and light stream from his hands. He even put his companions into the act, making the woman disappear and end up in the audience. The residents of Castle White applauded.
The smaller man bowed as though he were in a stage show. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen we will be here all week!"
"And they didn't even need a white tiger," Tony said amazed.
When the show was over, Wendell applauded. "Well done sir, you have definitely earned your reward."
The old man smiled. "There is one last trick to show you, your majesty. Actually, this one is real magic."
Wendell waved his hand. "Proceed." The man then held out his hands and held each one over the woman and the other man's faces. Suddenly before their eyes, the three became younger in appearance. The woman's gray hair turned brown and regained a youthful face. The strange looking man's long hair disappeared, until he took on the appearance of a gnome and the lead magician's beard disappeared and his hair became brown. The three bowed and smiled.
Wendell and the people applauded. "I must say, in lands where magic is commonplace that is astounding," Wendell said. "May I get the pleasure of your name?"
"I thought you would never ask," he answered. "My name is Merlin."
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf exchanged surprised glances between them. Tony held up his hand. "Wait a minute, you don't mean Merlin as in King Arthur, Camelot, and all of that stuff, do you?"
Merlin nodded. "The very same."
Wendell and his subjects looked confused and quizzically at each other. "Who?" Wendell asked. They shrugged.
Merlin turned to his companions. "Well that was a bit ego-deflating." The other two laughed slightly.
Tony's eyes widened. "You mean all of that stuff is real, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table thing?"
"Dad," Virginia reminded him. "I am married to a half-wolf, we are standing in Snow White's castle and you are surprised that King Arthur was real?"
"I presume you have heard of us," Merlin answered.
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf nodded. "Movies, musicals," Tony said.
"I had to read Morte D'Artur in high school," Virginia said.
"I have heard Camelot is a very silly place," Wolf countered.
The others looked at him. "He watched our Monty Python and the Holy Grail DVD," Virginia answered.
Merlin smiled. "A funny man, Mr. Chapman," he said then turned to his friends. "This is my wife, Nimue and our friend, Frick."
"Hello, how do you do?" Frick greeted the locals.
Tony thought. "Nimue, Nimue. Ah yeah, the chick who trapped Merlin in the cave."
Nimue's eyes flashed and she turned to Tony in anger. "How dare you say that-?"
Merlin held his wife back. "It's alright he doesn't know how it really happened."
Wendell clapped. "Well such distinguished guests deserve no more than our best dinner, would you like to join us?"
"And we thought you would never ask," Frick answered.
During the dinner, the guests and residents spoke excitedly. Frick glanced over his eyes at Luna and Gray watching him. He waved, but they held back slightly, then he stuck his tongue out at them playfully. Then he made their food dance on the table. The two kids burst into laughter.
"Adorable children," Frick observed.
"Thanks," Wolf and Virginia said in unison.
Virginia then turned to Merlin. "Umm sir, Mr. Merlin wizard person, sir?"
"Please just Merlin," he said.
"Okay Merlin," she asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but umm how did you get here and wouldn't you be I don't know real-?"
"Old," Merlin asked. "Yes, probably over 900 years by my estimation. Well, I suppose by the modern world we should be dead in our graves, but many years ago, the three of us found a strange portal that led us to this place and we have been here ever since."
Frick nodded. "And the oddest thing is before we were in the real world, we had lost our magic well except Nimue who never had any, no offense I mean we are after all the Three Musketeers and all-."
Nimue cleared her throat knowing that if Frick didn't get a warning he would talk forever. "Anyway when we arrived here we had regained our magic," he finished.
"We have traveled in and out to the real world using a traveling mirror. But the last time we were going to go through, we learned that it had been lost to -"
"-The sea," Virginia and Tony answered. The three looked at her quizzically. Virginia shrugged. "Well one was in Snow White's castle so you couldn't have used that one, the other was in her prison. So, I figured that the one you used must have been the one thrown in the sea bed."
"Intelligent girl," Frick answered.
"Uh, can I ask why?" Tony asked. "I mean why go in and out?"
"Well, there were some things that are very dear to us that have been kept from us and we were looking for them," Nimue answered.
"And to make sure no one we didn't want to find them did," Merlin added.
"So why are you here suddenly in our lives?" Wendell asked curiously. "Does it have anything to do with what happened this morning?"
The three nodded and Nimue spoke for them. "Have you ever heard of a woman called Queen Mab?" They shook their heads. "Or the Fairy Queen?"
This time the blank recognition turned to nods as Nimue continued. "She is an evil woman."
Merlin and Frick nodded in agreement. "I think she may have come to your kingdom. We are here to warn you that she could destroy you in any way possible."
The dining room fell to silence as they comprehended the warning.
Merlin turned to Wendell. "Your highness, this is desperately important were you visited by anyone else before we arrived?"
Wendell turned to the others as they nodded. "Well, yes, if you must know this morning right before the disturbance in fact I provided shelter to a man."
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick's faces fell as they exchanged anxious glances over something they knew. Frick was the first to speak. "And was this man by any chance youngish, dark haired, cold blue eyes, dark clothing, insane mad-at-the-world look."
"That's the man," Wendell said.
Suddenly a dagger emerged from one of the higher levels. The crowd gasped, but Merlin nonchalantly held it by the blade and tossed it away. "You can come down Mordred," he said. "I know that you are listening."
Mordred then leaped down sword in hand to attack Merlin! He held his sword ready to strike at the wizard, but Merlin then held the sword back with his magic. This time he tried to attack him with his bare hands, but was held back by Wendell's guards.
The diners stood up in the mass confusion. Some ran at the prospect of a battle, but Tony, Virginia, Wolf, Wendell and the kids stayed put.
"Enough of this," Wendell commanded. They stopped and Wendell stood between Merlin and Mordred who was held by two guards. "What is the meaning of this? Who is this man?"
"This is Mordred," Merlin said the young man's name in contempt. "King Arthur's son and the betrayer of Camelot!"
"So nice to see you too, Merlin!" Mordred snapped back. "Will you tell these oxen to let go of me?" But despite his suggestion, Wendell told the guards to keep holding him.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked. "Were you sent by Mab?"
"And why should I give you the satisfaction of my answer?" Mordred asked, but he answered anyway. "If you must know, no, that old hag doesn't give a damn about me any more than I do for her! As far as I know she doesn't even know I am here. It was her sister!"
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick looked at each other. "The Lady of the Lake?" Nimue asked.
Frick turned to him. "He's obviously lying!" He then turned to Wendell and the others. "You can't trust him, he will betray you like he has everyone else!"
"Frick, you are as stupid as you are ugly," Mordred retorted. "If I were going to take this kingdom, do you really think that I would do it alone? I am only seeking asylum here, I only wish to sleep for the night."
"Lier!" Frick told him. "Murderer!"
"Really Uncle Frick, you flatter me," Mordred answered.
"Go to Hell," Frick hissed at him
"Too late," Mordred retorted.
"ENOUGH!!!!" Wendell yelled loud enough for them to stop fighting. Merlin, Nimue, Frick, and Mordred looked down like children who were caught fighting.
"Whatever quarrel you have with each other, will not be shed in my castle," Wendell commanded. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
They turned away from each other. Merlin then turned to Merlin. "This is a warning, this man may destroy you. He has brought disaster before."
Mordred smiled. "But on the other hand according to the law in Castle White, once a stranger is allowed in here he is under the king's protection, is that true your highness?"
Wendell nodded. "It is true," he answered.
"Unless the protection is removed by the king himself, so will you follow up to that and allow me under your protection. Or am I to be judged for a crime I did not commit?"
They looked at Wendell in silence as he thought. "You are under my protection, your blood will not be shed tonight," he said. He turned to Merlin and his friends. "You are still welcome to stay for the night, if you choose to." He said.
The three seemed to have a private conversation, but nodded. "That will be fine, your Majesty."
Wendell whispered to one of his servants. "Make sure that they are on separate sides of the castle and I want Mordred's room to have two guards in front of it as well as the magic locks on all of the doors and windows." Things returned to slight normalcy as the diners retired for the night. Luna and Gray yawned and Wolf and Virginia went upstairs to put the children to bed. Mordred, Merlin, Nimue, and Frick continued to give each other wide berths at each other as they were separated into their rooms.
Tony and Wendell were left behind. "What a night, hmm?"
"Uh, Wendell do you think it's a bright idea to keep that guy in this castle? I mean he did try to stab one of your guests," Tony asked.
Wendell shrugged. "I know but he is right, once in the castle he is under my protection. Besides, I have seen that man somewhere before. Those dreams you know the ones I had last week? He was in some of them."
"What was he doing?" Tony asked.
"I don't remember," Wendell said. "But something tells me that none of this is a coincidence."
Merlin was about to retire for the night, when he saw a body sleeping on the bed. He tenderly lay next to it. "Asleep already?" he asked and uncovered the sheets to kiss his beloved wife but drew back in horror. "You," he hissed.
Mab laughed. "Yes Merlin, missed me?" she teased.
"Like the bubonic plague," he said dryly then tried to attack her with his magic.
Mab laughed and disappeared. "Can't touch me! Can't touch me," she teased.
"Wow, it is nice being in a place where magic is so potent, makes things a whole lot easier," Mab observed.
"What do you want with these people?" Merlin asked. "I will not allow you to harm them in an attempt to get after me or Camelot!"
Mab waved her hand. "Camelot is old news for now," she said. " I have no use for the mortal world. It seems that modern times, well you have seen it need I go on? But in this world, I don't think that they show signs of ever forgetting magic, or the Old Ways."
"I crushed you once," Merlin threatened. "I will do it again."
"That was luck, this time I am in the mood for something bigger," Mab said. She laughed her laugh as Merlin lunged to attack her.
Merlin woke from his sleep with a start. Nimue woke next to him. "Merlin what is the matter?"
"A nightmare," he said. "I hope,"
Nimue bit her lip then looked outside at the moon through their window. "They are beautiful kingdoms aren't they?" she asked.
Merlin nodded and held her closer. "Merlin," she asked. "Why didn't you tell Mab about Mordred?"
Merlin looked at his wife quizzically. "You can read my mind now?" he asked.
Nimue laughed. "I have been married to you to over eight centuries I think I know your dreams rather well by now."
Merlin shrugged. "Because if he is telling the truth that the Lady of the Lake sent him and not Mab, then Mab really doesn't know he's here and for now it is better if she doesn't. Because if those two reunited, it could cause more trouble than they might be in."
"As I recall the truth was never one of Mordred's strong suits," Nimue said.
"No, he did," Merlin reminded her. "It was just a rather twisted version of the truth, and that sometimes was more dangerous than a lie."
Nimue then looked again at her husband. "What else?"
"Something Mab said," Merlin said. "About Camelot being old news for now. It seems like," then he knew. "Nimue do you remember what the people who wrote about us had often said of Arthur?"
"That he would return in a time when he would be needed," Nimue said then their eyes met and they both knew exactly why they had been sent to Castle White!