The Princess and the Wizard
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: There are Castles and castles in this, but I own neither. Rating: K Time: 1967 and elsewhen.
Author's note: To get a look at what Castle's unit looks like, go to http colon back slash back slash ctrp dash 3d dash 4thcav dot com backslash troop dot html Click on org chart.
"Mangus Colorado, help me!" Meredith screamed.
The court magician began reciting a spell. Seeing this, Esposito stopped him. He didn't know anything about magic, but he did know how to fight dirty. He kicked Mangus Colorado in the balls repeatedly. As he did so, Alexis began stuffing napkins into his mouth to muffle any spells he might say.
Seeing him move his hands, Kemper and Doc began breaking his fingers.
All at once, there was a deathly silence in the throne room and there stood Queen Johanna.
"I knew you lacked the power to defeat me unless you had help, and took me by surprise, Meredith."
Meredith the Mad suddenly froze in place. More than that, she seemed to become two dimensional. Looking at her from the side, Castle could barely see her.
Queen Johanna strode confidently to the frozen sorceress and began rolling her up like a piece of paper. Then she wadded the paper up and when she was done, the paper and Meredith the Mad were gone.
"Where'd she go?" Castle asked, afraid she'd made a getaway.
"Somewhere that she'll never bother anyone again." Queen Johanna walked over to Mangus Colorado.
"You betrayed me to serve Meredith the Mad?"
The magician could only nod. Then he began to shrink. He shrank until his clothing was in a pile on the floor. And from the pile came a small black, brown and white puppy who ran to Queen Johanna.
She picked the little fellow up.
"I think a loyal dog will serve me better than a disloyal magician, won't you?"
The dog barked and licked Johanna's hands.
"That's a beagle." Castle said. "Just like Snoopy."
"Snoopy?" the queen said. "A fine name for a fine dog."
Queen Johanna walked over to where her husband was passed out on the throne.
"Dear me. I hadn't realized he'd taken this so badly. Kate, dear, can you bring me the Book of Books and the Potion of Potions?"
Kate hurried to do so and the queen muttered some incantations and did something with the potions that caused a brief green glow by the king's head.
King James opened his eyes.
"By the gods! Johanna! You're back. You're well. How…How did this happen?"
"Because of the brave work done by our daughter, her betrothed and his men."
Both Rick and Kate were surprised to hear Johanna call them betrothed, however they said nothing. The did move closer and hold hands, though.
"Wait." Castle said. "How do you know all of this? I thought you were in the living death thing."
"Meredith and Mangus Colorado were not quite as powerful as they had thought. While I was physically unable to function, my mind still worked. I'll explain this to you tomorrow. For now, I'm starving and, off all things, I'm exhausted and need a good night's sleep. Please excuse us."
And off the two went.
Castle was busy explaining to the soldiers that had stayed behind what had happened on their trip, as Kate was busy explaining the same things to the court. Although Meredith the Mad was gone, hopefully forever, Castle made sure his troops were ready for anything.
Finally, after dinner, Rick and Kate retired to her quarters.
"We're betrothed, according to your mother."
Kate nodded.
"Yes. According to my mother."
He detected a coldness in her voice and then figured it out.
"Oh! I haven't asked you to marry me, have I?"
"Very perceptive of you, oh, great wizard."
He immediately dropped to one knee.
"Princess Katherine….Um, do you have a family name?"
"Of course, I have a family name."
"Will you please tell me what it is?"
She giggled.
"You're so easy to tease. I'm Princess Katherine Houghton Beckett."
"Princess Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"
"Of course."
"Um, I don't have a ring."
"No problem. There are plenty in the Royal Treasury. We'll find a nice one."
Then Kate got serious.
"You still intend to go back to this Vietnam? To fight the war there?"
"I gave my word to serve my country. I have to go back, if I can. And if your mother and the Book of Books and the Potion of Potions can get me there, they can get me back."
"We won't have time for a proper royal wedding and we have to have a proper royal wedding for many reasons. The wedding will have to wait until you return."
"I don't like waiting, but I can if you can."
"We should go to bed, soon to be husband."
"Best idea I've heard all day, soon to be wife."
The next morning the whole court gathered in the throne room. King James and Queen Johanna sat side by side with Princess Kate sitting slightly below them. Snoopy, now the official Royal Dog, sat contentedly on Johanna's lap.
"There is one order of business first. First Lieutenant Richard Castle, approach the throne and kneel." Said King James.
He did so and was tapped on the head and shoulders with sword wielded by the king.
"As you kneel Richard Castle, arise Baron Richard Castle." The King said.
On cue, the whole court, including Castle's troops bellowed out, "All hail, Baron Richard Castle."
"Drinks are on Baron Castle tonight in honor of his promotion." Espo yelled.
"Baron Castle," Queen Johanna spoke, "I shall explain to you what happened. As I said yesterday, Meredith the Mad and Mangus Colorado were not strong enough to put me wholly in the living death. My mind remained active, although my body did not, and my powers, although somewhat diminished, remained. I was able to see what they could not, that people from your realm are immune to attacks by magic, but can be helped by our magic, once you arrive in this realm. Once you were here, I used my powers to see to it that you had fuel, food, ammunition and all that was necessary for you to fight here. I also saw to it that none of your men were killed, nor even badly wounded."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Rick said.
"It is my understanding that you wish to return to this Vietnam?"
"I do. I gave my word to serve my country and I must return, but I gave my word to Princess Katherine that I would marry her, so I must return here."
"The magic that Meredith the Mad used to reach into your realm and bring you here was completely unknown here. I have no idea how she stumbled upon it. However, I believe I can return you to your own realm and then return you here when proper. However, I will need to study the Book of Books before I can proceed. This may take a while."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
It took three days in which Rick and Kate never left each other's side, but Rick did feel just how much pain Kate was in, wondering if the man she loved would come back, or die in a war she had never heard of.
The platoon assembled with their vehicles in front of the castle. Before them stood Queen Johanna, reciting something from the Book of Books.
In a flash, they were no longer there, but soaring high above the ground with a bank of clouds below them.
"Hey, we're over the ocean." Someone yelled. "I saw it through a break in the clouds for just a second."
The there was a larger break and they could see the ocean below them.
"Look!" Kemper yelled. "Aircraft carriers. That's gotta be either Yankee Station or Dixie Station."
They flew lower over the ocean.
"No." Castle said. "They're anchored in some lagoon. I don't know where we are."
Then they were a few hundred feet off a carrier's deck.
"Something's wrong, sir." Espo yelled. "That's not US insignia on those planes."
The markings on the plane were a green circle surrounded by a thin white line with a narrow red cross in the circle.
"I don't think those are US planes." Pappy yelled. "I got to visit a cousin of mine at Da Nang. The navy and Marines fly F 4 Phantoms and A 4 Skyhawks. They don't look nothing like those planes."
They dropped lower and were almost face to face with three tall, bearded blond men. They could hear the men talking, but it wasn't in any language they understood.
"It isn't German or Russian." Pappy said.
"Not Vietnamese." Said Sergeant Thanh.
"There are only a couple of countries with aircraft carriers and none of them have that kind of insignia." Castle said.
Before they knew it, they were back in front of the castle.
"What happened?" Rick asked.
"I could not send you through. That was not your realm. Something would not let you through." Queen Johanna said. "I got a brief glimpse of something no one here has seen. The number of realms out there are infinite, or so many that they seem infinite. I will keep studying, but I don't know if I can ever return you to your proper realm."
Kate ran to Rick and threw her arms around him.
"I think we need to plan a royal wedding, Kate."
"As soon as possible." She agreed.
Queen Johanna was an honest and honorable woman and a great sorceress, and she had honestly tried to send Castle and his troops back to their own realm. However, she was happy that her daughter would have a husband she loved and who loved her. Given the number of realms she'd have to investigate, Queen Johanna thought it might take a very long time to find the correct one, if it could be found at all.
But she was quite willing to take her time.
The End
Author's note: Next up is The Beating. Richard Castle gets beaten up, and no, Kate Beckett did not beat him up.