In the past, as the Dark Curse draws near, the great magicians of Gramarye gather to protect themselves and their Isle. Or, what you get when you put a bunch of opinionated spellcasters together on a group project.
Notes: writing Scottish phonetically was a lot harder than I thought
Also...yeah. I have no excuse.
"Always like to meet magicians. In fact I always like to meet anybody. It passes the time away, what, on a quest."
-King Pellinore, The Sword in the Stone
Snow White had met the Queen Witch of Annuvin before. Briefly, many years ago.
After her mother had died and the time of mourning passed, her father had taken her and a small retinue to travel the neighboring kingdoms. She'd been thankful for her father taking them out of the palace at the time, but as the weeks stretched into months, she'd started to wonder when, if ever, they were going to go back home.
During one such phase of the journey, the royal family of Misthaven arrived on the Queen Witch's doorstep. They'd made their way to Annuvin through the Dark Gate, the fortified pass that lay between two mountains filled with sharp crags and hidden drops. It was the only relatively safe way into the kingdom. (The only one known to outsiders, at least). Their guides were experienced, and horses sure-footed, but the experience hadn't left Snow with any particular fondness for heights. Nor any particular fondness for Annuvin. It was all mountains and valleys, without the grand forests or lakes of other kingdoms. She'd also had no interest in the aqueducts, architectural marvels meant to bring fresh water down from the peaks to the various villages that lived amongst the mountain range. After awhile even the steep mountain paths became rather boring.
She'd pretended to be asleep as the servants whispered stories to each other at night. How Annuvin was known to them as a tattered land of warlords and squabbling barbarians that hadn't known proper civilization or rule in almost two centuries. They spoke of the gwythaints, giant falcons the size of dragons with feathers black as night, talons like daggers, and able to carry off grown men with ease. The princess had barely been able to sleep that night, and the next day had her eyes peeled for any size of the great birds, or the mountains around them for the raiders or barbarians. Johanna had given the servants a good tongue-lashing after she found out about that, for scaring the young princess so.
"Your father wouldn't have taken you here if you were in any real danger, your highness," she'd promised. "Besides, gwythaints are extinct, last I heard."
Travelling north, they had soon reached Annwn, the capital nestled on a hill the shadow of Mount Dragon. The first sign of 'proper' civilization since they'd landed, in Snow's young opinion.
They had been met at the city gates by a representative of the Queen Witch.
"I am King Leopold of Misthaven, and I apologize to Her Majesty for not sending word of my arrival sooner." It was always bad manners to impose oneself on a host, Snow's mother had taught her. But they had only one guide, and he hadn't wanted to send a rider ahead until after they'd passed through the most treacherous part of the mountains.
"Worry not, Your Majesty," the messenger smiled. "The queen has been aware of your presence since you entered the Dark Gate, and preparations had been made for your arrival."
The guide led them towards the queen's Spiral Palace, located at the heart of the city. The stronghold had got its name not from the architecture, but the winding spiral road that twisted through the capital before reaching the gates of the royal residence. While the city was not particularly large, the long route seemed to add hours to the journey, at least as far as the preteen was concerned.
"Is there not a more direct route to the palace? Why so convoluted?" The princess asked, ignoring the look from her father. She had been on horseback all day, and was getting more than a touch grumpy.
The guide smiled again. "When the city was re-built, the Queen wanted to ensure that if it fell under attack, the invading army would have no straightforward path, and the people would have time to evacuate into the palace for safety."
Soon enough, they finally reached the front gate. Compared to the castle Snow White had grown up in, it was certainly much less spiky. Function held more than fashion, looking large enough to house the city's population should the need arise. But there was nothing particularly special about the castle, as far as she could make out. High walls, a few towers, a balcony or two. Boring, really.
There, they had dismounted, and been greeted by the Queen Witch herself.
She was strong and regal, even with grey-silver hair and a face streaked with age and laugh lines. Dressed in a dark purple gown with a silver circlet at her brow, she greeted King Leopold and his retinue with cool courtesy, and invited them in as her guests.
(To be clear, Maeve had no interest in playing hostess for a wandering king. But she was a head of state now and telling this particular unwanted guest to beat it was the kind of shit that started wars.)
Her father did most of the talking, begging forgiveness for the intrusion, thanking the queen for her hospitality, and asked merely for a place to rest and recuperate before the next leg of their journey. He did not really mean it, it was merely a chance for the queen to show herself a good hostess by offering her their best guest rooms, and for them to stay at least a week or more.
"We expect a particularly nasty stretch of weather for the next fortnight, which would make travel...ill-advised," blue eyes glanced over at the young princess. "More than one unwary rider has led their horse down a slick path, only to have both slip and fall to their deaths." Snow White bristled at the comment. She had plenty of experience on horseback, thank you very much. "Anyhow, I must insist that you at least stay long enough for us to feed you properly. It's been ages since I had reason to throw a proper royal feast."
A black gore-crow flapped down from somewhere up in the ceiling. It's caw a sharp, crackling sound. It landed on the queen's outstretched arm, as if a trained hawk. She glared at it like the child who had said a naughty word. "Saturnalia was a public festival. Completely different."
Father and daughter exchanged concerned glances, while the queen's retinue looked on in disinterest. A regular occurrence then. Oh dear, perhaps the Queen Witch was older than Snow had thought if her mind was already starting to fail her.
With a chuckle, the monarch turned back to her guests. "Apologies, this beastie is my familiar, Oberon. He's a rather spoiled brat, and too used to having his way." Despite her words, the Queen scratched under the crow's chin and petted it like a favorite lap dog.
"Beg pardon, Your Majesty...a familiar?"
"What," she turned back with a smile. "did you think the 'witch' part of my name was merely for show?"
King Leopold's mouth gaped like a fish for a moment, before clearing his throat and turning it back into a polite smile. His daughter did not remember such manners, and stared openly. Snow White had never met a witch before. A fairy, yes, but never a witch.
"But of course, listen to me babbling on. Ganieda," she called and a young maid appeared at her side. "Make sure our guests are shown to the rooms and well cared for, and apologize to Jacquetta in advance."
"Who?"
"My cook, who I fear is going to be quite grumpy at me for springing so many guests on her unexpectedly." The queen seemed to ponder something a moment before turning again to a nearby servant. "She likes the Dun Broch whiskey, correct? Give her one of the good bottles from the basement and call it an appreciation present before telling her the news."
Despite the late arrival, dinner was delicious. Fresh baked bread, goat meat stew. Fresh caught rabbit stuffed with herbs and mushrooms. Snow ate like the princess she was as the two monarchs conversed with each other.
"I have to say, it's rather trusting of you, to leave the management of your realm in other hands for so long." The old woman mused, sitting back in her chair, a goblet of dark brandy in one hand, and petting her gore-crow with the other. The bird was eating two eyes, likely once belonging to the goat. At least, that's what Snow hoped they were from.
"I left my kingdom in good hands, Your Majesty, with men and women that I'd trust with my life." Her father at least was taking all of this in stride.
"Why doesn't she use her name?" Snow had murmured to her father.
Leopold had smiled. "An excellent question," he'd responded in a voice loud enough to be overheard.
"Forgive me for taking so long to ask, but I realized I've been unspeakably rude. We haven't even asked for your name."
A curious sort of smile spread over her lips.
"Well, young highness, I'll answer your question with a question-do you know what a regnal name is?"
"Yes? It's a name a king or queen can take when they ascend to the throne." Her tutors had never been able to sufficiently explain to her why they chose to do it.
"We have that tradition here in Annuvin. After earning the Iron Crown, we give up our true names in favor of a new title. It is meant to be a reminder of how we are meant to serve our people and the realm, rather than striving for personal glory-not that it's stopped others in the past." She mused, taking a drink.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for one, if Hunter King had concerned himself more with governing and less with feast and competition, then perhaps the Horned King wouldn't have had such an easy time taking his crown and his head." There was a tinge of bitterness in her voice that didn't quite make sense. Snow just nodded along anyway.
"Oh. So, does that mean you don't have a real name anymore?"
A small chuckle. More of a snort, really. "Worry not, princess, I still have one of those, as little as it's used these days."
A long silence stretched out over the table. The princess took another bite of rabbit as the queen called for more drinks.
"Such a fascinating realm, your kingdom," one of her father's knights popped up from further down the table. "Is it true that anyone can claim the Iron Crown?"
"Oh yes," the woman smiled. "Anyone at all. Issue a proper challenge, and I am honor-bound to answer it. Although most in Annuvin have the manners to wait until challenge day."
"What's that? Sounds fun."
"Snow."
"Essentially, it's a yearly holiday where anyone in Annuvin can come and challenge me for the crown, should they so wish," the Queen explained, completely ignoring the king.
"Anyone?"
"Oh yes. We're a varied lot, the heirs of Pwyll. Farmers, leatherworkers, butchers...witches," she smiled to herself. "The crown can never be given, only earned. Makes much more sense to me than gambling on blood."
Snow White got the vague impression they were being insulted. "So it's always a fight?"
"Sometimes, but not always. The Sun Queen won it in a game of chess. The Storm Queen through a challenge of wits. The Goldsmith King won his through a convoluted story involving a needle in a haystack; and so on and so forth."
"How did you earn your crown, Your Majesty?"
She smiled. "A game of dice. I don't think the poor bastard even knew what he had. I didn't either until someone tried it on and their head—" she looked back at Snow White "well, let's just say it didn't end well for them."
The conversation came to a lull as they continued their meal. Much later, Snow would find out what the Queen Witch hadn't said was that those who hadn't earned the crown would be burned alive in the attempt to wear it. (Something of a running theme with Gramarye regnal artifacts.)
They'd left three days later.
To Her Royal Majesty
Queen Regina of Misthaven,
I have received your letter, so graciously sent a fortnight last, in which you requested information pertaining to your stepdaughter, Her Grace Princess Snow White, and her husband, His Grace, Prince James, in exchange for Annuvin's continued safety.
I must advise that the implications of the terms of your proposal you set forth are extremely troubling, as any neutral outside party would very likely determine that your intent was to threaten an unprovoked attack that would be rather inappropriate considering the long history of peace between our two kingdoms, and Annuvin's long established neutrality regarding affairs of the Enchanted Forest.
As stated previously, I have made it a general policy to not inject my nation into affairs that do not concern us, especially ones as complicated and nuanced as a line of succession. I cannot claim any particular friendship with your late husband, HRM King Leopold, but I believe he would be saddened to see his wife and child feuding so after his untimely death.
I sincerely wish to find that I have been mistaken as to your intentions. After all, Annuvin has a long and violent history, and the petty struggles of warlords and ravagers from before my reign are still in living memory. I wish to see the many veterans of the Unification war stay with their homes and families, rather than engaged in another bloody conflict. I believe that an army's purpose is for the defense of its homeland and not for conquest, as my predecessors did. Should my understanding of your offer as an implicit threat be correct, I will have no choice but to do whatever it takes for the continued health and security of my realm.
As for the supposed meeting that occurred between myself and your relations, I can only say that Annuvin's hospitality has always been offered to weary travelers, some of them likely even being thieves and highwaymen. The mountains of Annuvin can be so treacherous to those who do not know them well. One who has evaded the queen's justice for so long must be quite skilled at traveling in disguise.
I hope this letter will help put your mind at ease, and lead to a continued harmony between our two nations. I wish you all the good health and prosperity as is your due.
So signed,
Her Royal Highness, the Queen Witch
Heir of Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed
Bearer of the Iron Crown
Uniter and Defender of Annuvin
Annuvin, 5 months before the Dark Curse…
Archemides flew like his life depended on it. And in many ways, it very well might.
He flew into the shadow of the Horned King's castle, swooping down into the valley. Between the mountains was where the capital city was now located-and where the Queen Witch resided. Archimedes needed to speak with her immediately.
But he was so...damn...tired. (Give the featherhead some credit, owls aren't built for long distance travels the way some of their other avian cousins are). But soon enough, the Spiral Palace was in sight. The queen was seated on the eastern balcony, watching the stars.
With one final, silent swoop, he landed on the railing, chest heaving. "Your Majesty," the owl gasped for air. The Queen Witch tilted her head, the circlet crown catching a bit of moonlight, contrasted with her black and purple hair."It's- it's the Evil Queen! She's going to do it, she's going to cast the Dark Curse!"
"Fuck," Maeve sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
It all started with a meeting.
Everyone was there. All the major, mystical or otherwise magical players on the island of Gramarye met under a blackwood tree. The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Morgan Le Fay, the Green Knight, the Lady of the Lake, Madam Mim, the Bear Witch, with the guest of honor Merlin himself. Well, you know, the astral projection of him, at least. The Sorcerer couldn't leave his tree, and half the attendees weren't about to make the journey to accommodate. Mim and Le Fay were outright enemies of Camelot, while the Bear Witch had apparently been short changed on a business transaction and refused to step foot in the kingdom out of spite.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Le Fay asked, looking over the young woman with disdain.
"Ask your mother, princess, I'm sure she'll be happy to fill you in."
"What are you-"
"She's Madam Mim," the Lady of the Lake clarified, dressed in simple elegance. The teal blue gown looked well against her dark ochre skin, small white flowers woven into her dark, tightly curled hair. "Otherwise known as the Queen Witch of the Republic of Annuvin."
"How the hell can you be a queen of a republic ?" The witch asked, nose wrinkling as if she was talking about something vulgar.
"Constitutional monarchy. I'm little more than a figurehead these days," she explained with a gloat that was strange to those who didn't know her personally. "And always a pleasure to see you as well, Minerva."
The Sorcerer's Apprentice cleared his throat. "You have been gathered here to discuss a matter of great importance," he informed, bringing the meeting to an open. As if Merlin would ever call them over for a spot of tea.
"As you may have heard, the Evil Queen of the Enchanted Forest schemes to enact a Dark Curse," Merlin said in that particular prophetic holier-than-thou voice that always meant trouble. "This would not only affect those who've wronged her, but all those who reside within this realm. According to my visions, we only have months to prepare."
"I don't even see why the meeting is necessary," Le Fay wrinkled her nose, ever the royal. "She's just one sorceress."
"Exactly which part of 'going to cast the Dark Curse' was unclear?"
"The Evil Queen is a self-absorbed girl who doesn't even realize how much the Dark One's pulling her strings," Le Fay scoffed. "It would take two of us at most to make a quick trip to the Enchanted Forest and—" she ran two fingers across her throat "-problem solved."
"But like yae said, she has the protection o' the Dark One," challenged the Bear Witch. "He's put too much time an' effort into gettin' her to cast his curse. An unkillable, millenia-old terror, is that a fight yae really wanna pick?"
Pursed lips, crossed arms, but no immediate comeback.
"She's right," Merlin seconded. "If you actively try to stop the curse, the most likely path I see-even with your best efforts-still ends with the curse being cast."
Mim pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then if we're fucked anyway, why'd you call the bloody meeting?"
"Because you're not," the Sorcerer assured, unperturbed by the shapeshifter's profanity. "There's still hope. Depending on your actions, you can save not only yourselves, but all the souls that reside on the island."
"I can't imagine anyone here is exactly eager to be spirited off to a realm where gods know what awaits us."
Oh, wait. All eyes turned towards Merlin, aka the man with the gods-given gift of prophecy. "It's...not brimstone and pitchforks if that's what you're worried about."
"Then what would we be worried about?" Le Fay challenged.
"Stripped of your memories and your identity, separated from those you love, and forced to live a life that you found no joy in." He grimaced, in a moment of startling straightforwardness.
A moment of silence as the six other figures contemplated what such a fate would look like.
"It's now that I should tell you that this Dark Curse will not last forever. As we speak, Snow White bears a child who will become the Savior, and break the curse in twenty-eight years."
"What is it with you and having other people solve your problems?"
"Maeve."
"First the Once and Future King, and now this supposed 'Savior'? By the way how is that prophecy with the golden boy working out for you? Because you seem to be as much of a shrubbery as ever."
" Maeve ."
"As much as I hate it I am the queen of Annuvin and I am not about to leave the fates of my people in the hands of someone who hasn't even been born yet."
"Aye," the Bear Witch seconded. "But let's not dilly-dally with questions a' blame. If we cannot stop th' Curse from bein' cast, then we need to protect ourselves when it comes."
It was not long before King Arthur came to call. While Minerva knew some of what had occurred between him and her son, she held no grudge. Guinevere was a fine woman, and if she had chosen Arthur, then he was a man worthy of it. If Lancelot held no grudge, neither would she.
The king of Camelot called, and the Lady of the Lake answered. The water shimmered and shone, before a watery duplicate emerged from the waves. Minerva herself remained in Mim's alchemical laboratory, high above in the mountains of Annuvin.
Arthur greeted her with a kind smile. "My lady."
"Your Majesty."
"Word has come from the Enchanted Forest. The Evil Queen seeks to cast a terrible curse." His voice did not tremble or waver, but the concern was plain.
"All this is true, but the Sorcerer has gathered the strongest magicians of our fair isle to protect us," she smiled. "I assure you, the problem couldn't be in better hands."
" Alright, which one of you fuckers used up all the eye of newt?!"
"Master, I'm starting to get the feeling that you're enjoying this," Archimedes asked, perched in the boughs of the oak tree as his master scryed upon those he had honored with his prophecy.
"Oh, whatever do you mean?" Merlin asked, smiling. This was better than predicting the next two centuries of fantasy football.
Two Weeks Later...
"Conjuring the mists of Caer Sidi?"
"Not unless you want a portal to Faerie to open right in front of you."
"A Manawydan fire dance?"
Vivienne paused "No way we're going to be able to get that many sea turtles in time."
Two Months Later...
"No way any standard protection charm is going to ward off the Dark Curse," the Lady agreed.
Le Fay nodded, "and any magic powerful enough to ward it off is probably powerful enough to stretch across the island anyway, so that's that part of the question solved."
The discussion then turned into questions of exact spells would suit their needs. Potions, herbs, what components could be in the Dark Curse, so they could use counters of similar potency to counteract. Le Fay was as all for using dark magic, but that was par for the course. All those who gathered there used magic that danced in the murky area between Light and Dark.
"The isle of Gramarye has one of the greatest concentrations of natural magic than almost any other kingdom," The Green Knight, who had largely been silent, suddenly spoke up. "What if we could tap into that inherent magic of the land, and have the island help us defend itself."
"That's...unprecedented." Le Fay blinked. Vivienne just shrugged.
"The Lady and I do it everyday, it's the source of our power." From the silver hand-mirror, the Lady nodded in agreement.
"Viv, you are as brilliant as you are beautiful." A shared smile between amicable exes before moving on. "Well, that certainly solves a lot of our other problems, but here's another question," Mim spoke up, "say everything goes well, barrier goes up, and we avoid the curse. What happens to us then? Will we have to keep the barrier up the entire time? Continuously? Or is it more of a one-and-done."
"Is anyone here actually willing to risk the later? It's far better to have it up when we don't really need it, than to lower it and screw ourselves over," Le Fay contributed.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice pursed his lip. "For the kind of spell we're thinking of, perhaps we could be placed in a kind of stasis bubble? No one would age,"
"And what exactly are wae supposed to do for twenty-eight years? Cross our fingers an' hope that no one gets it in their heads to try and break the barrier? That yer golden boy of yers does have access to a sword that can cut through magic, Merlin. And gods know where Dyrnwyn is or who could have it."
"What if we make them hibernate?" The Green Knight added.
"Hibernate?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. As part of the spell, everyone in the dome could be placed under a stasis-almost like a sleeping spell. Like you said, people are going to get, well, bored. But if no one's awake, then that means no risk of anything being broken"
"And... everyone would fall asleep under this spell?" Le Fay eyed the rest of those gathered. Maeve didn't miss the look on her father's face.
"The Iron Crown isn't as fancy as the Grail or the Spear, but it offers me a measure of protection from harmful magic."
"I really don't see how that's relevant." Le Fay crossed her arms.
"It means that when we draw power from Gramarye, and use the Iron Crown as a focus," The Lady of the Lake smiled. "We will have one hell of a protective barrier."
The Time of the Dark Curse…
The clouds were coming. They were gathered on the shore of the lady's lake. It was now or never.
Maeve stopped and breathed. Vivienne, Minerva, the Bear Witch, and Le Fay would be doing the heavy lifting. She was simply the focus point.
Her father gave a nod of encouragement, and the shapeshifter pretended to not need it.
The Queen Witch lifted her crown:
" I call the spell that has no name,
With Pwyll's gift through which he reigned
Protect this isle from the darkest power
Show the Queen we will not cower!"
The ground shook as if in the thrall of an earthquake as beams of green power shot out from all around the isle. The citizens watched in amazement as a great barrier was formed, Gramarye cocooning itself from harm. Through the magic, they could see the writhing darkness passing above and around them.
That was when she noticed her father holding the wand. The wand he used whenever business called him Elsewhere.
"Father-"
"Don't worry. I'll be here when you wake up." Michael squeezed her hand in reassurance. As her world became darkness, Maeve smiled.
In her long sleep, the witch found herself dreaming. She dreamt of people long passed, and of faces long gone. She dreamed of pegasai, dragons, of the very depths of the Botomless Sea. In the space of a breath—or an eternity—she awoke. The log she had napped against was grown over with moss and mushrooms, a familiar red cloak spread over her
Annuvin, a few months ago
"The Dark Curse!" Archimedes screamed. "The Dark Curse has come!"
"Son of a—" Maeve didn't even have a chance to finish the thought as the curse swept over the island.
Storybrooke
"-fucking bitch." The witch came to in the middle of the forest having no idea where she was or why she said that. The last thing she clearly remembered was sitting through a boring meeting on tax policy.
Looking around, she saw others much like her, staggering to their feet and gawking at their surroundings. They'd barely gotten time to get their bearings before Oberon started to caw in warning. Maeve turned to catch a shadow between the trees. With the screech of a hunter it dived. Instead of prey, it met the claws and teeth of an apex predator.
"Is that a-"
"Flying monkey?" Maeve inspected the dead body "It appears so."
A few days ago…
"As I promised, I've found a way for us to return to Annuvin-but only if you wish it. I know like me, many of you enjoyed the comforts of Storybrooke and this strange new world but, well…" with a shrug, and a motion of her wrist, the doorway
"Your Majesty?" Ganieda asked, worry shining in her eyes. "Where will you be?"
A tight, pained smile. "Business calls me to Camelot. It seems the past isn't quite done with me after all."
Present Day…
Maeve spat blood onto the stone floor, smiling even as her head throbbed and her eye was starting to swell. "I have to say golden boy, your hospitality is rather lacking these days."
The boy who was now king placed something in the fire. She couldn't see what exactly, given she was currently chained to the wall (magic-suppression manacles, of course) and it was beyond her line of sight. Iron poker, probably. The insecure yet egotistical despot types have a weird thing for hot iron pokers.
"I asked you for the location of the Black Cauldron, Mim. You only make things harder for yourself by not telling me where it is."
"Oh I'd love to tell you, but I can't."
"And why's that?"
"For one: I think it'd really clash with the tapestries. For two: no way you'd go through all of this trouble on finding the damned pot if you weren't planning on using it."
Arthur smiled in a way he probably thought was threatening. It was like seeing a pup bare its teeth at dragon. He tilted her head up. She wanted to break his fingers.
"A monarch must care for the safety and welfare of their people," the boy who was now king explained, in that self-righteous tone that Mim started to tune out on reflex.
"That's something someone like you could never understand." Arthur spat, driving the dagger into the meat of her shoulder. Pain blossomed in a sharp, fiery flower, spreading as muscles fibers were cut and blood vessels burned closed. Maeve hissed and cursed, having the primal urge to rip his throat out with her teeth.
The world began to swim again, and once more, all became darkness.
Arthur gently placed the dagger back in its sheathe. A weapon that could put anyone it cut to sleep wasn't the most useful of things, to be sure. But he knew how to be creative.
If the king was being honest with himself-which he rarely was these days-he'd know this was more for his own sake, rather than for any real hope of getting information out of the witch. He closed the door and stepped out into the hall. It was almost time. "Grif!" The squire was quick to answer, bustling over with a box in his hands.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You have everything?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." He babbled as he presented his work to the king. "...and of course some of the soot stains were stubborn but, I think it almost looks brand new, sire."
The twin bull like horns almost gleamed in the firelight. The Horned King's helm rested in Arthur's hands. He brought it level to his own face, staring into those blank, hollow eyes. In the end, it didn't really matter of Mim decided to talk or not. Not when there was someone else that would be far more...accommodating.
Grif: Boy gee golly I just love working for King Arthur. Our righteous, heroic monarch who has a secret torture room where he beats up villains and asks them about finding dangerous magical artifacts to keep our realm safe. I'd do anything for him.
Honestly this entire chapter was my chance to iron out the timeline a little bit. The Sorcerer's Apprentice obviously managed to side-step the Dark Curse, as shown when he talked to Lily as a teenager, and Camelot was able to as well. This is basically my attempt to explain why that is, and how everyone got to where they are.
Plus, it's just really fun to have these people snip at each other.
I meant to have way more of the main cast in this chapter, but Mim basically hijacked things.
Also the description of the gwythaints comes straight from the books, rather than the wyvern-like creatures from the Disney movie. After all, do flying reptiles really make sense in a chilly, mountain-like environment? They'd probably freeze to death! So I decided to go with birds. After all, with Oberon and Grizzle, Mim is something of a bird lady, as it turns out
Hope you enjoyed!