TRANSPORTEUS CAMELOTEUS
TITLE: Transporteus Cameloteus
GENRE: Crossover with Wizards of Waverly Place
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: ~6600
SUMMARY: Recent havoc in the Wizard World leads the wizened warlock Merlin to visit the Russo family, asking Justin, Alex, and Max to travel back in time to 5th century Camelot to help the much younger him change events that could help rectify the problem.
BETA: The inestimable lachatblanche
POSTED: merlin_muses for Prompt Fest
TRANSPORTEUS CAMELOTEUS
Alex Russo flipped through the Spellbook while her brother Justin battled a particularly menacing minotaur that had somehow appeared in the magic den.
“Alex--” Justin implored. “Could you please hurry up?!”
Alex frowned at her brother. “You’re the one who’s taking the monster-hunting course for independent study,” she reminded him. Then, “And you know you shouldn’t rush me.”
Justin cast a spell to help dodge the minotaur. “This is really not the time to take your time,” he tossed back.
Alex flicked her wand at the beast and uttered the phrase, “Fashionato Minotauro” and a pink sweater dress suddenly appeared on the minotaur, accessorized with a matching patterned scarf and earrings that hung on the beast’s ram horns.
Taken by surprise, the minotaur stopped its attack on Justin momentarily to look down at its new wardrobe. Then it grunted loudly and resumed its attack with vigour.
“Uh … not helping,” Justin stated.
Alex allowed a giggle. “Yeah, but he looks way better in cashmere, don’t you think?”
The page-flipping became more studiously frantic as Justin tossed her a stony glare.
Alex soon became nervous when the minotaur gained the advantage on Justin and her brother’s pleas to hurry became more urgent. Spell to open a mail portal. Spell to duplicate one’s self. Spell to bring pictures to life. Spell to switch bodies. Spell to force someone to tell the truth…
“I can’t find anything!” Alex yelled to Justin.
Her brother was losing the fight. “No…hope…of…defeating…” he moaned as he continued to battle as best he could.
“Justin!” Alex screamed as her brother went down onto his knees. She picked up her wand and moved to help.
She was suddenly blinded by a bright light. Alex felt the presence of powerful magic being cast in the room and for a moment, she thought Justin must have figured out a way to get the upper hand on the beast. But when the light dimmed and everything settled she saw Justin still on the floor, though unharmed, his wand lying across the room, and the minotaur gone.
Alex was lamenting the paper cut she had gotten from turning pages in the Spellbook too quickly when she saw the man helping Justin to his feet - a very old man with a fantastically long but well-kept beard that brushed the floor.
“Did you do that?” Justin asked him, gesturing to where the minotaur had been.
“Yes,” said the old man. He had magnificent rosy cheekbones and incredible blue eyes that sparkled with youthful spirit. “I am Merlin,” he said.
“Whoa,” Justin said, gazing at the old wizard with awe.
“It has come to my attention,” the wizard Merlin said, “that havoc is afoot in the Wizard World …”
“Well, that’s kinda obvious,” Alex mumbled.
“Havoc that must be stopped before it is too late,” Merlin continued, with a twinkling blue glance at Alex. “And so I have come to ask for your help.”
“Our help?” Justin started as Max, Alex and Justin’s younger brother, came sailing through the door of the den.
“It’s getting totally crazy out there! I just saw a goblin and a troll fighting each other over a Fifth Avenue candy bar!” Biting the end off of a chocolate bar, Max stopped short on seeing the old wizard.
Alex’s best friend Harper came rushing in on Max’s heels, skidding to a halt when she saw Merlin. She leaned into Alex and asked in a loud whisper, “Who’s the old guy?”
“This is Merlin,” Alex responded, smiling at her red-headed friend, ignoring the reproving look Justin was giving Harper.
“Ooh, like Merlin the Magnificent Wizard?” Harper said excitedly. “Camelot? Excalibur? Avalon?” She looked the wizened wizard over, taking in the long cloak over breeches and tunic, the hint of a battered scarf at his neck, hidden under the long white beard. “He’s not at all like I imagined,” she said to Alex. “I kinda expected elaborate robes, moon and stars pattern, big pointed hat.”
The old wizard shrugged apologetically.
“Harper…” Justin began to admonish her, but was cut short by his younger brother.
“Cool beard, dude!” Max exclaimed.
“You like it?” Merlin asked, holding up his beard and looking at Max with kindly eyes.
“It’s Triple W - Way Wizard Wicked!”
“Way Wizard Wicked,” Merlin repeated, clearly amused. “I’ll have to remember to use that one,” he decided.
“Merlin has come to ask for our help,” Justin announced, his chest puffed out with incredible smugness and pride.
“Really?” Harper questioned, unconvinced.
“Really,” the old wizard confirmed. “The Wizard World is in chaos and the only way to set it right again is for a wizard or wizards to travel back to a time when I was but a young man.” He gestured expansively with his hands. “Medieval Camelot, that is, although the exact year is a bit hazy.”
“Wow!” Max said, his eyes round with astonishment. “You must be, like, a thousand years old!”
“Some would say closer to two thousand,” said Merlin, “but who’s counting?”
“Max,” Justin interjected, “technically the wizard Merlin lives outside of time and therefore has no age.” He looked to Merlin for validation and brownie points.
The old wizard nodded. “Justin is correct.” His blue eyes twinkled. “But it sounds far more impressive to say I am about sixteen-hundred-and-a-half years old, don’t you think?” He winked at Alex and Harper.
“Oh great,” Alex quipped. “A wizard who tries to impress girls with his age.”
“So you want us to travel back in time to Camelot…” Justin said hurriedly, trying to steer the conversation back to the topic of focus.
But Harper had other plans. “Ooh, can I go too?” she asked, beaming at Merlin. “I’m really good at helping Alex get out of trouble.”
“I do not get into trouble,” Alex protested. Justin and Harper both gave her incredulous looks. “Often,” she amended, and the older wizard suppressed a smile behind his beard.
Justin attempted once again. “So you want us to go to medieval Camelot to…”
“Well, there’s this hat…” Merlin began in response.
“Ooh! You mean the one Alex took by defeating a Dragon?” Harper guessed.
“And gave it to our father so he could be a wizard for a day,” Justin added. “Just another example of Alex bending the rules of magic. She does that a lot,” he tittle-tattled to the great wizard.
Merlin shook his head. “No, not that one.” He stroked his beard. “Come to think of it, I don’t know how I came to have that hat. And really, old Kilgharrah must be losing his touch if he gave it up that easily,” the wizard muttered. “Anyway, the hat to which I refer is one that I wore during a celebration uniting Camelot with Mercia, if I recall correctly. Of course at the time it was just Arthur wanting to have a little fun at my expense, though events took a turn and circumstances got a little dire at some point. ”
“Arthur?” Justin piped up. “You mean King Arthur?”
“Of course,” Merlin said, smiling. “Though Arthur was but a Prince at this time.”
“So what about this hat?” asked Alex, surprising her older brother by bringing the conversation back around to the subject.
“I bet it’s a hat that gives you special magical powers,” Max speculated excitedly.
Merlin shook his head. “Not especially.”
Max looked disappointed.
“Well, what does it do then?” Harper wanted to know.
“Besides making its wearer look utterly ridiculous?” Merlin laughed, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Nothing very extraordinary. But given the right context and with the right enchantment,” he said, “it can have the power to set right this world.”
“How…?” Justin started but the old wizard waved away his question.
“Details,” Merlin said, “that will take too long to relate. It’s best that you three - I mean, four--” He gifted Harper with a smile that made her glow. “--set straight off to fifth century Camelot and get your hands on that hat.”
“Do we use a teleporting spell or a time travel spell?” Justin asked the wise wizard.
“Both,” Merlin replied. “And this crystal.” He handed Justin a smooth round crystal. “And I would suggest you look for younger me as soon as you teleport back in time to fifth century Camelot.”
“How will we find you?”
“Well, I should say you’d likely find me in the castle,” Merlin replied. “With Arthur. Or Gaius.”
“That’s right!” Justin said. “You were King Arthur’s great sorcerer-advisor.”
“Hmm one day, yes,” Merlin agreed, “but where and when you’re going, Arthur is still a prince and I’m his, er, servant.”
Alex giggled. “Did you just say servant?”
Justin shot his sister a warning look. “Who’s Gaius?” he asked. “Is he another wizard?”
“Not exactly. Gaius is the court physician during this time,” Merlin explained. He seemed to reflect a moment. “He’s my mentor, my friend. The only real father I ever knew.” He looked at the kids. “You’ll be able to trust Gaius.”
“Trust Gaius. Okay.” Justin ticked off one of his fingers.
“You need to find the hat,” Merlin continued his instructions, “and then you must somehow convince Arthur to put it on and have young me perform this enchantment.” The old wizard spoke some words then looked to Justin. “Think you can remember that?”
Justin nodded. “What does it mean?”
Merlin waved a hand. “It does not matter. But it’s very important that the enchantment be done whilst Arthur is wearing that hat.”
“Sounds like a piece of cake to me,” Max chipped in.
“Hmm,” Merlin said, stroking his beard once again. “I dare say that the enchantment will be a ‘piece of cake’, as you said, but getting Arthur to put the hat on will be something of a challenge.” Merlin’s eyes reflected deeply as his mind went to a distant memory and there was fondness in those bright blue eyes.
Alex smiled. “Leave the enchantment stuff to Justin,” she said, a gleam in her eye. “This ‘something of a challenge’ thingy definitely sounds like it’s made for the female sibling of the Russo family.”
Merlin’s eyebrows darted up.
“I can be very persuasive,” Alex told him proudly.
“She can,” Justin conceded, nodding. “And quite manipulative.”
“And really sneaky,” Max added.
“And amazingly stubborn,” Harper tacked on.
“Okay!” Alex said, arms raised to stop them. “You don’t have to give away all of my special talents.”
“One more thing before you go,” Merlin suddenly interjected, sounding serious. “Whatever you do,” he warned Alex and the rest of them, “you must not tell or let anyone know that you have magic. You can tell me, of course, and Gaius. But definitely not Arthur. And stay clear of King Uther.” The old wizard’s face pinched up. “Morgana’s a bit of wild card at this stage so it might just be best to try and avoid any prolonged contact with her.”
“Morgana?” Alex wondered.
“You don’t mean Morgan, do you?” Justin asked, looking characteristically wary. “As in Morgan Le Fay, the renowned sorceress?”
The great wizard waved his arms around in dismissal. “There’s no worry, really,” he soothed. “Morgana’s magic is weak at this point in history and hardly a threat. But she is the King’s ward and can be a very … spunky - I think that’s the word you might use - young woman.” He looked at Alex with renewed appreciation.
“Morgana. Spunky.” Justin ticked off a second of his fingers.
“I would suggest that you try and blend in,” Merlin said. “Justin -- seek out Gaius under the pretence of wanting to be a healer’s apprentice. The Young Me lives with Gaius so you might find me there. Alex and Alex’s friend--”
“Harper,” Harper clarified.
“Interesting name,” Merlin commented, then continued, “Alex and Harper - it would probably be best if you posed as chamber maids.”
“Maids?” Alex scoffed. “Really? Isn’t there something in, say, talented castle artist?”
“’Fraid not,” Merlin said, swallowing back a smile. “Besides, as maids you’re more likely to run into Gwen and she can probably help, though you must take care not to let on to her anything about any of us having magic.”
Alex saw Justin tick off another finger, mouthing the word “Gwen.”
“What about me?” Max asked.
Merlin considered him for a moment. “Um, how about stable boy?”
“I do like horses,” Max said agreeably.
Merlin looked at the group of teenagers. “All set then?”
The four nodded in unison - well, almost.
“Remember,” Merlin reminded. “You must be careful not to let anyone know you have magic--”
Justin gave Alex a pointed look.
“Otherwise you’ll likely find your head on the chopping block.”
Harper gave a squeak.
“Wait. How do we get back home?” asked Alex.
“The crystal will help you get back to this world once the enchantment has been successfully cast.”
“How will we know if the enchantment worked?” Justin asked.
“The crystal will be ready to take you home,” Merlin responded.
“Is it just me,” Alex whispered to Harper. “Or is that supposed to be some kind of riddle?”
Merlin shook his long brown cloak around him and pulled at the red scarf practically hidden under his beard in preparation to take his leave. But before this, he leaned in toward Alex and whispered close to her ear, “I would suggest you get your friend to tone it down a bit. Fifth century Camelot is not a place you want to stand out.” The old wizard ran a line across his throat with his finger.
“Good luck,” the great and wizened wizard then bid the group.
And just like that, he was gone.
~*~*~
After Justin had ensured that they all had clothing that would fit the appropriate time period (Harper’s only comment about her medieval maiden’s dress was that it could use more interesting accessories), he had them each place a finger on the crystal and uttered the phrase, “Transporteus Cameloteus, Destination Fifth Centureation.”
In the matter of a second, they were tele-transported smack dab in the middle of Camelot, the home of the King Arthur of legend and his famed sorcerer-advisor, the great wizard Merlin.
“We should split up,” Justin recommended. “I’ll go and find Gaius, the court physician. You and Harper go to the castle and see if you can find Merlin there. And Max--” Justin looked at his younger brother. “Go find a stable to muck.”
“And keep my eye out for Merlin?” Max asked.
“And keep your eye out for Merlin,” his brother agreed.
Off they went.
Alex and Harper found it surprisingly easy to make their way into the castle. Not a single guard or knight stopped to question their ‘maidly’ presence.
“Someone should really talk to the King about security around here,” Alex commented.
“Really, Alex?” Harper rejoined. “Maybe while we’re at it, we could inform the King that there are three teenaged wizards from the future lurking around Camelot looking for a not-so-special hat and for a servant named Merlin, who just so happens to be the greatest wizard of all time.”
Alex rolled her eyes and jabbed her best friend in the ribs with an elbow.
A pretty maid in a dress of soft yellow and white was coming down the hall towards them.
“Hi,” Alex greeted her boldly.
“Hello,” the pretty maid returned, smiling, though her brows pinched together, her facial expression hinting at suspicion.
“I’m Alex and this is Harper,” Alex introduced. “We’re new chamber--” Cough. “-maids here in the, uh, castle.”
The fellow maid smiled more fully now. “I’m Guinevere,” she said then somewhat self-consciously corrected, “I mean, Gwen.”
“Oh, you’re Gwen!” Alex exclaimed in relief and Gwen gave her a startled look. Alex attempted to shake it off with a quick, “We’re looking for Merlin.”
“Merlin?” Gwen asked, intrigued, giving them both a look of interest.
“Yes,” Harper spoke up. “Merlin. Merlin the servant.”
Alex mentally rolled her eyes at her friend’s attempt to detract away from one thing by over-emphasizing another. Maybe bringing Harper along was not such a good idea.
Gwen smiled and said, “I think you’ll find Merlin the servant out in the training yard with Arthur, the Prince of Camelot.”
“Thanks,” Alex said, giving Harper a stare that willed her friend not to speak.
Gwen took a few steps forward then added, “And in case you are wondering, the training yard is that way.” She pointed to the west.
Alex nudged Harper along the hall in the direction Gwen had indicated.
“Hmm, Guinevere…” Harper mused out loud. “You don’t suppose that she’s the Guinevere that one day marries King Arthur?”
Alex and Harper exchanged momentary glances. “Nah!” they decided in unison.
~*~*~
Outside the castle, en route to what was most probably the training yard, Alex said to Harper, “Be on the lookout for someone who might be Merlin.”
In a matter of a minute, Harper tapped Alex’s arm and pointed. “Do you think that’s him?”
“Let’s see,” said Alex. “Brown coat. Red scarf. Doing servant-like things. Um, I’d say… yes.”
She pulled Harper forward so they could get a better look at the young wizard.
Merlin was about Justin’s age - maybe a couple of years older - and of similar height. He wore a shorter version of the brown jacket that Old Merlin had worn, over a blue tunic and brown pants. The red scarf lay around his neck, much more visible in the absence of a beard.
Harper was gaping at the young man standing to the side of the yard, one eye on the knights’ sparring, the other on the sword he was wiping. She looked at Alex accusingly, “You never said Merlin was so … hot.”
“Yeah well, who would believe that the wisest and most powerful of all the wizards looks like he’s barely old enough to shave?”
Alex had to admit Young Merlin was quite a beautiful sight. His most striking feature - the high-set pronounced cheekbones - stood out even more impossibly and beautifully when he smiled and blushed in the direction of one of the knights who was practice-sparring in the yard.
“Okay,” Alex said, coaxing them both back to their senses. “Let’s go back to remembering that he’s the old wizard with the long freaky beard and bushy eyebrows and get on with this.”
“Right,” Harper agreed, but she did not even pretend to stop gaping.
“Merlin?” Alex inquired when they approached the prospective young servant/wizard.
Merlin turned to them, flashing them the most incredible smile. “’Allo,” he greeted.
Alex grabbed hold of Harper to prevent the both of them from falling, weak-kneed, to the ground.
“Look,” she said, deciding to get right to it, not wanting to be distracted. “I don’t have time to explain things. But I’m Alex and she’s Harper. We come from the future where the Wizard World is in havoc and the only way to save it is for you to enchant some funky hat you wore at some union celebration.”
Merlin stared at her, his mouth ajar. Then finally, he blinked.
“I think you may be confusing me with someone else…” he began.
“You sent us here!” Alex told him and Merlin’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, not you you,” she corrected. “Old You.” The brows rose higher.
“Alex,” Harper cut in. “Maybe you should have eased into it for him.” She flashed Merlin a sympathetic smile.
Alex was intending to retort but was interrupted by a knight calling over, “Merlin, are you done with that sword yet?”
“It’ll just be a moment, sire,” Merlin returned, smiling tightly.
Harper’s jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh, is that the Once and Future King Arthur?”
Merlin gave her a startled look. “How…?”
“We told you,” Alex said. “You - Old You - sent us here. To find a hat. To cast a spell. To save the Wizard World.” She gave Merlin a look that might have suggested she thought he was a bit thick.
Prince Arthur suddenly descended on them. “Merlin!” he chided. “I’ve asked for the sword a hundred times!”
“Sorry,” Merlin mumbled.
Alex stared at the man who stood before Merlin. This was Arthur? Prince Arthur? The man who would one day be king? Normally, she wasn’t much into blondes, but this one was an exceptionally handsome blonde.
“Hello,” she said in her flirtiest girly voice. Harper eyed her warily.
The prince looked up and acknowledged both Alex and Harper’s presence. “Hello,” he returned politely, then said to Merlin, “Friends of yours?”
“No,” Merlin replied quickly. Alex subtly kicked him. “I mean, yes. I think.”
Prince Arthur narrowed his eyes at his manservant. He took the sword from Merlin’s hands and returned to the yard.
“Well, well,” Alex said, smiling, watching the prince as he sauntered back to the group of knights.
“Alex,” Harper cautioned. “I know that look.”
“What look?” Alex said mischievously.
“Yes, what look?” Merlin asked Harper, his expression going from wary to fearful.
“The look that says Alex has her sights set on something,” Harper explained. She drew herself up importantly. “Well I’m not impressed with Mr. I’m-going-to-be-king-someday. He wasn’t exactly nice to Merlin just now.”
Merlin nodded at Harper in agreement. “He can be a bit of a prat sometimes.”
Alex gave Harper and Merlin a look. “Can we focus, please? We need to get the hat,” she reminded them.
“Well I can’t just go running off,” Merlin said, “Not while Arthur is training.” Alex couldn’t help but think that Young Merlin did not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation as much as Old Merlin. Which only served to make her like Young Merlin even more.
“Justin - my brother - is supposed to find Gaius,” Alex told him. “So maybe you can meet us together with Gaius when you’re done with all this?” She waved her hand at the group of knights sparring.
Merlin shrugged. Alex took that as a ‘yes’ and tugged Harper, who still couldn’t take her eyes off Merlin, away towards the castle.
~*~*~
After stopping to ask several different people, Alex and Harper were finally directed to the court physician’s quarters. Here they found Justin, already bonding with Merlin’s mentor, Gaius.
“Ah,” the old man with the quirky eyebrow said to them. “Justin here has been telling me how you all came to be in Camelot. Remarkable. Truly remarkable.”
“Did you find Merlin?” Justin asked.
“Yes,” Alex told him. “And I’m pretty sure he’s gonna to help us.”
“Pretty sure?” Justin questioned. “Did you explain to him the fate of the modern Wizard World depends on him?”
“Uh, in a round-about sort of way,” Alex said, waving her hands about the air. “Really, Justin, there’s no need to make it sound so…life and death.”
“Alex!” Justin argued. “It is life and death! For us.”
Alex sighed her exasperation. Harper shrugged her nonchalance. And Gaius raised his eyebrow up another notch.
“He is insufferable!” Merlin complained, suddenly coming through the door of Gaius’ quarters, his hands full of what looked like a pile of clothing. He saw Alex, Harper and Justin gathered around Gaius and sighed. “I was hoping that you two had just been a figment of my over-active imagination,” he said to the girls.
“Yeah, sorry,” Alex said, “We’re not. But I know how you feel.”
Justin rushed forward, grabbed Merlin’s hand and pumped it excitedly. “Let me just say that it is an honour to meet you, sir. I mean, Wizard. I mean, Merlin.”
“Alright,” Merlin said slightly suspiciously, his expression speculative. He looked Justin over.
“Justin, I’m afraid you’ll find this Merlin to be rather humble,” Gaius said, his lips playing with a smile. “Merlin has not yet realized the full potential and brilliance of his magical powers.”
Merlin lifted his eyebrows. “Brilliance? Really? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you describe it in that way before.”
Gaius’ smile widened as he said to Justin, “Perhaps ‘humble’ is not quite the word.”
“So what’s all this about a hat?” Merlin asked, steering the conversation more comfortably away from him.
Justin went about explaining to Young Merlin what Old Merlin had sent them to do.
“And this requires some kind of hat?” Merlin asked for clarification.
“Not just any hat,” Justin said. “A hat that was worn during a celebration between Camelot and another kingdom - Mercia, I think you said. I believe you thought you would know which hat we’re talking about.”
“Oh, I know the hat,” Merlin said, frowning. “I just can’t fathom why it has to be that hat.”
“You wouldn’t say,” Justin told him. “Details.” He waved his hands around the way Old Merlin had.
Merlin’s frown deepened. “And I’m supposed to enchant the hat while wearing it?”
“While Arthur is wearing it,” Alex corrected.
“Hah!” Merlin exclaimed. “Good luck with that.”
“You’re the one who told us Arthur has to wear the hat,” Alex said.
“Old Me?”
Alex nodded.
Merlin looked at Gaius. “Something tells This Me that Old Me has a serious mental affliction.”
“Now, now,” Gaius said, trying to soothe Merlin’s concerns. “Your future self must have a good reason for all this.”
“You mean other than being completely out of my mind?” Merlin returned. “Gaius - you know that there is absolutely no way that Arthur is going to put that hat on!”
“First things first,” Merlin’s mentor said. “You have to find the hat and then find a way to convince Arthur to wear it so you can cast the enchantment.”
Alex, Justin and Harper looked at Merlin expectantly. Finally, he nodded.
“Find the hat,” he mumbled, ticking off his fingers as he spoke. “Get Arthur to put it on. Cast the enchantment. Somehow avoid us all getting executed.”
Young Merlin suddenly reminded Alex of Justin and she was surprisingly comforted by that.
“What’s that?” Gaius asked, gesturing toward the pile Merlin had set down by the door.
“I think every garment in Arthur’s wardrobe,” Merlin replied, “which he has the cheek to claim needs mending.” Merlin huffed out another sigh. “It’s a wonder I have time to save his bloody backside with all the work he gives me to do.”
“I can do the mending,” Harper offered. “I don’t know any magic spells but I’m a ‘wizard’ with a needle and thread.” She beamed at Merlin and Alex saw ‘smitten’ written all over her friend’s face.
So it was decided that Merlin and Alex would go looking for the hat, that Justin would stay behind with Gaius (they seemed to have quickly developed a comfortable rapport and Gaius had apparently promised to show Justin how to make a special tincture for treating foot fungus), and that Harper would stay and mend Arthur’s clothes. Max had not wandered in from the stables since they had gotten here.
Merlin led Alex to a room in the east wing of the castle that he claimed was where feast and celebration items were kept in storage, which seemed the most logical place to start looking for the hat.
Alex and Merlin searched every inch of the store room for the hat, opening closet and cupboard doors, rummaging around in spare trunks, looking under and through various crates.
“What does this hat even look like?” Alex asked Merlin, realizing that she had no idea what she was even looking for.
“Trust me,” Merlin said solemnly, “You’ll know it when you see it.”
Alex wondered but continued with her search.
“So,” Merlin said after a while, “Arthur really is going to be a great king one day.”
“I don’t know as much about history as Justin,” Alex said, “but yeah, King Arthur becomes quite a legend.”
Merlin smiled, seeming to be genuinely pleased about Arthur’s future accomplishment. Alex wondered. It was interesting that Merlin seemed more pleased and proud that Arthur would be remembered in history as a great and noble leader than reveling in the knowledge that he would leave his own legacy as the greatest and most revered wizard of all time.
She remembered the blush in Merlin’s cheeks as he had watched Arthur practice-sparring and ventured, “Look, this thing you have for Arthur...”
“What thing?”
Alex rolled her hands around. “You know…”
“I most certainly do not.”
“Come on…” Alex tried again.
Merlin did not waver from his determinedly oblivious look.
Alex stared back at Merlin, assessing. Was it really possible that he had no clue about his own feelings? “Okay,” she gave in. “Forget I said anything.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Merlin returned.
“Good.”
“Good.”
“Let’s just find the hat.”
But the hat was not to be found in the store room. Merlin suggested that they look through Arthur’s chambers on the off-chance he had had evil intentions for Merlin to wear it at an upcoming ceremony.
“Merlin,” someone called down the hallway from behind them as they scurried off toward the prince’s rooms.
A striking young woman in a beautiful green gown that matched the hue of her eyes glided up behind them.
“Have you seen Arthur?” she asked.
“Not since training practice,” Merlin offered.
The woman now looked at Alex with interest and said to Merlin, a teasing glint in her eye. “Who’s your friend?”
“Uh, this is, uh--”
“Alex,” Alex supplied. For a great wizard, Young Merlin had a short memory.
“That’s a pretty name,” the woman said kindly, smiling. “I’m Morgana.”
This was Morgana?
“Um, thanks,” was all Alex could say.
“Oh, there’s Sir Leon,” Merlin said, breaking into their girly exchange, pointing down the hallway. “He might know where Arthur is,” he told Morgana.
He grabbed Alex by the elbow and began steering her back in the direction of Arthur’s chambers. She was barely able to catch a glimpse of the tall and handsome knight Merlin had referred to as ‘Sir Leon’. Mostly, what she saw was a flutter of red cape.
“She doesn’t seem so evil to me,” Alex mumbled as Merlin practically pulled her down the hallway. He was obviously anxious.
Merlin gave her a questioning look. “What?”
“Nothing,” she covered quickly.
They rooted around in every corner, crack and crevice in Arthur’s chambers looking for the hat.
Although she thought it unlikely because surely Merlin would have noticed it when cleaning, Alex got down on the floor and searched under the bed.
“Bingo!” Alex called out.
“Bingo?” Merlin queried with a look.
Alex lifted The Hat out from under the bed.
Merlin grinned, shaking his head. “I can’t imagine why Arthur would have that hat under his bed, but I’ve never been more happy to see it.”
“It’s hideous,” Alex remarked. Merlin had been right. There was no mistaking that this was the hat they were meant to find.
“It is,” Merlin agreed.
Alex giggled. “Harper would love it.”
Merlin grinned. “Would she?”
Alex dusted off the hat some, its showy feathery plumes swaying obnoxiously. “I thought you were Arthur’s servant,” she commented.
“I am.”
“Well, gosh, don’t you ever clean under his bed?”
Merlin narrowed his eyes at her and looked ready to retort.
“What in the name of Camelot…!” Arthur suddenly exclaimed from behind them.
Alex reacted quickly. She pulled out the wand from under her dress and proclaimed, “Carry this spell with the breeze, and make Prince Arthur’s movements freeze!”
In an instant, all of Arthur’s movements were suspended and he was frozen to the spot, immobile and unaware.
“Are you out of your mind?” Merlin exclaimed, his face showing a combination of astonishment and wonder. “You can’t just freeze the Prince of Camelot!”
“Oh? I think I just did,” Alex said unapologetically.
Merlin stopped goggling and shrugged. “Well I guess we might as well get on with it then.” He reached out to take the hat from Alex. Then he moved toward the frozen prince, set the hat atop his head and pulled it down securely. “There,” he said.
“Aww, he’s so cute in that hat,” Alex remarked. “I wish I had my Kodak Oneshot.” She giggled and was pleased to hear Merlin chuckling along with her.
“The hat does look better on Arthur than it did on me,” Merlin commented then he asked Alex, “So what’s the enchantment?”
“Um….”
Merlin waited, looking at her expectantly.
“Um…oh, I don’t know!” Alex admitted. Then she said, “Justin was supposed to remember that.”
“And you couldn’t have mentioned this before you went and cast a freezing spell on him?” Merlin waved his hand dramatically at the hat-wearing frozen prince.
Young Merlin was starting to sound annoyingly more and more like her brown-nosing brother Justin.
“I guess I’d better go get Justin,” Alex said, avoiding Merlin’s death-stare. She started for the door, tossing over her shoulder, “Yeah, that freeze spell won’t last too long.” Then she quickly rushed out before she could catch the full extent of Merlin’s exasperation.
She started rambling as soon as she got to the court physician’s quarters. “Justin -- Merlin needs you. We found the hat and put it on Arthur - well, after I put a freezing spell on him - but I can’t remember the enchantment and you know that spell won’t last very long and - wait.” She gave her brother a scrutinizing look. “Is that a scarf you’re wearing?”
Justin touched the material at his neck. “I thought it would make me look more genuine as Gaius’ apprentice,” he said defensively.
“Well, it makes you look something,” Alex muttered under her breath before saying out loud, “We gotta hurry before that spell wears off.”
Alex was sure Gaius, with his impossibly arched disapproving eyebrow, was still staring after them as they rushed out the door.
~*~*~
Alex and Justin were but two hallways away from Prince Arthur’s chambers when they ran into Uther Pendragon, the King of Camelot.
King Uther looked them over, inspecting, then said, “I need two servants to assist in carrying some crates. You’ll do.”
“Ohh, it can’t be us,” Alex told him.
Uther Pendragon narrowed his eyes at her. Alex tried not to flinch.
“What my sis-er,” Justin said, “what she means to say is that we are already involved with running an important errand---”
--for the prince,” Alex supplied.
The king’s eyebrows raised. “For Arthur?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
The king narrowed his eyes further. “And where is the prince’s manservant - Merlin?” Uther wanted to know.
“He’s--”
“-busy.”
“With some--”
“-mending.”
“And he asked us to assist the prince with--”
“-some chores--”
“-that he--”
“-forgot to do.”
“Because of--”
“-all that mending.”
King Uther stared at them both for a moment. Justin’s eyes were locked onto the king’s boots but Alex maintained eye contact. She saw a flicker of curiosity pass through the king’s eyes, mixed in with suspicion, and hoped that curiosity was enough to keep their heads off the chopping block.
“Very well then,” King Uther said after what seemed like an eternity. “Carry on.”
They didn’t wait to be told twice.
Justin let out an emphatic “Phew!” as they rounded the corner.
“Okay, he was scary,” Alex commented.
When they rushed through the door of the prince’s chambers they found Arthur on the floor, slumped against the wardrobe, hat still perched on his head. It was clear that the freezing spell Alex had cast had worn off but he appeared to be immobile, though very much aware, and looking less than happy. Alex suspected Merlin had something to do with this - well, at least the parts that didn’t involve the deep scowl etched into the prince’s face.
“I don’t know what kind of magic you did to us,” said Merlin, who was slumped in a similar position against the bed, “but the king will not be too pleased when he finds out.”
Arthur’s scowl deepened but he said nothing. Alex guessed that Merlin had cast a spell that prevented Arthur from speaking, along with keeping him immobile, most probably so he couldn’t call out and alert the guards. She had to appreciate it was a good move.
“Is there something else you intend to do?” Merlin asked, accompanying his question with a subtle look that nevertheless bore a hole into Justin.
“Oh. Yeah,” said Justin. He uttered the spell as best and as loudly as he could to draw attention away from Merlin who whispered the words that actually cast the enchantment. The hat with the peacock tail and plumes of red feathers glowed for a second and then vanished from Arthur’s head.
“Do you think it worked?” Justin whispered to Alex.
Alex shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“I don’t know what you just did,” Merlin said, “but for your sakes, I hope you have a very good escape plan.” He nodded his head for emphasis.
“Um…” Justin said, looking to Alex.
“Of course we do,” she said, winking at Merlin, not able to check herself.
Merlin furtively winked back.
Not wanting to over-stay their welcome, Alex and Justin raced out of the prince’s chambers.
“We need to get Harper and Max and get out of here quick,” Justin said.
“You know,” Alex allowed herself to muse out loud as Justin pulled her along. “I wonder how long it’ll take Arthur to wonder why Merlin didn’t just call the guards himself?”
Justin looked at her.
“Or why only he was enchanted speechless.”
Another look.
“Or how the spell will be broken once we’re gone.”
Yet another look.
“Or why he was wearing that hat.”
“Alex…”
“A hot prince,” she allowed, “but I’m thinking not the brightest bulb.”
“Let it go, Alex,” her brother warned. “He’s going to be King Arthur one day.”
Alex shrugged. “Just saying.”
Justin yanked her along more urgently.
“Harper!” Alex called out as they entered the old physician’s quarters. “Let’s go!”
Harper looked up from her task. “I can’t,” she said, waving her hand at the pile of garments around her. “I haven’t finished mending the prince’s clothes for Merlin.”
Justin pulled out his wand and waved it in the direction of the clothing. “Do not worry about the how, please mend these clothes all right now.” There was a sparkle and then all of the garments folded up and stacked neatly into a pile.
Harper grinned. “Oh yeah, you’re wizards,” she remembered.
They heard the sound of a bell and Gaius said urgently, “You must leave now. The guards have been sent out to look for you.” He ushered the three out of his quarters. Then, smiling warmly, he said, “If you see Merlin again, tell him an old friend says hello.”
Managing to dodge the guards who were rounding corners at every turn, they ran out to the stables where they found Max, fondly stroking the mane of a beautiful brown horse.
“This is Butterbean,” he introduced when he saw them.
Harper stepped forward as if to make acquaintance but Alex jabbed her in the ribs.
“Time to go, Max,” Alex said.
Max frowned. “Already?” He looked to Butterbean. “I thought I’d have a chance to ride her.”
“There are angry guards and knights after us,” Justin explained.
“Why?” Max asked. Then, “What did Alex do?”
Alex opened her mouth to protest, as Justin pulled the crystal out of his pocket. “Everybody put a finger on the crystal,” he commanded.
All four moved in to touch the crystal.
Justin cast the spell. “From East to West, this spell’s no jest; wherever we roam, send us all back home.”
Nothing happened.
“Uh-oh,” said Alex. “Does this mean the enchantment didn’t work? I mean, Old Merlin was pretty vague on the whole getting-back-home thing.”
“Max,” Justin said curtly to his younger brother, whose finger had wandered from the crystal as he had looked forlornly at Butterbean.
Max put his finger on the crystal and Justin repeated the spell.
And in the matter of a second, they were back in the magic den - home - at Waverly Place.
Justin rushed to the window and looked outside. He turned and smiled. “Everything looks back to normal. No goblins, trolls, or minotaurs in sight.”
Alex sank onto the couch. Saving the Wizard World had been exhausting.
Max was looking intently at his brother. “Wicked scarf,” he remarked.
“Like Way Wizard Wicked?” Justin wanted to know, looking rather pleased with himself.
“No,” said Max.
Justin frowned deeply. Harper cooed her appreciation for the scarf. And Alex giggled and grinned.
Everything was definitely back to normal.
THE END
GENRE: Crossover with Wizards of Waverly Place
RATING: G
WORD COUNT: ~6600
SUMMARY: Recent havoc in the Wizard World leads the wizened warlock Merlin to visit the Russo family, asking Justin, Alex, and Max to travel back in time to 5th century Camelot to help the much younger him change events that could help rectify the problem.
BETA: The inestimable lachatblanche
POSTED: merlin_muses for Prompt Fest
TRANSPORTEUS CAMELOTEUS
Alex Russo flipped through the Spellbook while her brother Justin battled a particularly menacing minotaur that had somehow appeared in the magic den.
“Alex--” Justin implored. “Could you please hurry up?!”
Alex frowned at her brother. “You’re the one who’s taking the monster-hunting course for independent study,” she reminded him. Then, “And you know you shouldn’t rush me.”
Justin cast a spell to help dodge the minotaur. “This is really not the time to take your time,” he tossed back.
Alex flicked her wand at the beast and uttered the phrase, “Fashionato Minotauro” and a pink sweater dress suddenly appeared on the minotaur, accessorized with a matching patterned scarf and earrings that hung on the beast’s ram horns.
Taken by surprise, the minotaur stopped its attack on Justin momentarily to look down at its new wardrobe. Then it grunted loudly and resumed its attack with vigour.
“Uh … not helping,” Justin stated.
Alex allowed a giggle. “Yeah, but he looks way better in cashmere, don’t you think?”
The page-flipping became more studiously frantic as Justin tossed her a stony glare.
Alex soon became nervous when the minotaur gained the advantage on Justin and her brother’s pleas to hurry became more urgent. Spell to open a mail portal. Spell to duplicate one’s self. Spell to bring pictures to life. Spell to switch bodies. Spell to force someone to tell the truth…
“I can’t find anything!” Alex yelled to Justin.
Her brother was losing the fight. “No…hope…of…defeating…” he moaned as he continued to battle as best he could.
“Justin!” Alex screamed as her brother went down onto his knees. She picked up her wand and moved to help.
She was suddenly blinded by a bright light. Alex felt the presence of powerful magic being cast in the room and for a moment, she thought Justin must have figured out a way to get the upper hand on the beast. But when the light dimmed and everything settled she saw Justin still on the floor, though unharmed, his wand lying across the room, and the minotaur gone.
Alex was lamenting the paper cut she had gotten from turning pages in the Spellbook too quickly when she saw the man helping Justin to his feet - a very old man with a fantastically long but well-kept beard that brushed the floor.
“Did you do that?” Justin asked him, gesturing to where the minotaur had been.
“Yes,” said the old man. He had magnificent rosy cheekbones and incredible blue eyes that sparkled with youthful spirit. “I am Merlin,” he said.
“Whoa,” Justin said, gazing at the old wizard with awe.
“It has come to my attention,” the wizard Merlin said, “that havoc is afoot in the Wizard World …”
“Well, that’s kinda obvious,” Alex mumbled.
“Havoc that must be stopped before it is too late,” Merlin continued, with a twinkling blue glance at Alex. “And so I have come to ask for your help.”
“Our help?” Justin started as Max, Alex and Justin’s younger brother, came sailing through the door of the den.
“It’s getting totally crazy out there! I just saw a goblin and a troll fighting each other over a Fifth Avenue candy bar!” Biting the end off of a chocolate bar, Max stopped short on seeing the old wizard.
Alex’s best friend Harper came rushing in on Max’s heels, skidding to a halt when she saw Merlin. She leaned into Alex and asked in a loud whisper, “Who’s the old guy?”
“This is Merlin,” Alex responded, smiling at her red-headed friend, ignoring the reproving look Justin was giving Harper.
“Ooh, like Merlin the Magnificent Wizard?” Harper said excitedly. “Camelot? Excalibur? Avalon?” She looked the wizened wizard over, taking in the long cloak over breeches and tunic, the hint of a battered scarf at his neck, hidden under the long white beard. “He’s not at all like I imagined,” she said to Alex. “I kinda expected elaborate robes, moon and stars pattern, big pointed hat.”
The old wizard shrugged apologetically.
“Harper…” Justin began to admonish her, but was cut short by his younger brother.
“Cool beard, dude!” Max exclaimed.
“You like it?” Merlin asked, holding up his beard and looking at Max with kindly eyes.
“It’s Triple W - Way Wizard Wicked!”
“Way Wizard Wicked,” Merlin repeated, clearly amused. “I’ll have to remember to use that one,” he decided.
“Merlin has come to ask for our help,” Justin announced, his chest puffed out with incredible smugness and pride.
“Really?” Harper questioned, unconvinced.
“Really,” the old wizard confirmed. “The Wizard World is in chaos and the only way to set it right again is for a wizard or wizards to travel back to a time when I was but a young man.” He gestured expansively with his hands. “Medieval Camelot, that is, although the exact year is a bit hazy.”
“Wow!” Max said, his eyes round with astonishment. “You must be, like, a thousand years old!”
“Some would say closer to two thousand,” said Merlin, “but who’s counting?”
“Max,” Justin interjected, “technically the wizard Merlin lives outside of time and therefore has no age.” He looked to Merlin for validation and brownie points.
The old wizard nodded. “Justin is correct.” His blue eyes twinkled. “But it sounds far more impressive to say I am about sixteen-hundred-and-a-half years old, don’t you think?” He winked at Alex and Harper.
“Oh great,” Alex quipped. “A wizard who tries to impress girls with his age.”
“So you want us to travel back in time to Camelot…” Justin said hurriedly, trying to steer the conversation back to the topic of focus.
But Harper had other plans. “Ooh, can I go too?” she asked, beaming at Merlin. “I’m really good at helping Alex get out of trouble.”
“I do not get into trouble,” Alex protested. Justin and Harper both gave her incredulous looks. “Often,” she amended, and the older wizard suppressed a smile behind his beard.
Justin attempted once again. “So you want us to go to medieval Camelot to…”
“Well, there’s this hat…” Merlin began in response.
“Ooh! You mean the one Alex took by defeating a Dragon?” Harper guessed.
“And gave it to our father so he could be a wizard for a day,” Justin added. “Just another example of Alex bending the rules of magic. She does that a lot,” he tittle-tattled to the great wizard.
Merlin shook his head. “No, not that one.” He stroked his beard. “Come to think of it, I don’t know how I came to have that hat. And really, old Kilgharrah must be losing his touch if he gave it up that easily,” the wizard muttered. “Anyway, the hat to which I refer is one that I wore during a celebration uniting Camelot with Mercia, if I recall correctly. Of course at the time it was just Arthur wanting to have a little fun at my expense, though events took a turn and circumstances got a little dire at some point. ”
“Arthur?” Justin piped up. “You mean King Arthur?”
“Of course,” Merlin said, smiling. “Though Arthur was but a Prince at this time.”
“So what about this hat?” asked Alex, surprising her older brother by bringing the conversation back around to the subject.
“I bet it’s a hat that gives you special magical powers,” Max speculated excitedly.
Merlin shook his head. “Not especially.”
Max looked disappointed.
“Well, what does it do then?” Harper wanted to know.
“Besides making its wearer look utterly ridiculous?” Merlin laughed, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Nothing very extraordinary. But given the right context and with the right enchantment,” he said, “it can have the power to set right this world.”
“How…?” Justin started but the old wizard waved away his question.
“Details,” Merlin said, “that will take too long to relate. It’s best that you three - I mean, four--” He gifted Harper with a smile that made her glow. “--set straight off to fifth century Camelot and get your hands on that hat.”
“Do we use a teleporting spell or a time travel spell?” Justin asked the wise wizard.
“Both,” Merlin replied. “And this crystal.” He handed Justin a smooth round crystal. “And I would suggest you look for younger me as soon as you teleport back in time to fifth century Camelot.”
“How will we find you?”
“Well, I should say you’d likely find me in the castle,” Merlin replied. “With Arthur. Or Gaius.”
“That’s right!” Justin said. “You were King Arthur’s great sorcerer-advisor.”
“Hmm one day, yes,” Merlin agreed, “but where and when you’re going, Arthur is still a prince and I’m his, er, servant.”
Alex giggled. “Did you just say servant?”
Justin shot his sister a warning look. “Who’s Gaius?” he asked. “Is he another wizard?”
“Not exactly. Gaius is the court physician during this time,” Merlin explained. He seemed to reflect a moment. “He’s my mentor, my friend. The only real father I ever knew.” He looked at the kids. “You’ll be able to trust Gaius.”
“Trust Gaius. Okay.” Justin ticked off one of his fingers.
“You need to find the hat,” Merlin continued his instructions, “and then you must somehow convince Arthur to put it on and have young me perform this enchantment.” The old wizard spoke some words then looked to Justin. “Think you can remember that?”
Justin nodded. “What does it mean?”
Merlin waved a hand. “It does not matter. But it’s very important that the enchantment be done whilst Arthur is wearing that hat.”
“Sounds like a piece of cake to me,” Max chipped in.
“Hmm,” Merlin said, stroking his beard once again. “I dare say that the enchantment will be a ‘piece of cake’, as you said, but getting Arthur to put the hat on will be something of a challenge.” Merlin’s eyes reflected deeply as his mind went to a distant memory and there was fondness in those bright blue eyes.
Alex smiled. “Leave the enchantment stuff to Justin,” she said, a gleam in her eye. “This ‘something of a challenge’ thingy definitely sounds like it’s made for the female sibling of the Russo family.”
Merlin’s eyebrows darted up.
“I can be very persuasive,” Alex told him proudly.
“She can,” Justin conceded, nodding. “And quite manipulative.”
“And really sneaky,” Max added.
“And amazingly stubborn,” Harper tacked on.
“Okay!” Alex said, arms raised to stop them. “You don’t have to give away all of my special talents.”
“One more thing before you go,” Merlin suddenly interjected, sounding serious. “Whatever you do,” he warned Alex and the rest of them, “you must not tell or let anyone know that you have magic. You can tell me, of course, and Gaius. But definitely not Arthur. And stay clear of King Uther.” The old wizard’s face pinched up. “Morgana’s a bit of wild card at this stage so it might just be best to try and avoid any prolonged contact with her.”
“Morgana?” Alex wondered.
“You don’t mean Morgan, do you?” Justin asked, looking characteristically wary. “As in Morgan Le Fay, the renowned sorceress?”
The great wizard waved his arms around in dismissal. “There’s no worry, really,” he soothed. “Morgana’s magic is weak at this point in history and hardly a threat. But she is the King’s ward and can be a very … spunky - I think that’s the word you might use - young woman.” He looked at Alex with renewed appreciation.
“Morgana. Spunky.” Justin ticked off a second of his fingers.
“I would suggest that you try and blend in,” Merlin said. “Justin -- seek out Gaius under the pretence of wanting to be a healer’s apprentice. The Young Me lives with Gaius so you might find me there. Alex and Alex’s friend--”
“Harper,” Harper clarified.
“Interesting name,” Merlin commented, then continued, “Alex and Harper - it would probably be best if you posed as chamber maids.”
“Maids?” Alex scoffed. “Really? Isn’t there something in, say, talented castle artist?”
“’Fraid not,” Merlin said, swallowing back a smile. “Besides, as maids you’re more likely to run into Gwen and she can probably help, though you must take care not to let on to her anything about any of us having magic.”
Alex saw Justin tick off another finger, mouthing the word “Gwen.”
“What about me?” Max asked.
Merlin considered him for a moment. “Um, how about stable boy?”
“I do like horses,” Max said agreeably.
Merlin looked at the group of teenagers. “All set then?”
The four nodded in unison - well, almost.
“Remember,” Merlin reminded. “You must be careful not to let anyone know you have magic--”
Justin gave Alex a pointed look.
“Otherwise you’ll likely find your head on the chopping block.”
Harper gave a squeak.
“Wait. How do we get back home?” asked Alex.
“The crystal will help you get back to this world once the enchantment has been successfully cast.”
“How will we know if the enchantment worked?” Justin asked.
“The crystal will be ready to take you home,” Merlin responded.
“Is it just me,” Alex whispered to Harper. “Or is that supposed to be some kind of riddle?”
Merlin shook his long brown cloak around him and pulled at the red scarf practically hidden under his beard in preparation to take his leave. But before this, he leaned in toward Alex and whispered close to her ear, “I would suggest you get your friend to tone it down a bit. Fifth century Camelot is not a place you want to stand out.” The old wizard ran a line across his throat with his finger.
“Good luck,” the great and wizened wizard then bid the group.
And just like that, he was gone.
~*~*~
After Justin had ensured that they all had clothing that would fit the appropriate time period (Harper’s only comment about her medieval maiden’s dress was that it could use more interesting accessories), he had them each place a finger on the crystal and uttered the phrase, “Transporteus Cameloteus, Destination Fifth Centureation.”
In the matter of a second, they were tele-transported smack dab in the middle of Camelot, the home of the King Arthur of legend and his famed sorcerer-advisor, the great wizard Merlin.
“We should split up,” Justin recommended. “I’ll go and find Gaius, the court physician. You and Harper go to the castle and see if you can find Merlin there. And Max--” Justin looked at his younger brother. “Go find a stable to muck.”
“And keep my eye out for Merlin?” Max asked.
“And keep your eye out for Merlin,” his brother agreed.
Off they went.
Alex and Harper found it surprisingly easy to make their way into the castle. Not a single guard or knight stopped to question their ‘maidly’ presence.
“Someone should really talk to the King about security around here,” Alex commented.
“Really, Alex?” Harper rejoined. “Maybe while we’re at it, we could inform the King that there are three teenaged wizards from the future lurking around Camelot looking for a not-so-special hat and for a servant named Merlin, who just so happens to be the greatest wizard of all time.”
Alex rolled her eyes and jabbed her best friend in the ribs with an elbow.
A pretty maid in a dress of soft yellow and white was coming down the hall towards them.
“Hi,” Alex greeted her boldly.
“Hello,” the pretty maid returned, smiling, though her brows pinched together, her facial expression hinting at suspicion.
“I’m Alex and this is Harper,” Alex introduced. “We’re new chamber--” Cough. “-maids here in the, uh, castle.”
The fellow maid smiled more fully now. “I’m Guinevere,” she said then somewhat self-consciously corrected, “I mean, Gwen.”
“Oh, you’re Gwen!” Alex exclaimed in relief and Gwen gave her a startled look. Alex attempted to shake it off with a quick, “We’re looking for Merlin.”
“Merlin?” Gwen asked, intrigued, giving them both a look of interest.
“Yes,” Harper spoke up. “Merlin. Merlin the servant.”
Alex mentally rolled her eyes at her friend’s attempt to detract away from one thing by over-emphasizing another. Maybe bringing Harper along was not such a good idea.
Gwen smiled and said, “I think you’ll find Merlin the servant out in the training yard with Arthur, the Prince of Camelot.”
“Thanks,” Alex said, giving Harper a stare that willed her friend not to speak.
Gwen took a few steps forward then added, “And in case you are wondering, the training yard is that way.” She pointed to the west.
Alex nudged Harper along the hall in the direction Gwen had indicated.
“Hmm, Guinevere…” Harper mused out loud. “You don’t suppose that she’s the Guinevere that one day marries King Arthur?”
Alex and Harper exchanged momentary glances. “Nah!” they decided in unison.
~*~*~
Outside the castle, en route to what was most probably the training yard, Alex said to Harper, “Be on the lookout for someone who might be Merlin.”
In a matter of a minute, Harper tapped Alex’s arm and pointed. “Do you think that’s him?”
“Let’s see,” said Alex. “Brown coat. Red scarf. Doing servant-like things. Um, I’d say… yes.”
She pulled Harper forward so they could get a better look at the young wizard.
Merlin was about Justin’s age - maybe a couple of years older - and of similar height. He wore a shorter version of the brown jacket that Old Merlin had worn, over a blue tunic and brown pants. The red scarf lay around his neck, much more visible in the absence of a beard.
Harper was gaping at the young man standing to the side of the yard, one eye on the knights’ sparring, the other on the sword he was wiping. She looked at Alex accusingly, “You never said Merlin was so … hot.”
“Yeah well, who would believe that the wisest and most powerful of all the wizards looks like he’s barely old enough to shave?”
Alex had to admit Young Merlin was quite a beautiful sight. His most striking feature - the high-set pronounced cheekbones - stood out even more impossibly and beautifully when he smiled and blushed in the direction of one of the knights who was practice-sparring in the yard.
“Okay,” Alex said, coaxing them both back to their senses. “Let’s go back to remembering that he’s the old wizard with the long freaky beard and bushy eyebrows and get on with this.”
“Right,” Harper agreed, but she did not even pretend to stop gaping.
“Merlin?” Alex inquired when they approached the prospective young servant/wizard.
Merlin turned to them, flashing them the most incredible smile. “’Allo,” he greeted.
Alex grabbed hold of Harper to prevent the both of them from falling, weak-kneed, to the ground.
“Look,” she said, deciding to get right to it, not wanting to be distracted. “I don’t have time to explain things. But I’m Alex and she’s Harper. We come from the future where the Wizard World is in havoc and the only way to save it is for you to enchant some funky hat you wore at some union celebration.”
Merlin stared at her, his mouth ajar. Then finally, he blinked.
“I think you may be confusing me with someone else…” he began.
“You sent us here!” Alex told him and Merlin’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, not you you,” she corrected. “Old You.” The brows rose higher.
“Alex,” Harper cut in. “Maybe you should have eased into it for him.” She flashed Merlin a sympathetic smile.
Alex was intending to retort but was interrupted by a knight calling over, “Merlin, are you done with that sword yet?”
“It’ll just be a moment, sire,” Merlin returned, smiling tightly.
Harper’s jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh, is that the Once and Future King Arthur?”
Merlin gave her a startled look. “How…?”
“We told you,” Alex said. “You - Old You - sent us here. To find a hat. To cast a spell. To save the Wizard World.” She gave Merlin a look that might have suggested she thought he was a bit thick.
Prince Arthur suddenly descended on them. “Merlin!” he chided. “I’ve asked for the sword a hundred times!”
“Sorry,” Merlin mumbled.
Alex stared at the man who stood before Merlin. This was Arthur? Prince Arthur? The man who would one day be king? Normally, she wasn’t much into blondes, but this one was an exceptionally handsome blonde.
“Hello,” she said in her flirtiest girly voice. Harper eyed her warily.
The prince looked up and acknowledged both Alex and Harper’s presence. “Hello,” he returned politely, then said to Merlin, “Friends of yours?”
“No,” Merlin replied quickly. Alex subtly kicked him. “I mean, yes. I think.”
Prince Arthur narrowed his eyes at his manservant. He took the sword from Merlin’s hands and returned to the yard.
“Well, well,” Alex said, smiling, watching the prince as he sauntered back to the group of knights.
“Alex,” Harper cautioned. “I know that look.”
“What look?” Alex said mischievously.
“Yes, what look?” Merlin asked Harper, his expression going from wary to fearful.
“The look that says Alex has her sights set on something,” Harper explained. She drew herself up importantly. “Well I’m not impressed with Mr. I’m-going-to-be-king-someday. He wasn’t exactly nice to Merlin just now.”
Merlin nodded at Harper in agreement. “He can be a bit of a prat sometimes.”
Alex gave Harper and Merlin a look. “Can we focus, please? We need to get the hat,” she reminded them.
“Well I can’t just go running off,” Merlin said, “Not while Arthur is training.” Alex couldn’t help but think that Young Merlin did not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation as much as Old Merlin. Which only served to make her like Young Merlin even more.
“Justin - my brother - is supposed to find Gaius,” Alex told him. “So maybe you can meet us together with Gaius when you’re done with all this?” She waved her hand at the group of knights sparring.
Merlin shrugged. Alex took that as a ‘yes’ and tugged Harper, who still couldn’t take her eyes off Merlin, away towards the castle.
~*~*~
After stopping to ask several different people, Alex and Harper were finally directed to the court physician’s quarters. Here they found Justin, already bonding with Merlin’s mentor, Gaius.
“Ah,” the old man with the quirky eyebrow said to them. “Justin here has been telling me how you all came to be in Camelot. Remarkable. Truly remarkable.”
“Did you find Merlin?” Justin asked.
“Yes,” Alex told him. “And I’m pretty sure he’s gonna to help us.”
“Pretty sure?” Justin questioned. “Did you explain to him the fate of the modern Wizard World depends on him?”
“Uh, in a round-about sort of way,” Alex said, waving her hands about the air. “Really, Justin, there’s no need to make it sound so…life and death.”
“Alex!” Justin argued. “It is life and death! For us.”
Alex sighed her exasperation. Harper shrugged her nonchalance. And Gaius raised his eyebrow up another notch.
“He is insufferable!” Merlin complained, suddenly coming through the door of Gaius’ quarters, his hands full of what looked like a pile of clothing. He saw Alex, Harper and Justin gathered around Gaius and sighed. “I was hoping that you two had just been a figment of my over-active imagination,” he said to the girls.
“Yeah, sorry,” Alex said, “We’re not. But I know how you feel.”
Justin rushed forward, grabbed Merlin’s hand and pumped it excitedly. “Let me just say that it is an honour to meet you, sir. I mean, Wizard. I mean, Merlin.”
“Alright,” Merlin said slightly suspiciously, his expression speculative. He looked Justin over.
“Justin, I’m afraid you’ll find this Merlin to be rather humble,” Gaius said, his lips playing with a smile. “Merlin has not yet realized the full potential and brilliance of his magical powers.”
Merlin lifted his eyebrows. “Brilliance? Really? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you describe it in that way before.”
Gaius’ smile widened as he said to Justin, “Perhaps ‘humble’ is not quite the word.”
“So what’s all this about a hat?” Merlin asked, steering the conversation more comfortably away from him.
Justin went about explaining to Young Merlin what Old Merlin had sent them to do.
“And this requires some kind of hat?” Merlin asked for clarification.
“Not just any hat,” Justin said. “A hat that was worn during a celebration between Camelot and another kingdom - Mercia, I think you said. I believe you thought you would know which hat we’re talking about.”
“Oh, I know the hat,” Merlin said, frowning. “I just can’t fathom why it has to be that hat.”
“You wouldn’t say,” Justin told him. “Details.” He waved his hands around the way Old Merlin had.
Merlin’s frown deepened. “And I’m supposed to enchant the hat while wearing it?”
“While Arthur is wearing it,” Alex corrected.
“Hah!” Merlin exclaimed. “Good luck with that.”
“You’re the one who told us Arthur has to wear the hat,” Alex said.
“Old Me?”
Alex nodded.
Merlin looked at Gaius. “Something tells This Me that Old Me has a serious mental affliction.”
“Now, now,” Gaius said, trying to soothe Merlin’s concerns. “Your future self must have a good reason for all this.”
“You mean other than being completely out of my mind?” Merlin returned. “Gaius - you know that there is absolutely no way that Arthur is going to put that hat on!”
“First things first,” Merlin’s mentor said. “You have to find the hat and then find a way to convince Arthur to wear it so you can cast the enchantment.”
Alex, Justin and Harper looked at Merlin expectantly. Finally, he nodded.
“Find the hat,” he mumbled, ticking off his fingers as he spoke. “Get Arthur to put it on. Cast the enchantment. Somehow avoid us all getting executed.”
Young Merlin suddenly reminded Alex of Justin and she was surprisingly comforted by that.
“What’s that?” Gaius asked, gesturing toward the pile Merlin had set down by the door.
“I think every garment in Arthur’s wardrobe,” Merlin replied, “which he has the cheek to claim needs mending.” Merlin huffed out another sigh. “It’s a wonder I have time to save his bloody backside with all the work he gives me to do.”
“I can do the mending,” Harper offered. “I don’t know any magic spells but I’m a ‘wizard’ with a needle and thread.” She beamed at Merlin and Alex saw ‘smitten’ written all over her friend’s face.
So it was decided that Merlin and Alex would go looking for the hat, that Justin would stay behind with Gaius (they seemed to have quickly developed a comfortable rapport and Gaius had apparently promised to show Justin how to make a special tincture for treating foot fungus), and that Harper would stay and mend Arthur’s clothes. Max had not wandered in from the stables since they had gotten here.
Merlin led Alex to a room in the east wing of the castle that he claimed was where feast and celebration items were kept in storage, which seemed the most logical place to start looking for the hat.
Alex and Merlin searched every inch of the store room for the hat, opening closet and cupboard doors, rummaging around in spare trunks, looking under and through various crates.
“What does this hat even look like?” Alex asked Merlin, realizing that she had no idea what she was even looking for.
“Trust me,” Merlin said solemnly, “You’ll know it when you see it.”
Alex wondered but continued with her search.
“So,” Merlin said after a while, “Arthur really is going to be a great king one day.”
“I don’t know as much about history as Justin,” Alex said, “but yeah, King Arthur becomes quite a legend.”
Merlin smiled, seeming to be genuinely pleased about Arthur’s future accomplishment. Alex wondered. It was interesting that Merlin seemed more pleased and proud that Arthur would be remembered in history as a great and noble leader than reveling in the knowledge that he would leave his own legacy as the greatest and most revered wizard of all time.
She remembered the blush in Merlin’s cheeks as he had watched Arthur practice-sparring and ventured, “Look, this thing you have for Arthur...”
“What thing?”
Alex rolled her hands around. “You know…”
“I most certainly do not.”
“Come on…” Alex tried again.
Merlin did not waver from his determinedly oblivious look.
Alex stared back at Merlin, assessing. Was it really possible that he had no clue about his own feelings? “Okay,” she gave in. “Forget I said anything.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Merlin returned.
“Good.”
“Good.”
“Let’s just find the hat.”
But the hat was not to be found in the store room. Merlin suggested that they look through Arthur’s chambers on the off-chance he had had evil intentions for Merlin to wear it at an upcoming ceremony.
“Merlin,” someone called down the hallway from behind them as they scurried off toward the prince’s rooms.
A striking young woman in a beautiful green gown that matched the hue of her eyes glided up behind them.
“Have you seen Arthur?” she asked.
“Not since training practice,” Merlin offered.
The woman now looked at Alex with interest and said to Merlin, a teasing glint in her eye. “Who’s your friend?”
“Uh, this is, uh--”
“Alex,” Alex supplied. For a great wizard, Young Merlin had a short memory.
“That’s a pretty name,” the woman said kindly, smiling. “I’m Morgana.”
This was Morgana?
“Um, thanks,” was all Alex could say.
“Oh, there’s Sir Leon,” Merlin said, breaking into their girly exchange, pointing down the hallway. “He might know where Arthur is,” he told Morgana.
He grabbed Alex by the elbow and began steering her back in the direction of Arthur’s chambers. She was barely able to catch a glimpse of the tall and handsome knight Merlin had referred to as ‘Sir Leon’. Mostly, what she saw was a flutter of red cape.
“She doesn’t seem so evil to me,” Alex mumbled as Merlin practically pulled her down the hallway. He was obviously anxious.
Merlin gave her a questioning look. “What?”
“Nothing,” she covered quickly.
They rooted around in every corner, crack and crevice in Arthur’s chambers looking for the hat.
Although she thought it unlikely because surely Merlin would have noticed it when cleaning, Alex got down on the floor and searched under the bed.
“Bingo!” Alex called out.
“Bingo?” Merlin queried with a look.
Alex lifted The Hat out from under the bed.
Merlin grinned, shaking his head. “I can’t imagine why Arthur would have that hat under his bed, but I’ve never been more happy to see it.”
“It’s hideous,” Alex remarked. Merlin had been right. There was no mistaking that this was the hat they were meant to find.
“It is,” Merlin agreed.
Alex giggled. “Harper would love it.”
Merlin grinned. “Would she?”
Alex dusted off the hat some, its showy feathery plumes swaying obnoxiously. “I thought you were Arthur’s servant,” she commented.
“I am.”
“Well, gosh, don’t you ever clean under his bed?”
Merlin narrowed his eyes at her and looked ready to retort.
“What in the name of Camelot…!” Arthur suddenly exclaimed from behind them.
Alex reacted quickly. She pulled out the wand from under her dress and proclaimed, “Carry this spell with the breeze, and make Prince Arthur’s movements freeze!”
In an instant, all of Arthur’s movements were suspended and he was frozen to the spot, immobile and unaware.
“Are you out of your mind?” Merlin exclaimed, his face showing a combination of astonishment and wonder. “You can’t just freeze the Prince of Camelot!”
“Oh? I think I just did,” Alex said unapologetically.
Merlin stopped goggling and shrugged. “Well I guess we might as well get on with it then.” He reached out to take the hat from Alex. Then he moved toward the frozen prince, set the hat atop his head and pulled it down securely. “There,” he said.
“Aww, he’s so cute in that hat,” Alex remarked. “I wish I had my Kodak Oneshot.” She giggled and was pleased to hear Merlin chuckling along with her.
“The hat does look better on Arthur than it did on me,” Merlin commented then he asked Alex, “So what’s the enchantment?”
“Um….”
Merlin waited, looking at her expectantly.
“Um…oh, I don’t know!” Alex admitted. Then she said, “Justin was supposed to remember that.”
“And you couldn’t have mentioned this before you went and cast a freezing spell on him?” Merlin waved his hand dramatically at the hat-wearing frozen prince.
Young Merlin was starting to sound annoyingly more and more like her brown-nosing brother Justin.
“I guess I’d better go get Justin,” Alex said, avoiding Merlin’s death-stare. She started for the door, tossing over her shoulder, “Yeah, that freeze spell won’t last too long.” Then she quickly rushed out before she could catch the full extent of Merlin’s exasperation.
She started rambling as soon as she got to the court physician’s quarters. “Justin -- Merlin needs you. We found the hat and put it on Arthur - well, after I put a freezing spell on him - but I can’t remember the enchantment and you know that spell won’t last very long and - wait.” She gave her brother a scrutinizing look. “Is that a scarf you’re wearing?”
Justin touched the material at his neck. “I thought it would make me look more genuine as Gaius’ apprentice,” he said defensively.
“Well, it makes you look something,” Alex muttered under her breath before saying out loud, “We gotta hurry before that spell wears off.”
Alex was sure Gaius, with his impossibly arched disapproving eyebrow, was still staring after them as they rushed out the door.
~*~*~
Alex and Justin were but two hallways away from Prince Arthur’s chambers when they ran into Uther Pendragon, the King of Camelot.
King Uther looked them over, inspecting, then said, “I need two servants to assist in carrying some crates. You’ll do.”
“Ohh, it can’t be us,” Alex told him.
Uther Pendragon narrowed his eyes at her. Alex tried not to flinch.
“What my sis-er,” Justin said, “what she means to say is that we are already involved with running an important errand---”
--for the prince,” Alex supplied.
The king’s eyebrows raised. “For Arthur?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
The king narrowed his eyes further. “And where is the prince’s manservant - Merlin?” Uther wanted to know.
“He’s--”
“-busy.”
“With some--”
“-mending.”
“And he asked us to assist the prince with--”
“-some chores--”
“-that he--”
“-forgot to do.”
“Because of--”
“-all that mending.”
King Uther stared at them both for a moment. Justin’s eyes were locked onto the king’s boots but Alex maintained eye contact. She saw a flicker of curiosity pass through the king’s eyes, mixed in with suspicion, and hoped that curiosity was enough to keep their heads off the chopping block.
“Very well then,” King Uther said after what seemed like an eternity. “Carry on.”
They didn’t wait to be told twice.
Justin let out an emphatic “Phew!” as they rounded the corner.
“Okay, he was scary,” Alex commented.
When they rushed through the door of the prince’s chambers they found Arthur on the floor, slumped against the wardrobe, hat still perched on his head. It was clear that the freezing spell Alex had cast had worn off but he appeared to be immobile, though very much aware, and looking less than happy. Alex suspected Merlin had something to do with this - well, at least the parts that didn’t involve the deep scowl etched into the prince’s face.
“I don’t know what kind of magic you did to us,” said Merlin, who was slumped in a similar position against the bed, “but the king will not be too pleased when he finds out.”
Arthur’s scowl deepened but he said nothing. Alex guessed that Merlin had cast a spell that prevented Arthur from speaking, along with keeping him immobile, most probably so he couldn’t call out and alert the guards. She had to appreciate it was a good move.
“Is there something else you intend to do?” Merlin asked, accompanying his question with a subtle look that nevertheless bore a hole into Justin.
“Oh. Yeah,” said Justin. He uttered the spell as best and as loudly as he could to draw attention away from Merlin who whispered the words that actually cast the enchantment. The hat with the peacock tail and plumes of red feathers glowed for a second and then vanished from Arthur’s head.
“Do you think it worked?” Justin whispered to Alex.
Alex shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“I don’t know what you just did,” Merlin said, “but for your sakes, I hope you have a very good escape plan.” He nodded his head for emphasis.
“Um…” Justin said, looking to Alex.
“Of course we do,” she said, winking at Merlin, not able to check herself.
Merlin furtively winked back.
Not wanting to over-stay their welcome, Alex and Justin raced out of the prince’s chambers.
“We need to get Harper and Max and get out of here quick,” Justin said.
“You know,” Alex allowed herself to muse out loud as Justin pulled her along. “I wonder how long it’ll take Arthur to wonder why Merlin didn’t just call the guards himself?”
Justin looked at her.
“Or why only he was enchanted speechless.”
Another look.
“Or how the spell will be broken once we’re gone.”
Yet another look.
“Or why he was wearing that hat.”
“Alex…”
“A hot prince,” she allowed, “but I’m thinking not the brightest bulb.”
“Let it go, Alex,” her brother warned. “He’s going to be King Arthur one day.”
Alex shrugged. “Just saying.”
Justin yanked her along more urgently.
“Harper!” Alex called out as they entered the old physician’s quarters. “Let’s go!”
Harper looked up from her task. “I can’t,” she said, waving her hand at the pile of garments around her. “I haven’t finished mending the prince’s clothes for Merlin.”
Justin pulled out his wand and waved it in the direction of the clothing. “Do not worry about the how, please mend these clothes all right now.” There was a sparkle and then all of the garments folded up and stacked neatly into a pile.
Harper grinned. “Oh yeah, you’re wizards,” she remembered.
They heard the sound of a bell and Gaius said urgently, “You must leave now. The guards have been sent out to look for you.” He ushered the three out of his quarters. Then, smiling warmly, he said, “If you see Merlin again, tell him an old friend says hello.”
Managing to dodge the guards who were rounding corners at every turn, they ran out to the stables where they found Max, fondly stroking the mane of a beautiful brown horse.
“This is Butterbean,” he introduced when he saw them.
Harper stepped forward as if to make acquaintance but Alex jabbed her in the ribs.
“Time to go, Max,” Alex said.
Max frowned. “Already?” He looked to Butterbean. “I thought I’d have a chance to ride her.”
“There are angry guards and knights after us,” Justin explained.
“Why?” Max asked. Then, “What did Alex do?”
Alex opened her mouth to protest, as Justin pulled the crystal out of his pocket. “Everybody put a finger on the crystal,” he commanded.
All four moved in to touch the crystal.
Justin cast the spell. “From East to West, this spell’s no jest; wherever we roam, send us all back home.”
Nothing happened.
“Uh-oh,” said Alex. “Does this mean the enchantment didn’t work? I mean, Old Merlin was pretty vague on the whole getting-back-home thing.”
“Max,” Justin said curtly to his younger brother, whose finger had wandered from the crystal as he had looked forlornly at Butterbean.
Max put his finger on the crystal and Justin repeated the spell.
And in the matter of a second, they were back in the magic den - home - at Waverly Place.
Justin rushed to the window and looked outside. He turned and smiled. “Everything looks back to normal. No goblins, trolls, or minotaurs in sight.”
Alex sank onto the couch. Saving the Wizard World had been exhausting.
Max was looking intently at his brother. “Wicked scarf,” he remarked.
“Like Way Wizard Wicked?” Justin wanted to know, looking rather pleased with himself.
“No,” said Max.
Justin frowned deeply. Harper cooed her appreciation for the scarf. And Alex giggled and grinned.
Everything was definitely back to normal.
THE END