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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The castle was on fire.

Prince Tedros stared out the window, frozen in shock and disbelief. A thunderstorm was raging outside and one of the east towers had been struck by lightning. Now half of the east wing was ablaze, the brick towers consumed by a strange blue fire.

Tedros stood in the war room, the blue light reflecting on his face as he peered through the glass. He had a view of the entire castle and the commotion happening outside, from the windows that lined the war room walls.

People were screaming and running in all directions. In the square he could see servants running to save anything they could from the fire, while the guards were trying to bring everyone to safety. Some of the kitchen staff were standing in a line and passing along buckets of water in an effort to stop the fire from spreading.

And he, Prince Tedros of Camelot, future king, was watching it all unfold from a safe distance. He couldn’t stand being forced to watch as his people suffered. If it were up to him he would be on the front line, doing anything in his power to help them. With a sigh he turned away from the windows, pushing back his blonde curls.

But it wasn’t up to him; it never was. As if on cue, the war room’s heavy wooden doors bursted open. Tedros quickly peeled off his coat, ready to discuss strategies.

“Of course she attacks just weeks before the coronation,” said a voice from the hallway. “The prince has to leave! We can’t have him still roaming the castle grounds when they storm the citadel.”

The voice belonged to a grey-haired woman. She wore a green high-collared dress with a dragon brooch pinned to her chest and her hair was swept up in a high bun.

She spoke to an elderly man with a long white beard, dressed in a purple star-patterned cape. The sound of the woman’s heels echoed off the ground as she hurried into the room, followed by a group of advisors and a dozen guards that hastily positioned themselves around the room.

“I agree we must get the prince to safety. If they manage to seize the castle I’m afraid they will not spare him,” said the man. Some of the advisors nodded in agreement.

The group turned to face Tedros, who was staring at them completely dumbfounded.

“What? What do you mean? I can’t just leave!” he exclaimed in astonishment.

The woman in the green dress sighed. “Tedros, it’s the only option. Lord Ginnsmill and I have thought about it, and we both agree that you’re not safe here.”

Tedros didn’t know what to say. He had always trusted his regents but never in a million years would he had thought they would send him away.

“People will think I’m a coward! I refuse to run away and leave my kingdom to suffer.” Some of the advisors murmured in agreement. The woman took a seat at the round table in the middle of the room, clutching her head in her hands.

“Duchess Dovey is right, Prince Tedros. You can’t stay here. You are not yet king, and if Evelyn captures you she will not hesitate to kill you,” said the man with the beard.

A wave of fearful murmurs washed over the room at the mention of Evelyn Sader’s name. Everyone there knew who she was and what she was capable of doing.

Tedros himself had heard many stories of her wretched deeds as a soldier of the Uprising. King Arthur had fought against that group of rebels and had won. Now it seemed Evelyn was back for another round .

Tedros was not going to let that witch destroy his father's legacy.

“Then let her come,” he dared. “There has to be a way to stop her. Do we know how many men she has? She’s coming from the east, right? So maybe we can cut her off in the mountains.” He looked at the advisors, just to see that they were all hanging their heads in defeat. Tedros’ heart dropped, he could tell they had given up hope.

Duchess Dovey cleared her throat and gestured at the door, and at that everyone except Lord Ginnsmill left the room. When the last of the guards were gone, the duchess summoned Tedros to come and sit next to her. Tedros obeyed, dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

She took his hand in hers and looked at him, her eyes glistening. “Tedros, I know you were too young to remember what happened during the Uprising, but you need to understand that these aren’t normal troops. They have magic. Not just any kind of magic, but black magic. Trying to stop them would be suicide.” She stopped talking and looked at the young prince, hoping he would understand.

“You can’t be serious! You mean to tell me, that you’re going to surrender without even trying to fight? Merlin, please tell me she’s joking,” Tedros said, glancing helplessly at the bearded man.

“Her army is already in the mountains. We suspect that she has already been in Camelot for five days. My guess is that she concealed her army using some kind of powerful cloaking spell. I myself have never seen anything like it before,” Merlin said, frowning thoughtfully. “Evelyn’s soldiers are skilled in black magic. In Camelot, magic has been outlawed for years. Our soldiers are not yet ready to face such a powerful enemy.”

Once again, Tedros was at a loss for words. There had been no warning bells; Evelyn had attacked by complete surprise. Everyone in the northern kingdoms had thought she had died years ago, after... the incident.

They had only known she was still alive when a package was delivered to the castle, earlier that evening. Upon opening it, dozens of blue butterflies flew out and attacked the guards.

Everyone at court had completely freaked out. Tedros had been ordered to retreat to the war room immediately.

He had known the chances of them beating Evelyn were slim but he had still hoped that somehow, they would find a way to fight back.

The duchess started speaking again. “I promised your father that I would look after you and the kingdom until you were old enough to do it yourself. You take after him you know.” She smiled and stroked Tedros’s hair. “You’ve got his courage, his kind smile and the same hope for a better future in those bright blue eyes of yours. He would've been”’ -her voice trembled- “so proud of the young man you have become.”

She took a deep breath and steadied herself. “My duty is to protect you and to protect Camelot. There are two horses ready in the stables. You will be escorted by Sir Chaddick,” she declared.

“Two horses? You’re not coming with me?” Tedros asked. Panic started to rise in his chest. This was all happening far too fast.

“You are the only heir, Tedros. Evelyn will not rest until you are dead. We will try our best to distract her and give you a chance to escape,” answered Merlin.

“But you’ll be killed! And where do you suppose I’d go?” Tedros expressed, tears swelling.

The duchess was about to speak when the doors swung open and a young man with grey eyes and a broad chest rushed in. “They have reached the citadel, Your Grace,” he breathed.

“Thank you, Sir Chaddick. Prince Tedros was just preparing to leave,” Duchess Dovey said, standing up and walking towards the doors.

“Aunt Clarissa, please, you can’t stay here!” Tedros pleaded, following her. He hated how helpless he sounded.

He was much taller than the duchess now, but he felt like a small child again...

Suddenly an image flashed before him; little Tedros’ face stained with tears and his hands wet with blood, grabbing onto his real mother, begging her not to go.

Startled, he hastily let go of the duchess’ hand. He shook off the memory and tried to make sense of what was happening.

Merlin walked up to Tedros and pulled a large locket out of mid air. “Open this when you’ve reached safety. Everything you need is in there,” said the old wizard. He hung the locket around Tedros’ neck and hugged him.

Duchess Dovey took Tedros’ face in her hands. “All hope is not lost Tedros. I am sure you will prove to be the great leader I’ve always known you were. Until we meet again, my child,” she said as she kissed the prince’s cheeks.

Tedros slowly stepped out of the room and the doors swiftly shut in his face.

He stared at the closed doors, trembling all over. He quickly wiped his tears, determined not to show any signs of weakness.

Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heels and walked towards the stables, keeping his chin high.

~ ~ ~

Chaddick was tending to the horses while Tedros changed into something less extravagant .

“How do people even wear this? It itches terribly,” Tedros complained.

He had switched his usual doublet for a plain wool shirt paired with cotton breeches held up by a rusty belt in which he’d sheathed his sword. Instead of his polished riding boots he wore old leather ones that looked quite moldy. Over his shoulders he’d clasped a blue cloak with a giant hood. He dumped his old clothes in a corner.

“It’s either this or risk being spotted by the witch’s spies,” Chaddick said.

Tedros sighed, knowing there were bigger things to worry about. “Do you even know where we’re headed?” he asked as he mounted his horse.

“We’re heading south, Your Highness,” answered Chaddick.

“You know you don’t have to call me that.”

“I know. I’m just trying to be professional. Don’t want me to lose my knighthood, do we?” Chaddick winked, as he climbed on top of his horse.

Tedros gave him a halfhearted laugh.

“Hey, I know this is hard for you. I’m always here if you need to talk,” Chaddick said, patting Tedros on the back.

Tedros only nodded in reply. He didn’t want to talk about it; at least not now.

They led the horses out the stables. Outside, the storm was still raging. It had started to rain and the wind was howling, uprooting trees and swooping up garden furniture. Lightning and thunder flickered in the sky.

“Follow me and stay close to the walls!” called Chaddick.

The east wing was still on fire and Tedros saw people running to lock up doors and windows. Grief flooded him as he realised he was about to leave them all to the mercy of that witch.

His Royal Highness, Prince Tedros, heir to the great throne of Camelot, flees with his tail between his legs, thought Tedros mournfully.

He looked to the east, his face hardening. He put on his hood and turned his back to the square, heading to the south gate.

“They’re going to be fine, Tedros,” offered Chaddick, he gave a nod to the guards at the gate, “It's you she wants, not them.”

“I really hope you’re right,” said Tedros as the gates opened. He took one last look over his shoulder. The brick towers casted eerie shadows over the castle grounds and sticks, leaves and chairs were swirling up into the clouds. He could still see the light shining through the war room’s windows.

Blinking back tears, he vowed to return and make the witch pay. Then he kicked his horse and rode into the night, the burning castle fading from view.

~ ~ ~

They had been riding through the forest the entire night and Tedros had almost fallen off his horse three times.

“Can we stop for a moment? I need to go to the bathroom,” stated Tedros.

Chaddick rolled his eyes and brought his horse to a stop. “This is the fourth time already,” he muttered.

“I can’t help it! I have to pee when I’m nervous,” Tedros defended, leaping off his horse and making his way to a bush patch on the other side of the thicket.

Tedros was glad Chaddick was with him. He didn’t think he would’ve gotten through this on his own. Chaddick had always been there for Tedros.

Chaddick was the son of one of Arthur's knights, so he and Tedros had grown up together. Chaddick had been with Tedros after the incident and had never left his side when Arthur died.

They’d been tutored together and always practiced swordplay with each other. Tedros even helped him practice for his tests to become a knight. When Chaddick had passed the tests, Tedros had immediately named him captain of his personal guard. Chaddick had accompanied Tedros to hundreds of meetings, balls and dinners. Having him there made them all a bit more bearable for Tedros.

Tedros knew he could trust Chaddick with his life and was happy to have him by his side once again.

When Tedros walked back to the horses, Chaddick was holding his sword in his hand and scanning the forest.

“What happened?”

“I heard something,” answered Chaddick. “It sounded like it came from the trees.”

“Maybe we should get some sleep. I can’t have my best knight starting to hallucinate,” Tedros teased.

Chaddick sheathed his sword. “I am not hallucinating. You can’t be too careful; Evelyn has spies everywhere,” he said and mounted his horse.

Tedros also climbed on his. “Why are we heading south anyway? It’s a dead end, unless I am to live out the rest of my life as a fisherman,” he joked as he moved the horse into a steady gallop. “Besides, I thought the plan was for me to get out of Camelot. Would it not be easier to ask for asylum in one of the northern kingdoms? Like Foxwood or Gillikin?”

“It’s not a dead end. My orders were to bring you to the harbor.”

“The harbor ? Am I supposed to take back the kingdom by sailing the Blue Sea?” Tedros started to laugh.

“No, we’re taking a ship to Gavaldon,” said Chaddick.

Tedros stopped abruptly. “Gavaldon? Have you lost your mind? They despise Camelot. They despise me,” Tedros said baffled.

“Well, then we have something in common,” grumbled Chaddick as his horse jerked back.

“I’m serious, Chaddick! The peace treaty hasn’t been signed yet. They were still working on a compromise. If I step foot there, they might throw me in prison,” blurted Tedros.

“I guess we will have to take our chances. Maybe you can use that smile of yours to charm the guards into letting us go,” Chaddick chuckled.

“I can’t believe you’re taking this so lightly.”

“Tedros, think about it. Evelyn will expect you to run to one of Camelot’s allies. Like it or not, Gavaldon is the only option.”

Tedros hadn’t thought about it like that. He would have to lay low until he figured out what to do next, but going to Gavaldon didn’t sound like the worst idea after all.

Suddenly Tedros heard a weird rustling sound. He looked over his shoulder. It sounded like thousands of wings...fluttering wings.

He locked eyes with Chaddick. “ Run ,” the knight breathed.

Tedros kicked his horse and sprinted through the forest, Chaddick following close behind him. He could see a swarm of butterflies chasing them through the trees.

“Put on your hood!” shouted Chaddick as he threw up his own and pulled his sword.

Tedros followed his example as he leaped over a fallen tree. The swarm had almost caught up with the two boys. Through the trees, Tedros could see the Blue Sea’s sparkling water. They were getting closer to the harbor and the sun was starting to peek over the horizon; they had to shake the swarm off and do it quickly.

“Keep heading left. I’ll go right and try to distract them,” said Chaddick.

“No! I’m not letting you do that,” Tedros shouted.

“There’s no other way!” Chaddick exclaimed, looking back at the swarm of butterflies advancing on them.

“Please, Chaddick. As your Prince, I forbid you,” cried Tedros helplessly. He couldn’t lose Chaddick too.

“Good thing I never listen,” Chaddick chuckled. There was a troubled look in his eyes. “Promise me you’ll do everything you can to set this right. You can’t let her win again ,” he said.

Tedros couldn’t believe what was happening. “I promise,” he croaked.

With a nod Chaddick turned the opposite direction and waved his sword at the swarm of butterflies. They quickly noticed him and started chasing after him.

Tedros watched him disappear from view. He spun left and he kicked his horse into full gallop. His chest ached as the tears he had been holding back, streamed down his face. He could barely see. Mindlessly, he rode towards the coast.

At that moment everything went wrong. He noticed the fallen tree in his path too late. His horse bucked and he was thrown to the ground. Then everything faded to black.

Chapter Text

Tedros slowly opened his eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the sun. He was sitting against a tree. His head was pounding and his throat felt dry.

Piece by piece, he started to recall what had happened.

Thunderstorm, fire, Evelyn, butterflies , Chaddick.

What happened to him? If Tedros was still in one piece, he must had succeeded in driving away the butterflies. But had he survived?

He tried to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest. After all his friend sacrificed, how could he had been so stupid.

Tedros pushed down the questions and tried to focus. How long had he been unconscious? He must had hit his head pretty hard because the sun was already shining brightly overhead.

Groaning, he tried to stand up straight. That’s when he realized that he couldn't move.

His body was bound to the tree. Someone had stripped away his sword and tied a rope around his feet. The same type of rope tied his upper body to the tree. His horse was also nowhere to be found.

Splendid.

He tried to shake off the ropes but it didn’t work. He carefully scanned his surroundings. The forest was quiet except for the occasional bird or the sound of trees rustling in the wind. As far as he could tell, he was alone. Maybe his captor fled after they had stolen his belongings. He could, however, hear the faint sound of waves washing up on shore. He must’ve gotten closer to the coast then he’d realized. If he screamed loud enough maybe one of the ships sailing out could hear him.

Not having any better ideas, he opened his mouth to scream for help. Within seconds a knife was pressed to his throat and a hand clasped over his mouth.

A hooded figure kneeled before him, their face inches away from his.

“Are you insane? They might hear you,” they whispered.

The figure took off their hood and Tedros’ eyes widened in shock. His captor was a girl.

Where had she come from? Just seconds ago the forest had seemed deserted.

The girl looked like she had just fallen into a puddle. Her clothes were wrinkled and her face was streaked with mud. She had a fair complexion and big brown eyes. Her jet black hair was tied back with a bandana, and she wore a black cloak and a black shirt paired with cutoff shorts, fabric frayed at her knees.

“Hmmmpf, ” huffed Tedros.

“Are you going to scream again?” asked the girl.

Tedros shook his head. The girl stared at him and slowly stepped away.

“Who are you?” Tedros blurted as soon as she’d lifted her hand.

“I can ask you the same thing,” she answered quietly.

Tedros watched her pull his sword from her belt and examine it in her hands.

“This is a fine sword. Where’d you get it?”

“My father is a smith. He gave it to me for my birthday,” Tedros lied.

“Interesting,” she said, noticing the waver in his voice. She pointed the sword at him and lifted his chin. “Don’t lie to me, Your Highness.”

Tedros swallowed slowly and looked down at the sword pressed under his chin. She must had recognized the royal crest in the hilt. “What do you want?” he asked carefully.

The girl didn’t answer. She seemed to be enjoying his visible discomfort.

“Are you one of Evelyn’s spies?” Tedros questioned.

The girl looked alarmed. “So it was her,” she said as she pulled the sword away.

Tedros studied the girl. She was dressed like a thief, or maybe a pirate. Her face was set in a permanent frown and she didn’t look much older than him. He noticed she wasn’t wearing any shoes.

Great, I got kidnaped by a mental person, he thought. She’s gonna hand me over to the witch first chance she gets or she’ll probably just kill me herself.

“No, I’m not a spy,” the girl finally answered. “Did she seize the castle? Is that why you’re here?”

Tedros hesitated. Who was this girl and could she be trusted? He contemplated if he could make a run for it, but that seemed unlikely since he had no weapons and the girl was watching his every move. He decided his best option was to wait and see what she wanted.

“Yes, they sent me away when she arrived,” Tedros said bitterly.

The girl gave him a look of sympathy.

“But you seem to know that already, so why did you tie me up?”

“It was a hunch. You could have easily been a very clumsy spy,” the girl defended.

Tedros ignored her insult and focused on getting more information. “Now that you know I’m not a spy, do you plan to untie me?”

The girl smiled slightly. “I don’t know. What’s in it for me?”

Of course she wants something .

Tedros wanted to kick himself. If only he had just been less reckless, then he wouldn’t even be in this situation. He threw his head back in defeat.

“What do you want?” he sighed.

“Twenty thousand gold pieces and I want this sword,” she replied.

“I don't have that kind of mon-” At that moment an idea popped into the prince’s head. “The sword is yours. However, you're going to have to help me if you want that gold,” he said.

“Help you with what?” she asked skeptically.

“You can start by untying me.”

The girl hesitated for a moment, but then she cut his feet loose and moved around the tree to untie the rope. When she finished Tedros stood up and stretched out his legs.

“Have you by any chance seen my horse?” he asked the girl.

“Horse?” she repeated.

“Never mind.”

The girl rolled up the rope and tucked it into her belt. “What do you need next, Your Highness? Must I help you shine your boots?” she mocked.

“No, you’re going to help me get to Gavaldon,” Tedros replied.

She looked at him confused. “But they hate you there. You’ll be thrown in prison.”

“That’s why you’re going to help me sneak in,” Tedros said, hoping that she was desperate enough for the money.

The girl stared at him. He could tell she was weighing her options. For a moment he was scared she would refuse. Then she turned and started walking away from him. Tedros’s heart sank in his boots.

“You better hurry up if you want to catch that boat, Your Highness,” she called.

Tedros let out a sigh of relief. He jogged up next to her and smiled. “Please, call me Tedros,” he said offering his hand.

“Agatha,” she said plainly, completely ignoring his outstretched hand.

~ ~ ~

Tedros' legs were aching by the time they reached the harbor. The harbor was extremely crowded; people were shouting at one another and running to buy tickets.

Carefully, they started walking through the crowd. He had never seen the harbor this busy. The few times he’d been there, either to welcome ambassadors or launch new fleets, there had only been a few fishermen, some sailors and the occasional tourist ship. 

Now the harbor was lined with ships in all shapes and sizes. Hundreds of people rushed over the wooden platforms with their luggage under their arms, trying to board the large tourist ships. He recognized some of the wealthier families getting on their own private ships and saw sailors helping women and children board smaller shuttle boats.

Apparently he wasn’t the only one fleeing Camelot.

“Put on your hood,” Agatha hissed. “And stop gawking, you’re drawing attention.”

Tedros hastily put on his hood. The crowd seemed to part for them as they walked. For a moment Tedros was afraid they’d recognized him. Then he noticed they moved aside not for him, but for Agatha . Again he wondered who exactly he had gotten himself involved with.

“Why are they trying to avoid you?” he whispered, leaning in closer.

Agatha moved away from him. “You’ll see.”

She started walking towards a ship at the end of the dock. As they got closer, Tedros marveled at the ship.

He had never seen such a vessel; the ship had a sleek black hull, shiny, grey-colored decks, ink black sails sparkling in the sun and a bright red flag waving from the highest mast. White lanterns adorned the stern, and the number “66” was painted along the bow next to a masthead statue of a demon with glowing red eyes.

“Agatha!” exclaimed a plump, brown haired girl, standing on the main deck of the ship. She waved frantically in Agatha and Tedros’ direction, and ran down the ship's ramp. “Thank the heavens! I thought you’d drowned!” she laughed, colliding with Agatha.

“Hester is not getting rid of me that easily,” Agatha replied, pulling out of the girl’s embrace.

Tedros cleared his throat.

Agatha looked up at him. “Uhm, Dot, this is...er,” she stuttered, gesturing at Tedros.

“Tedros, my name’s Tedros,” he finished, giving Dot a small bow.

Dot gaped at him, her mouth fell open. Tedros smiled at her, confused. Did he have something on his face?

Agatha looked at him horrified. She quickly ushered them past the remaining crowd and up the ship's ramp. Then she turned to Tedros. “You really are stupid.”

“W-what did I do?” he stammered.

She rubbed her temples. “If you don’t want to get killed, you can’t just throw around your name like that!”

“Oh...” Tedros said, realizing his mistake.

“Tedros, as in Prince Tedros of Camelot,” Dot said, coming out of her daze. “I...” She blinked. “Hester! Anadil! You have to come see this!” she shouted as she ran below deck.

“ No ! Dot, wait!” Agatha shouted, running after her, but the girl was already gone.

Agatha looked back at Tedros, whose face was completely blank. “Prepare yourself, Your Highness. You are in for one hell of a ride.”

~ ~ ~

“No. I am not risking my neck for a spoiled little prince.”

Tedros was strapped to one of the ship's masts. As soon as Hester and Anadil heard what happened to the castle, they’d ordered for the prince to be restrained and had sent the rest of the crew below deck.

Agatha felt sorry for him. She’d heard the stories of what had happened to the royal family during the war. This boy must have had a hard childhood.

The 66 had set course for Camelot a few days ago. They had been just miles away from the harbor when the storm hit. It had come out of nowhere with no warning signs whatsoever, so Agatha had assumed straight away that it was the result of magic.

Anadil had countered that magic had been outlawed in Camelot for years. There was no way someone powerful enough to conjure such a storm, lived in Camelot.

When they saw the strange blue and red color of the storm clouds, they immediately knew Camelot was under attack. Hester had ordered them to turn around and head home straight away.

Agatha had been helping the crew steady the ship when Hester had lost control of the helm and Agatha was knocked overboard.

She had woken up on the beach and discovered her beloved clumps had been lost to the ocean. After mourning the loss of her shoes, she thanked the heavens she was still alive and had used her compass to journey south, towards the harbor. On her trip back to the harbor she’d discovered the unconscious prince.

At first she’d thought he was a drunken sailor. However when she discovered his sword, she’d guessed that he was either a spy that had fled the palace, after killing the prince or he was the prince. She wasn’t taking any chances with Evelyn’s henchmen so she’d tied him up and waited for him to awaken.

After that she’d searched the forest and discovered a swarm of blue butterflies flying overhead. Luckily they didn’t seem to notice Agatha or her prisoner, and flew away just before the idiot prince began to scream.

“Agatha!” snapped Hester. “Are you even listening to me? Why did you bring him here? Don’t you value your own life!”

Agatha emerged from her thoughts and looked at her captain. Hester’s black eyes peered right back at her. She had very short black hair that was streaked with red and on top of her head was a tricorn hat. She looked every bit a real pirate, dressed in her raggedy clothes and shiny boots.

“I just don’t see why this is such a big deal,” said Dot as she tied a bandana around her neck.

“The big deal is that we don’t want a crazy sorceress chasing us because we helped him,” retorted Anadil, her pale skin and white hair gleaming in the sun. She was fidgeting with the laces of the black bodice she wore over her blood red dress as she carefully studied the prince’s face with her red eyes.

“Twenty thousand gold pieces is a lot of money, Hester,” Agatha countered.

If she were honest, the money didn’t really matter that much to Agatha. Sure, it was a lot of money, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself knowing she’d left the poor lad on his own to die.

“I’ll give you anything you want. As soon as I’m back on the throne,” Tedros pleaded.

“And what if you don’t get your throne back?”

“I will. Even if I don't, I will find the money somewhere.”

“Hmm, princes always do have to keep their promises,” Hester considered.

“Fifty-thousand gold pieces,” Tedros said hopefully. His blue eyes looked tired and beads of sweat ran down his tanned face.

Agatha could see why the prince was known for his looks. He checked all the boxes; high cheekbones, full lips, thick eyelashes and a halo of perfect golden curls.

A bit too perfect for Agatha’s liking. He sure did look like a stuck up prince, and in the little time she’d spent with him it seemed that he had more looks than brains. The prince's eyes locked with hers and she quickly looked away.

Hester muttered something under her breath. “I don’t think so, blondy. You don’t even have a kingdom right now. Go find another fool willing to help you,” Hester said as she walked to the prow. “Get him off my ship.”

“Aye-aye Captain,” Dot saluted .

“Wait!” shouted Tedros. “One hundred thousand gold pieces.”

Hester stopped in her path.

“I’ll give you one hundred thousand gold pieces if you get me safely to Gavaldon,” he repeated.

Hester turned and faced the prince, her eyes alight. “Two hundred thousand and a no more docking taxes,” she said, smiling wickedly.

“Two hundred thousand and no more taxes,” Tedros agreed gloomily.

Agatha couldn’t help but smile; Hester had probably intended this outcome all along.

“You've got yourself a deal, Your Highness.” Hester’s smile sharpened. “Someone untie him, this is going to be fun.”

Chapter Text

Tedros was terribly seasick and they had only been sailing for a couple of hours. He had taken off his cloak, he wasn’t used to the heat of the sun, shining brightly in the cloudless sky. In Camelot it was cold all year round, even in the summer.

The ship smelled of salt and the sails flapped loudly in the wind. The waves brushed up against the ship’s hull, causing the deck to sway lightly and making Tedros want to throw up.

He leaned his back against the ship's railing. In his hand he held the locket Merlin had given him. For the past few minutes, he’d been working up the courage to open it.

“Are you okay?” asked a voice.

Tedros lifted his gaze to see Dot hiking up the stairs from below deck. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m just not used to sailing.”

“I can ask Hester to give you a room below deck if you want,” suggested Dot.

“That’s very kind of you, Dot. I would highly appreciate that.”

Dot blushed. “I’ll be right back,” she said and made her way towards the prow, where Hester stood at the helm.

“She seems to be very fond of you,” Agatha said, coming up beside him. She put her elbows on the railing and looked out at the sea. The sun hung low on the horizon.

“Well, I am very charming,” he smiled, at which Agatha rolled her eyes. “So, what are you guys? Pirates?”

Agatha frowned. “Hester prefers the term ‘privateers.”

Tedros considered this. “What is it that ‘privateers’ do, exactly?”

“We mostly go around looking for illegal traders and real pirates. Then we raid their ships and deliver the goods to the queen.” She spun to face him, her hair blowing in the wind. “And usually we keep 20% of the haul.”

“Wait, you work for the queen of Gavaldon? And isn’t that considered stealing?”

“I don’t work for anyone and I definitely don’t work for that loudmouth,” came Hester’s voice from behind. “And we don’t call it stealing, it’s more of a ‘salary’. After all, isn’t finding and keeping treasure what pirates do best?”

Tedros was amazed at how easily Hester had just insulted her queen.

“I persuaded her to give you a room!” interrupted Dot from behind Hester. She ran up to Tedros. “You must be tired. I’ll show you where your room is,” she continued excitedly, taking his hand.

“I guess it is time for me to retire, ladies,” he winked as he got pulled away by Dot.

Hester shook her head in disappointment and Agatha turned her unimpressed gaze back to the sea.

~ ~ ~

Dot was leading Tedros through a dark hallway.

“Vex should have turned on the lanterns by now,” she muttered.

Further down the hall, a door opened and a boy with pointed ears stepped out.

“Look there he is. Watch this, you're going to love it!” squealed Dot.

The boy walked up to one of the lanterns that lined the walls. He snapped his finger and one by one the lanterns ignited. Tedros watched as the fire jumped from one lantern to the other.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” asked Dot, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yes, it is,” he replied.

Vex walked past them and Tedros could see his fingers were glowing red.

Dot beamed, “I knew you’d like it. I figured you hadn’t seen a lot of magic back home. Since the ban was lifted just—”

“Seven years ago, yes,” Tedros finished.

He’d only been ten years old when his father died, and his aunt and Merlin were appointed as his regents, until he was crowned as king.

A few members of the Round Table council didn't like the fact that Camelot was to be governed by two sorcerers, yet the royal advisors were convinced it would fix Camelot’s image after Arthur had severely damaged it.

The first thing his regents did was loosen the ban on magic. This resulted in a lot of backlash from some members of the Round Table. Magic had been banned in Camelot and most of the northern kingdoms for hundreds of years.

But after the Uprising and Arthur’s actions as king, lifting the ban had seemed like the right move for Camelot and a lot of other northern kingdoms. So, his regents had kept fighting against the opposing members of the council to have the ban lifted entirely.

After a seven year long battle, the Round Table finally agreed to have the ban lifted completely on Tedros’s coronation, three weeks from now, on his seventeenth birthday.

That’s definitely not happening now, Tedros thought bitterly.

There had always been a few objections to Tedros’ coronation. Many people were scared he’d hate magic just like his father did. They said he was cursed and nobody wanted a repeat of Arthur’s reign of terror.

But Merlin and Duchess Dovey had made sure Tedros learned that magic could also be used as a force for good. They’d also ensured that people who practiced magic would be welcome and treated with respect.

They had hired a few minor wizards to come work in the palace so that Tedros could grow up around magic, which sparked a lot of protests from some of the Round Table lords.

They’d even tried to teach him to do magic, but Tedros had always been hesitant to learn.

He didn’t necessarily dislike magic, he had just always been uncomfortable using it. He figured it probably had something to do with all the bad memories he had, that were all tied to magic in one way or another.

“This is your room,” Dot pointed out, snapping Tedros out of his thoughts.

“Thank you, Dot. You have been too kind,” Tedros said politely, opening the door, eager to be alone again.

Dot turned red. “You're welcome; it really was no trouble at all. Go and get some rest, dinner will be ready in two hours. We’re having salmon!” she cheered before running back up the hallway.

Tedros shut the door behind him and looked around. The room was very small and mostly empty, except for two crates stacked up beneath a circular window, a bed pushed against the opposite wall and a candle next to the bed. Worst of all the room reeked of fish.

He walked to the crates and opened them up. They were empty but the smell was definitely coming from there.

Tedros cursed. Hester had probably given him this room just to spite him.

Far too tired to climb back to the deck and argue with her, he plopped down on the bed. He reached out and grabbed the singular pillow on the bed. He sniffed it and found it also stank of fish. He threw the pillow to the floor and laid flat on the bed with a frustrated huff.

Once again he looked at the locket around his neck. It was shaped like an egg, decorated with tiny golden swirls and a miniature dragon carved around it. It reminded him of his aunt’s brooch and how he used to play with it as a child...

He shook off the thought, he was not going to start crying again.

Carefully, he started to examine the locket to try and figure out how to open it. The top and bottom seemed to be screwed together. Biting his lip in concentration, he slowly started to unscrew it.

Something fell onto his chest. He grabbed it and held it up to the light. It was a ring.

A silver double band ring with carefully placed sapphires and engraved with elegant whirls

that seemed to mimic waves. He immediately recognized it. It was his mother’s wedding ring.

What on earth was he supposed to do with this?

Feeling his eyes starting to get heavy, he carefully placed the ring back and screwed the locket shut. He would figure out what to do next when he’d gotten some sleep. He turned on his side, closed his eyes and fell into a troubled slumber.

He woke up to someone pounding on his door.

Groaning, he stood up and almost fell over. He wasn’t used to the ship’s constant up and down bobbing. He opened the door halfway. “Yes?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Agatha was staring up at him. “Dinner's ready, Your Highness,” she said, and gave him a teasing bow.

“Er... thanks,” Tedros croaked, still half asleep. He stepped out of his room and followed her to the mess hall.

“You're wearing shoes,” Tedros remarked, looking at the black clumps on Agatha’s feet.

She stopped in front of a set of double doors. “Not all of us have ten thousand pairs of shoes, Your Highness,” she said sarcastically and opened up the doors.

The hall was brightly lit by two gold chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, and the small circular windows that ran along the walls. In the middle of the room sat one giant dining table. The room was filled with people that looked just a few years older than him. How had they all ended up joining Hester’s crew? 

He realized there were a lot of magical creatures among the crew. He saw a few faeries, a dwarf and even a girl with one eye and green skin.

Agatha took a seat close to the end of the table. Tedros sat down next to her. “Where did Hester find all these people?” he asked her.

“You smell like fish,” she said, scrunching her nose.

Tedros reddened. “The room, it—”

“Oh no, did she give you one of those fish rooms?” Dot asked, concerned, as she took a seat across from him.

“Yes, it reeked of rotten fish,” Tedros replied, sniffing his shirt self-consciously.

“And who might this handsome young man be?” interrupted one of the faerie girls that sat next to Dot.

Tedros opened his mouth to answer—

“This is my friend...Er...Leo,” Agatha blurted. “We met when I got thrown overboard and he was really interested in joining the crew, right Leo?” she asked him, clearly amused.

Tedros looked at her, completely outraged. “Uhm...yep, that’s right,” he choked, swallowing his anger.

At that moment Hester entered the room and everyone fell quiet. Three servants holding large trays followed in behind her. “Dinner is served,” she announced as the servants set down the trays and the mess hall erupted in cheers.

“Leo? Couldn’t you think of anything better?” Tedros whispered to Agatha.

“I think it suits you,” she smiled sweetly.

Tedros turned his attention to the feast before him. On the trays were large slabs of salmon, some shrimp, a weird, thick soup and some other side dishes. The servants walked around the table, pouring drinks into everyone's goblet.

The ship's crew was talking happily amongst themselves. Never in his life had Tedros been to such an informal dinner. He didn’t really know how to act.

“Here, just take your plate and use your fork to put whatever you like on it,” Dot said quietly, signaling him to copy her.

Tedros followed her example and scooped up a little bit of everything. He put down his plate and cautiously took a bite. The food was mushy and mild, nothing like the crispy steaks and exotic spices he was used to. Trying not to pull his face in disgust, he looked at Hesters sitting at the head of the table and listened in on her conversation with Anadil and Agatha.

“It sure will be nice; going back home after all this time. Can you imagine Lesso’s face when I tell her I got our ship out of Camelot’s taxes?” Hester gloated.

“I’m not sure if we should tell her that. She will start to ask questions,” Agatha advised.

Hester scowled. “I guess that’s what you get from helping a spoiled prince.”

Tedros ignored her and turned his attention to the windows. He could see a giant statue of a woman, rising up from the water. “What’s that?” he asked Agatha, pointing at the statue outside.

“That's where the Red Wall used to be; a wall of fire that stretched along Gavaldon’s maritime border. It was one of Gavaldon’s main defences during the war,” she responded. “The statue is supposed to symbolize Queen Sophie protecting her citizens from harm.”

Tedros detected a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“How do you not know that?” she questioned.

“I was never really taught much about Gavaldon,” he said. For a long time, the council had forbidden Tedros from learning anything even slightly related to the war between Gavaldon and Camelot in an attempt to erase it from Camelot’s history. That had all changed ever since they’d finally come to a peace agreement with Gavaldon a couple of weeks ago. Tedros had been required to take extra history lessons focussing on Gavaldon’s history and culture. Of course, those lessons had been cut short, so he still didn’t know much about the southern kingdom.

He heard the crew laughing at something Anadil had said.

“I wonder how many suitors she’s turned down now,” cackled Hester.

“Suitors? The queen’s not married?” asked Tedros in astonishment. Everyone looked at him in silence.

“Queen Sophie is so picky, I doubt she ever will be,” answered Anadil. Everyone started laughing again.

“She has been dismissing suitors ever since she was born,” Hester joked.

“How old is she?” Tedros asked.

“Oh, don’t listen to them,” tutted Dot. “She’s only sixteen, she has plenty of time to find her prince charming.” The laughter slowly died down. Hester booed Dot and Anadil threw a spoonful of soup at her. Dot immediately started to scream at them. Agatha was laughing so hard soup came out of her nose. At that, the entire table started to laugh and throw around food.

Tedros drowned out the noise and grabbed the locket around his neck. He’d just figured out what he needed to do.

Chapter Text

Even before they had docked, Tedros could sense the major difference between the north and the south. As soon as the ship sailed into southern waters, the water started to glow. Flying fish had jumped over the ship, tiny multicolored birds with big sparkling eyes had perched themselves on the ship’s sails and he’d even seen a mermaid swim by.

The mermaid had given Agatha a letter. Tedros had never seen a real mermaid before. This one had a pink tail, long black hair and almond-shaped eyes. Agatha had said her name was Kiko and she always delivered letters to Agatha.

Now looking over the harbor as they docked, Tedros could see magical creatures just roaming around and sorcerers using their magic freely. Lots of people were dressed in shimmering fabrics that seemed to change color when the light shifted. Between the docked ships he saw mermaids playing in the water and faeries lifting crates from ships and flying them to solid ground.

“Wow,” Tedros breathed.

“Can you stop admiring the view and help me with these crates?” Agatha scolded.

Tedros ran to help her get the crates down the ramp one by one. “Do all the people here have magic?”

Agatha didn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah, almost everyone,” she said, looking troubled.

That was weird, Tedros thought.

They stacked the crates into a pile. “What is in these?” Tedros asked, trying to change the subject.

“Almost everything we raided from the ships we found,” Anadil answered, coming down the ramp. She flicked her wrists and the crates all shrank down three sizes.

“Thank you, Ani,” Hester said fondly as she walked down the ramp. “Tell me, blondy. I’ve brought you safely to your destination, so when do I get my reward?”

“I already told you. You’ll get your reward as soon as I have the money,” Tedros replied.

“Fair enough, Goldilocks,”- she smiled like a shark,-“but don’t try to back out of deals with me. That will not end well for you.”

“We’re going to the palace. Are you coming with us?” Dot asked as she jumped off the ramp.

“Yes, I am,” Tedros said, despite Hester glaring at him in annoyance.

“This way; there are royal carriages waiting for us,” Agatha said and started walking through the crowd.

Tedros gawked at the crates as they magically hovered after Anadil and Hester while they followed Agatha.

“You are going to love the palace!” Dot cheered and dragged Tedros with her through the crowd.

~ ~ ~

“And that is the river Ondina. It flows through all of Gavaldon and is connected to all the towns, even the palace courtyard. It was a gift to the mermaids, so they could freely visit any town they wanted,” Dot said.

Hester and Anadil had insisted on having a carriage to themselves and that meant Agatha was stuck with Tedros and Dot.

Agatha was biting her nails, trying not to slap the prince across the face. He was staring out the window, mouth wide open and gawking at everything like a baby. On top of that, Dot was acting like his personal tour guide, giving fun facts about every single thing they rode past. It made Agatha want to scream.

Agatha’s mother was the head cook of the palace kitchens. Agatha had grown up in Gavaldon and had worked in the palace ever since she could walk.

The palace was a gorgeous place, and Agatha had enjoyed staying there, but she had always felt like she didn’t belong, between all the magic and fancy clothes. Many of the residents had also been quite hostile towards her because of her ‘condition’.

A bunch of stuck-up snobs.

Agatha had been born with no magical ability. She had spent years learning all kinds of spells, but it had made no difference. Eventually, Agatha had stopped trying and accepted that she would never be able to do magic. Her mother had comforted her and told her it didn’t matter and that she was proud of Agatha no matter what.

But her mother's words hadn’t stopped the servants and members of the court, from spreading nasty rumours about how she was ‘cursed’ and from looking down on Agatha her whole life

The carriage came to an abrupt stop. Dot pointed out the window at the pink trees lining the road and announced, “These are cherry blossoms, they were planted here by the original Queen of Gavaldon. It’s said they are hundreds of years old and they also bloom all year round.”

Agatha knew the trees led up to the palace gate. She slumped back in her seat, thankful she would be rid of Dot’s babbling soon.

At the palace gate a guard knocked on the glass and Agatha opened the carriage window. The guard leaned on the window sill. “Welcome back Miss Agatha and Lady Dot.”

Dot climbed over Agatha. “Hello Nicholas, is Daddy inside?”

“Yes, Lady Dot, Lord Nottingham returned from his trip a few weeks ago,” he answered. Then he looked at Tedros. “And who is this?”

“This is Leo, I saved him from drowning,” Agatha said. She smiled sweetly at Tedros, who folded his arm and scowled in response.

“Alright, I’ll let Queen Sophie know you’ve arrived.”

Agatha doubted the queen would come to greet them. Sophie wasn’t the most involved queen.

Sophie’s parents had died in a shipwreck when she was only five years old. She had grown up with people falling at her feet and doing all her work for her.

She was supposed to be crowned on her sixteenth birthday, but when the war started the council decided to crown her on her sixth birthday instead to secure the throne.

The only thing Agatha remembered from the coronation was the celebration dinner afterwards. Her mother had introduced her to Duke Sader, a man with grey hair and hazel eyes and also the estranged half-brother of Evelyn Sader.

Her mother had told her that the duke had persuaded Sophie’s regent, Lady Lesso, to appoint Agatha as Sophie’s Queen’s Maid. Agatha had been overjoyed, the Queen's Maid was the queen's personal assistant and one of the highest positions a servant could have.

After her promotion, Agatha had gained more respect from the court and other servants. However, that didn’t last very long because Sophie was sent to Jaunt Jolie, the faery kingdom, for most of the war and Agatha had stayed with her mother in Gavaldon. With Sophie gone, Agatha was back at the bottom of the social ladder.

“I wonder if much has changed since we left.” Dot mumbled. She peered out the window as they passed the giant gate.

“I didn’t know you were a Lady,” expressed Tedros.

“Yes, Daddy is a member of the Royal Council. I grew up here with Agatha!” Dot smiled at Agatha. “Hester came to the palace to recruit more people for her crew. Agatha decided to go, and I thought it sounded fun. So, I asked daddy if I could go, and after weeks of begging he finally caved.”

Agatha looked at Dot’s round face, remembering how Hester had barged into the palace offering her services to Lady Lesso. In return the 66 would be licensed as a Gavaldon ship, which would lower the docking tax for the ship in almost all of the kingdoms.

When the war ended, Agatha had worked as Sophie’s Queen Maid for five more years until she joined Hester about a year ago.

Agatha had still felt like an outcast between all the sorcerers and magical creatures. She had always contemplated leaving the palace and moving to the lower town, so when Hester had passed around recruitment flyers, she had immediately been intrigued. 

Agatha looked down at the letter Kiko had given her. Her mother had encouraged her to go, knowing her daughter did not feel at home. For the past year they had kept in touch through letters.

“I really did miss this place,” Dot whispered.

Agatha followed her gaze. Outside, a red haired girl was tending to the palace’s manicured gardens while pixies flew through the air and played in the golden fountains. In the distance she could see the Ondina zigzagging through the flowerbeds, towards the palace wall.

The carriage came to stop and a guard opened the door, offering his hand. Agatha took the guards hand and stepped onto the cobblestone road.

“Wow,” breathed Tedros, marveling at the palace.

Agatha could not deny that the palace really was a work of art; high mother-of-pearl domes that sparkled in the afternoon sun, three stories gleaming with row after row of shining windows, each ornamented extensively in gold, and wide marble stairs that led up to the massive double doors. Agatha could already sense the magic that ran through its walls.

Anadil came up behind her. “Ready to go inside?”

Agatha bit the inside of her cheek. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she sighed, as she walked up the stairs.

~ ~ ~

Standing in the entrance hall, Tedros found that the inside of the palace was just as grand as the outside. The walls were decorated with intricate carvings and small crystal flowers that reflected the light coming in from the high windows.

Tedros had never seen any building like the palace. The castle in Camelot was more on the gothic side and could feel quite hostile at first glance, but this place was filled with life, with its lavender smell, pastel colors and fresh greenery.

“Welcome back, Captain Hester and crew.” A black haired boy with a pointed chin appeared at the balcony that rested atop the entrance hall’s double staircase. In his arms he held a notebook and he wore a green suit with a frog brooch pinned to his chest.

“Hort,” Hester replied shortly.

“Lord Scourie,” he corrected, coming down the left staircase. “Ever since my dear father passed away, I have taken over his duty as the Royal Steward.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry for your loss,” Dot said sincerely.

He stepped onto the marble floor and gave Dot a slight bow. “Thank you, Lady Nottingham.”

“Isn’t he a bit young to be a steward?” Tedros whispered to Agatha, who stood next to him.

Hort looked in his direction. “And who might this be?”

“This is Leo, Agatha saved him from drowning,” said Dot.

“He has quite a mouth for someone who can’t even swim,” Hort mocked.

It took Tedros all his strength not to snap back at the boy.

“We’ve come to drop off some crates,” Anadil interrupted.

“Right this way,” he said, smiling politely and gesturing to the arch between the staircases.

They followed him through the arch, down a flight of stairs and past a set of double doors. They entered into a massive hall.

The hall was lined with high, stained-glass windows, depicting some kind of story. A flower-patterned carpet was rolled across the floor to the end of the hall, where two large thrones sat on top of a flight of stairs. The thrones seemed to be made out of crystal and reflected the light that came in from the colored windows. Overhead, golden chandeliers decorated with an array of flowers and vines dangled from the high domed ceiling.

Tedros’ mouth dropped in amazement. From the corner of his eye he saw Agatha roll her eyes.

The hall was empty except for three women standing on top of the stairs, in front of the thrones. They seemed to be having a heated discussion.

“But he was boring . I was just telling him the truth!” A girl with waist long blonde hair and dressed in a pink ball gown, was arguing with a tall, charcoal-clad woman.

“You could’ve been a bit less rude, ” suggested the third girl, wearing a long-sleeved white dress.

“Iana, you’re supposed to be on my side!” exclaimed the blonde girl and started arguing louder with the woman.

The girl in the white dress suddenly noticed Hort and the 66 crew staring up at them, and elbowed the tall woman in the ribs.

The woman whirled around, the irritation instantly fading from her face when she saw them. “Hester, welcome back,” she said, stepping down the stairs.

“Agatha!” cheered the blonde haired girl. She rushed down the stairs and embraced Agatha. “I’m so happy you’re still in one piece.”

“Yeah, I missed you too Sophie,” Agatha replied, hugging her back.

Sophie let go of Agatha and studied the rest of the crew. Tedros remarked she was very beautiful, with creamy peach skin, luscious red lips and emerald eyes. A crown made out of tiny jewelled flowers rested on her perfectly curled hair.

Everyone bowed down to her and Tedros quickly followed their example.

“Who is this?” asked the queen, her green eyes looking Tedros up and down.

“My name is Leo, Your Majesty,” Tedros announced. “I am new to the crew.”

“Nice to meet you, Leo,” Sophie smiled, still staring at him.

Hester cleared her throat. “Lady Lesso, the crates?”

“Yes,” answered the woman dressed in black. “Lord Scourie, will you please accompany Miss Anadil to the treasury?”

Hort nodded and turned to Anadil. “This way, please,” he said, gesturing to the double doors.

Anadil bowed to the queen and hurried after Hort.

“We should also be on our way then,” Hester said, turning to leave.

“Not so fast,” said Lady Lesso. “I’m afraid you cannot leave. In light of recent events,”- she sighed and looked out the windows-“I have decided to reignite the Red Wall.”

“What?” blurted Hester and Agatha in unison.

“Don’t worry, I can arrange for you to stay at the harbor for as long as you want. But I cannot allow you to sail out.”

Hester looked angry, but she didn’t say anything.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” Sophie bursted out. “Aggie, you can come back to work in the palace! I can make you one of my Chambermaids, because obviously you can’t get your old position back. Oh wait, that reminds me!” She grabbed the girl in white dress’s hand. “You remember Iana, right? Well, she was the one who took over as my Queen’s Maid after you left.”

Taking a closer look at the girl now, Tedros had the strangest feeling he’d seen her before. She had wavy black hair that was tied back with a blue ribbon, a fair complexion and striking sapphire blue eyes.

The girl locked eyes with him and studied his face skeptically. He quickly looked away.

“Hi,” she greeted.

“Hey,” Agatha responded. Agatha looked back at Sophie.“That is a very kind offer, Sophie, but I need some time to think about it.”

Sophie beamed. “Take as long as you need, darling.”

“Your Majesty,” Tedros started. “Uhm...I would also like to offer my service to you.”

Agatha and Hester gaped at him.

“I don’t think that is necessary, young man,” Lady Lesso rebuked.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” said Sophie. “Of course you can come work here.” She studied Tedros. “You would be a perfect fit for my personal staff. What do you think, Iana?”

“We do need more help with the laundry,” Iana agreed.

Sophie squealed. “Then it’s settled, you are officially hired!”

Lady Lesso did not look pleased at all. “First he’ll need to go through a thorough background check,” Lady Lesso said coldly. “We don’t want any of Evelyn’s spies infiltrating the palace, now do we?”

“No, ma’am,” Tedros croaked.

“Come back tomorrow morning; Lord Scourie will be waiting for you,” Lady Lesso dismissed.

Tedros bowed and hurried out the door with Agatha and Hester.

“You really are an idiot,” Hester hissed as they passed through the arch.

Agatha turned to him. “What were you thinking?” she asked, bewildered.

“Don’t worry about it. I know what I’m doing,” he said confidently, ignoring her baffled face and walking out of the palace with a grin on his face.

But he would soon realise that he had made a grave mistake.