The Kidnapped Prince

Meeting of Knights

Located in the south corner of the castle is Master Merlin's tower. An exciting and delightful place if you're a sorcerer, but not so much if you're a regular human like most of the world's population. And for good reason.

The great sorcerer has made sure his tower is well-protected. The tower has not one but several, and many are magical, transporting you from one floor to the next without the extra effort of climbing stairs. A brilliant idea conjured up by the sorcerer.

But Master Merlin thought of nearly everything. Perhaps a lock or nine would make the tower more secure, and the royal family would think of the tower as a haven instead of an enigma.

Lady Alys knows she has an hour to find her sister. But she also knows it could take an hour to find her sister. Not only is Lady Rhoslyn Master Merlin's apprentice, but she has also taken to teleporting around when she feels lazy—a habit she picked up from the sorcerer.

A habit her sister wished she didn't.

Lady Alys raises her hand to knock at the tower door but pauses. The young lady makes herself mentally prepared to interact with Master Merlin. Not to mention how the sorcerer holds a conversation. Mind-numbing.

Then she knocks. A minute or two go by before she knocks on the door again. After another non-response, she opens the door. Lady Alys steps two feet into the main chamber. The young lady knows he could be anywhere in the tower.

"Hello? Master Merlin? Rhoslyn? Llewellyn? Anyone?" Lady Alys cranes her neck.

Like Sir Owain's chambers, this room is also trashed, but Lady Alys knows this is how the great sorcerer's chambers are. Master Merlin isn't the most organized man. Never has been, never will be. That's what Lady Rhoslyn and Llewellyn are for.

The two apprentices try to keep the tower organized, but Master Merlin seems to delight in messing up a room the apprentices previously arranged.

When Lady Rhoslyn first became Master Merlin's apprentice, she would go home and rant to her sister for an hour about Master Merlin's shenanigans. Over time the young lady got used to it. Now she doesn't mind or remembers why she was ever frustrated with the old sorcerer.

"Who let you in?"

Lady Alys jumps at Master Merlin's voice. The young lady turns to face her sister's Master, and instead of telling him what she is here for, she gapes. She was not ready for Master Merlin.

"Close your mouth, or you'll get flies," Master Merlin teleports behind Lady Alys in a poof of sparkles. He leans closer to her height. "Are you going to answer my question, girl?"

Lady Alys purses her lips. The young lady sighs. "Master Merlin, I'm looking for Lady Rhoslyn,"

Master Merlin teleports again. He likes to keep Lady Alys on her toes with wit and mental challenges. To Master Merlin, that means teleporting every sentence or so behind her or around the room. Whichever tickles his fancy. "That didn't answer my question,"

Lady Alys sighs again. She knows her sister's Master is mentally exhausting. She prepared for this. And yet, he still catches her off guard. "I let myself in,"

"And you decided to push in and sack the place," Master Merlin gestures to the tornado of a room.

It takes all the control Lady Alys has to keep her head. "I, no. Not sack the place. You do this yourself...do you know where Lady Rhoslyn is?"

"No," Master Merlin says, teleporting behind Lady Alys. "And if I did, why should I tell you? Hmmm?"

"King Arthur has requested that we attend the round table meeting. I have little doubt you have also been asked to attend,"