room. Olivia gave a sigh of relief. It was Sir Richard. He might not be her favourite person in the world but he had the distinct advantage of not being Lady Morgana. She stepped out from the archway and Sir Richard jumped.
“Oh – ah! There you are… Er, I’ve come to let you out.”
“Let me out?” said Olivia in surprise. “But I thought Lady Morgana…”
“Ah, well, yes. She does have plans – but, well, let’s just say I’m not so keen on them, myself. So I thought I’d double back here on my way out and, well, maybe forget to lock the door when I left.”
Sir Richard looked pleased with himself.A little white lie and he could stay in Lady Morgana’s good books and stop any unnecessary unpleasantness occurring in his chambers.
“Fantastic!” exclaimed Olivia. “Thanks. Can I go now?”
“Oh, well, er – not so fast, young lady,” said Sir Richard hurriedly. “There is the little matter of you knowing all our plans I rather think I’m going to have to do a gagging spell on you before you scarper off to Merlin and tell all, eh?”
“A gagging spell?” said Olivia. “What’s that?”
“Neat little trick I learned at Squire School,” said Sir Richard proudly. “I never was much good at magic, but I rather perfected this spell over the years. Helped a lot when there was stuff I really, well, really didn’t want people telling my father” He went all misty-eyed remembering the mischief he’d got up to as a lad, but then shrugged. Never mind that – it was time to gag Olivia.
Sir Richard took a small bag from a nearby cupboard and spilled some grains of purple powderinto his hand. Then he muttered a few words and flung the powder over Olivia. She felt a tingling feeling in her ears and on her tongue, but nothing else seemed to happen.
“Is that it?” she said, unimpressed.
“Indeed it is, my dear,” said Sir Richard happily. “Just try to blab now and you’ll find out what that little spell does.”
Olivia was unconvinced, but thought it best to humour him. After all, he was going to let her go free.
“Okay,” she said. “I can feel it working. Can I go now?”
“Yes, yes,” said Sir Richard. “Run along, my dear. It looks like your dragon’s scarpered already – out the window, eh? Probably flapping around in the castle yard. Better go and find it. I’ve got to go now, anyway – I’ve got a long ride to the forest, with my lady.” And he touched the side of his nose with his finger and winked at her.
He really does believe the spell’s going towork, thought Olivia. But he was going to get a shock when she ran straight to Merlin and told him everything. She smiled blandly back at Sir Richard, sidled out of the doorway and sauntered down the corridor looking as innocent as she knew how.
***
Merlin was sitting in his large oak chair with his chin resting on his hands. He had tried everything he could think of to locate the prince, but nothing had worked. It was as if the boy had been spirited out of the castle. Yet Merlin was sure the spell wall enchantments were still working. If he stretched his mind, he could feel them still quietly wrapped around the castle walls. With a sigh he felt again for the enchantments. This time he worked his way slowly round them, testing and feeling with his thoughts, looking for the slightest waver There! Just there! His head snapped up. He sensed the faintest, slightest tremble in the enchantment that told him it had been broken and then cunningly woven back together again to give the illusion of wholeness.Flame and thunder! What sort of wizard was he to have allowed this to happen? There was only one person who could have done it – and he was surprised even she had managed it – but clearly she had. Merlin needed to alert the king immediately. They would have to broaden the search to beyond the castle walls.
Just as he stood up, there was a timid knock at the door.
“Come in,” he called, as he strapped his sword round
“Oh – ah! There you are… Er, I’ve come to let you out.”
“Let me out?” said Olivia in surprise. “But I thought Lady Morgana…”
“Ah, well, yes. She does have plans – but, well, let’s just say I’m not so keen on them, myself. So I thought I’d double back here on my way out and, well, maybe forget to lock the door when I left.”
Sir Richard looked pleased with himself.A little white lie and he could stay in Lady Morgana’s good books and stop any unnecessary unpleasantness occurring in his chambers.
“Fantastic!” exclaimed Olivia. “Thanks. Can I go now?”
“Oh, well, er – not so fast, young lady,” said Sir Richard hurriedly. “There is the little matter of you knowing all our plans I rather think I’m going to have to do a gagging spell on you before you scarper off to Merlin and tell all, eh?”
“A gagging spell?” said Olivia. “What’s that?”
“Neat little trick I learned at Squire School,” said Sir Richard proudly. “I never was much good at magic, but I rather perfected this spell over the years. Helped a lot when there was stuff I really, well, really didn’t want people telling my father” He went all misty-eyed remembering the mischief he’d got up to as a lad, but then shrugged. Never mind that – it was time to gag Olivia.
Sir Richard took a small bag from a nearby cupboard and spilled some grains of purple powderinto his hand. Then he muttered a few words and flung the powder over Olivia. She felt a tingling feeling in her ears and on her tongue, but nothing else seemed to happen.
“Is that it?” she said, unimpressed.
“Indeed it is, my dear,” said Sir Richard happily. “Just try to blab now and you’ll find out what that little spell does.”
Olivia was unconvinced, but thought it best to humour him. After all, he was going to let her go free.
“Okay,” she said. “I can feel it working. Can I go now?”
“Yes, yes,” said Sir Richard. “Run along, my dear. It looks like your dragon’s scarpered already – out the window, eh? Probably flapping around in the castle yard. Better go and find it. I’ve got to go now, anyway – I’ve got a long ride to the forest, with my lady.” And he touched the side of his nose with his finger and winked at her.
He really does believe the spell’s going towork, thought Olivia. But he was going to get a shock when she ran straight to Merlin and told him everything. She smiled blandly back at Sir Richard, sidled out of the doorway and sauntered down the corridor looking as innocent as she knew how.
***
Merlin was sitting in his large oak chair with his chin resting on his hands. He had tried everything he could think of to locate the prince, but nothing had worked. It was as if the boy had been spirited out of the castle. Yet Merlin was sure the spell wall enchantments were still working. If he stretched his mind, he could feel them still quietly wrapped around the castle walls. With a sigh he felt again for the enchantments. This time he worked his way slowly round them, testing and feeling with his thoughts, looking for the slightest waver There! Just there! His head snapped up. He sensed the faintest, slightest tremble in the enchantment that told him it had been broken and then cunningly woven back together again to give the illusion of wholeness.Flame and thunder! What sort of wizard was he to have allowed this to happen? There was only one person who could have done it – and he was surprised even she had managed it – but clearly she had. Merlin needed to alert the king immediately. They would have to broaden the search to beyond the castle walls.
Just as he stood up, there was a timid knock at the door.
“Come in,” he called, as he strapped his sword round
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