The knight pointing his sword at my husband spoke.

„What manner of sorcery is this?"

„Oh- oh my..." Steve stammers and lets out a high-pitched scream again.

The knight dismounts his horse and takes of his helmet after repeating his question.

„What sorcery is this?"

„Sir Lancelot, um, I - we-" Douxie stammers as he tries to explain.

Sir Lancelot points his sword at Douxie again to which I growl.

„If you dare hurt my husband it'll be the last thing you do!" I think angrily.

„Wait! Aren't you Merlin's errand boy?" Lancelot asks.

„Apprentice." Douxie corrects him annoyed.

Jim's stasis suddenly breaks, and he shoots up into a sitting position.

„What? How did I-" he gets cut off by Claire.

„Jim! Are you ok?" she asks him.

„Troll! Troll! To Arms!" Lancelot shouts angrily. The knights point their swords at us, ready to attack.

Douxie runs in front of his friends „Wait! Chill out, lads!"

„Chill? Out?" Lancelot repeats confused.

„Take a breath, all right? He's one of the good ones." Douxie explains.

„There are no good ones." Lancelot shouts and shoves Douxie to fall to the ground and points his sword at him again „Monsters are forbidden in Arthurs lands. You'll hang before the king for your insolence." Lancelot says while glaring with pure hatred at them.

I huff, enough is enough.

„Sir Lancelot." I say and get up. I stand straight, hands neatly folded together in front of my waist. Acting like a royal again, I haven't done that in 900 years.

Lancelot gasps and kneels in front of me „M'Lady!"

„That's a little drastic don't you think? After all this troll has done nothing wrong!" I scold Sir Lancelot.

„But your highness, you know what punishment we are to give the beasts! I can't disobey the king." Lancelot says after standing straight again.

„Then bring us to my father and I'll speak with him!" I order and the knights immediately follow.

I couldn't stop them though from putting Claire and Steve in chains and Jim in a cage covered by a large drape.

We were led towards Camelot and People stare at us.

I insisted to walk with Douxie even though Lancelot wanted me to ride with him, I as a princess shouldn't need to walk, he said.

Douxie must sense my nervousness and rubs his thumb soothingly over my knuckles as his hand comfortingly squeezes mine.

„Are you alright?" Douxie asks me worriedly.

„Well, I didn't quite think this through, what if we meet my past self in the throne room?" I ramble panicked.

Douxie chuckles „well I clearly remember that your past self is currently out with my past self on our, well their first date."

I sigh dreamily as I remember „oh what a beautiful first date and first kiss that was."

Douxie chuckles and peeked me on the cheek, which still makes me blush, even after 900 years „yes, it was love."

Before us Jim is talking with Claire.

„Claire? What happened? What are we doing at a Renn faire?" he asks confused.

„We're prisoners in the, uh, dark ages." Douxie answers „I'd say mid 12th century with no way home. It's not an ideal situation."

„Ideal? Jim has a shard of evil magic in his chest!" Claire says angrily.

„Actually, I'm still hurt, but if feels different somehow." Jim says.

Douxie and I step closer to inspect the shard „Modrax's miracles, he's right!" Douxie exclaims.

I gasp „When we jumped back in time, it must have frozen the corruption in place."

„I love it when you think the same thoughts I do." Douxie smiles dreamily at me.

Jim chuckles „uh seems I missed a lot. Don't you work at the cafe?" he asks Douxie.

„Part time. And thanks for always tipping, by the way." Douxie smiles thankfully.

„He's Merlin's apprentice. It's a long story." Claire explains and Douxie salutes with two fingers.

„And who are you?" Jim asks me.

„I am Princess of Camelot, well adopted and my name is Mailin-"

„Casperan, Mailin Casperan. My wife." Douxie adds with a grin as he pulls me closer with his arm around my waist.

„Open the Gate! We have foreigners awaiting judgement for King Arthur. Oh, and his daughter." Sir Lancelot says upfront.

Claire looks worried towards the front at that.

„Nah, no worries. Camelot's my old turf. Just follow my lead. Be inconspicuous." Douxie grins at her.

I playfully hit him upside the head „more like my turf. I always got you out of trouble, remember that Douxie?"

Douxie grumbles something under his breath and sighs „yeah, yeah you did."

We were led into the throne room and positioned in front of my father's throne.

„Gunmar's threatening our borders. Double our patrols." he orders Sir Galahad before turning his attention to us.

„Here are the trespassers, my lord." Lancelot says.

„A troll?" my father asks angrily „I thought I made it clear, your kind are unwelcome when I banished you all from the realm. And what are you doing with a beast like that, daughter?! Come over here!" he shouts. I hung my head low and walk over to him, standing by his side.

„Don't you mean betrayed?" Morgana says, stepping forward „You gave the woods to enchanted creatures like these. You'd break that vow?"

„These beasts care not, especially not this spy of Gunmar's!" King Arthur shouts.

„Stop calling me a beast!" Jim shouts back angrily.

Douxies voice squeaks as he starts to speak „Your Highness, ahem, it's good to see you again."

„And you are?" King Arthur asks.

„My husband so don't be so rude to him father." I thought while rolling my eyes.

„Hisirdoux, Merlin's apprentice." Douxie answers „I assure you he is no threat."

„That's my judgement to make, boy." King Arthur shouts angrily.

„But father! He speaks the truth!" I argue while looking at father pleadingly.

„How dare you talk to me like that!" King Arthur turns to me with a glare.

I glare back just as angrily.

„Trolls Are born of magic." Aunt Morgana makes an orange ball of magic fly through the room, making Father turn away from me to face it.

„As you Are of blood." Aunt Morgana continues as her magic formed a tulip in front of King Arthur „How is that a Crime?"

„When they ravage our lands, take our loved ones from us." Father says and squishes the flowers, and its petals fall on mother's throne.

„I made these laws to hold this fragile land together, and they will be abided! Leave the wood, the penalty is death!" King Arthur shouts.

The knights bring him forward towards the light.

„Wait! Hold on! Hold on! Isn't it a bit hasty?" Douxie struggles as a knight holds him back.

„Bring him towards the sunlight." King Arthur commands.

„No! Father! Please! Don't do this! Father!" I shout as I hear Jim scream in pain.

„Stop!" Claire shouts. I notice her eyes darken and her pupils glow purple. The sunlight moves back, and Jim is standing in the shadows again.

„Morgana? Is this your witchery? Cease it at once!" King Arthur commands.

Claire and Morgana can convince father otherwise and he throws Jim into the dungeons.

„As for you, Hisirdoux, shouldn't you be with Merlin?" Father asks as he addresses my husband. He doesn't know we're married though; I don't think he'd be very fond of me not being married to a prince.

„Uh, yes. Well, I was busy recruiting these two." Douxie said and gestures to Claire and Steve „They're here to help in the... in the war!"

„This is Claire of the house of Nuñez. And... well, this is the village idiot." Douxie introduces them.

I can't help but giggle.

Father then tells Douxie to rejoin Merlin, instructs Steve to go with Sir Lancelot and Morgana takes Claire.

„Well, that went better than expected." Douxie says as we enter his room.