Lost in Phantasm (Merlin Fanfiction)

Part 12: "Arthur Gets A Tour"

Back in the great hall of the castle, Arthur finished his tea, and Pierson returned. Arthur noticed that the strange man was smiling. Pierson even allowed himself a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Arthur asked.

"What's so funny?" Pierson echoed, "You're Arthur, and your servant's name is Merlin." He giggled again.

Arthur frowned. "Yes? So?"

Pierson raised his eyebrows, "Arthur? Merlin? Really? I don't suppose this servant of yours is a wizard by any chance?"

"Oh no," Arthur shook his head, "At least, not any more than you are!"

Pierson tipped his head. "Arthur, where are you from?"

"The kingdom of Camelot, in the land of Albion," Arthur declared proudly.

Pierson's eyes opened wide, "Then you're the Arthur? The King Arthur, wi' the knights of the round table and all that?"

Arthur shrugged, "The Round Table is an old custom we do not use these days. But I am king."

Pierson immediately bowed, "Well, forgive me, yer Majesty, I had no idea I was entertaining royalty! Please, would you like a tour of my castle?"

Arthur stood and smiled. "I would dearly love a tour," he replied.

"Right this way, your highness."

Pierson led Arthur out into the hallway. The young king stopped and stared pensively at the walls with their tanks of listless merfolk. Pierson wondered if he was going to ask about them.

Arthur snapped out of his funk, tapping the wall as he did so.

"Pierson, what is this material? I've never seen its like."

"That?" Pierson bustled Arthur down the hall and into another room. "Oh, let me show you. It is a shellfish native to this world, called a meir."

Pierson led Arthur to a large bath in the center of the room, filled with rocks on which large bivalve mollusks crawled. Their shells had a coating of the same white, hard material.

"To harvest the meirshell without killing the animal, they are taken out and dried. The coating cracks off after about an hour, and the meir is returned to the pool with no harm done. The coating can be melted down and formed into any shape I wish. It cleans easily and looks very nice."

Arthur admired the creatures. "That is amazing!" he gushed.

"I'm glad you like it, highness. Now if you'll just follow me, I'll show you more of the grounds."

As they walked, Pierson also asked many questions of Arthur.

"So that sword you have, is it really Excalibur?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Where did you get it from? Did it rise out of a lake in the hand of a fairy, or did you pull it out of solid stone?"

"This? It's just a normal sword. I got it from the armory."

"Ah... And Queen Guenivere—"

"Hang on!" Arthur stopped his host with a very red face. "Queen? Gwen is a palace servant, nothing more."

"Is she, now?" Pierson challenged significantly.

Arthur frowned in suspicion. "Why do I get the feeling that you think you know more about me than I know about myself? Talking of Merlin as a wizard, and Gwen as a queen—that would, of course, mean that she's married to me, which can never happen."

"Of course not," Pierson smiled artfully, "Idle speculation, milord, excuse me." He led Arthur to a place he called the "mechanics room."

"This is where all the magic happens. See?" He turned a crank and a stone with a stool attached to it lowered from the ceiling. "We're right below the great hall here. I give a signal up there, and the signal goes down here, where my servants are waiting to obey my orders."