Episode 001 — “Intrusions”
Aired September 3, 2026 but events occurred August 27, 2026
Across the realms, strange disturbances are becoming harder to dismiss—and now the trail has led directly to Camelot.
King Richard, Glinda, and Peter Pan arrive seeking answers and allies, only to discover that old friendships and familiar kingdoms may no longer be what they remember.
Warnings emerge from unexpected sources as unseen eyes begin watching their every move.
In Camelot, everyone is searching for the truth—but someone may already be keeping score.
SCENE 1 — THE REQUEST
Camelot.
Morning has done little to improve the mood of the castle.
Sunlight passes through the tall stained-glass windows of the throne room, throwing fractured colors across the stone floor.
Blue.
Gold.
Crimson.
But the chamber still feels colder than it should.
The emptiness Richard noticed the previous night has been partially corrected.
Guards have returned to the doors.
Two attendants wait near the council table.
A pair of Camelot knights stand beneath the royal banners.
Yet even populated—
the room does not feel alive.
It feels arranged.
King Arthur stands before the great council table.
The Mythic Crown Championship now rests around his waist.
Merlin stands several feet behind him.
Across the table are the three visitors who arrived the previous evening.
King Richard the Lionheart.
Still armored.
Still carrying himself less like a visiting dignitary and more like a commander who expects to leave for battle at any moment.
Beside him—
Glinda.
The Good Witch of Oz watches Merlin more carefully than she watches Arthur.
And leaning against the edge of the table with his arms folded—
Peter Pan.
Peter's eyes continually move around the room.
Doors.
Windows.
Guards.
Arthur.
Merlin.
Never resting for long.
Upon the council table is a large map.
Not merely of Camelot.
Several realms have been represented through overlapping charts, old survey maps, hand-drawn routes, and sheets of parchment covered with Glinda's notations.
A series of dark marks have been made across them.
Not connected.
Not yet.
Richard places one hand against the table.
KING RICHARD: We first believed they were isolated.
Arthur studies the maps.
KING RICHARD: A disturbance along one border. A passage appearing where no passage had existed before. Travelers reporting shadows moving between places that should never touch.
Richard looks at Arthur.
KING RICHARD: Then there were more.
Glinda gently places two fingers against one of the marked locations.
GLINDA: Much more.
A faint white shimmer moves beneath her fingertips.
Several markings across the maps glow in response.
Camelot among them.
Arthur notices immediately.
KING ARTHUR: You called them fissures.
GLINDA: It is the most accurate description we have.
PETER PAN: Cracks.
Glinda glances toward him.
Peter shrugs.
PETER PAN: That's what they are.
He pushes himself away from the table.
PETER PAN: Cracks between places that aren't supposed to crack.
Arthur's eyes narrow slightly.
PETER PAN: You can dress it up with wizard words if you want.
Merlin looks at him.
MERLIN: I assure you, young man, "wizard words" have served this realm adequately for some time.
Peter smiles.
Not warmly.
PETER PAN: Have they?
Richard gives Peter a warning glance.
Peter raises both hands.
He falls silent.
For now.
Glinda's attention returns to Merlin.
GLINDA: The Wizard and I have been tracing the disturbances wherever we can.
Merlin's expression remains neutral.
GLINDA: Some disappear almost immediately.
She touches another location.
GLINDA: Others remain.
Another.
GLINDA: Some seem to move.
Arthur looks toward Merlin.
That earns the smallest pause from the wizard.
Glinda notices.
GLINDA: But several nights ago we detected something different.
Her fingers move across the parchment.
Until they rest over Camelot.
GLINDA: Here.
Silence.
Merlin slowly steps toward the table.
MERLIN: We have already discussed this.
GLINDA: Briefly.
MERLIN: Because there is little more to discuss.
Glinda studies him.
GLINDA: Then perhaps you will indulge me.
Merlin says nothing.
GLINDA: What happened?
Arthur's gaze moves between them.
Merlin answers calmly.
Too calmly.
MERLIN: Myrrden.
Glinda waits.
Merlin continues.
MERLIN: Myrrden the Hollow had become increasingly unstable.
Peter's expression changes.
Richard says nothing.
MERLIN: His experiments wandered into areas of magic better left untouched. He became convinced that Camelot faced some great unseen corruption.
GLINDA: And did it?
MERLIN: No.
The answer comes immediately.
Glinda's eyes remain on him.
GLINDA: You are certain.
MERLIN: Entirely.
A long pause.
Glinda looks toward the map.
GLINDA: Because what we detected was considerable.
MERLIN: Then you detected the consequences of Myrrden's recklessness.
GLINDA: What kind of recklessness?
Merlin's jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.
MERLIN: The kind that nearly endangered Camelot.
Glinda looks directly into his eyes.
GLINDA: And where is he now?
Merlin does not look away.
MERLIN: Gone.
GLINDA: Gone where?
MERLIN: If I knew that, Lady Glinda, he would hardly have disappeared.
Peter gives Richard a sideways glance.
Richard notices.
Glinda does too.
Arthur finally intervenes.
KING ARTHUR: Myrrden was confronted.
Glinda turns toward him.
KING ARTHUR: Merlin discovered what he had been doing. I ordered it stopped.
A beat.
KING ARTHUR: Myrrden fled Camelot shortly afterward.
Merlin says nothing.
Technically—
Arthur has given Glinda an answer.
Glinda slowly removes her hand from the map.
GLINDA: And there have been no further disturbances?
Merlin answers.
MERLIN: None attributable to him.
That wording hangs in the air.
Glinda catches it immediately.
GLINDA: Attributable to him.
Merlin meets her gaze.
MERLIN: Magic leaves echoes.
GLINDA: Yes.
A pause.
GLINDA: It does.
The two sorcerers stare at one another.
Neither willing to move first.
Richard breaks the silence.
KING RICHARD: Whatever began here, Camelot is only one piece of it.
Arthur turns toward him.
Richard reaches across the maps.
His finger passes from one marked realm to another.
KING RICHARD: We have seen disturbances across borders that have been stable longer than some kingdoms have existed.
Another mark.
KING RICHARD: People have disappeared.
Another.
KING RICHARD: Roads have changed.
Another.
KING RICHARD: Things have crossed from one realm into another without gate, invitation, or warning.
Arthur's expression becomes more serious.
Richard straightens.
KING RICHARD: Glinda and the Wizard are attempting to understand the fissures.
He gestures toward Peter.
KING RICHARD: Pan knows pathways between realms that no map has ever properly recorded.
Peter gives a small nod.
KING RICHARD: Others are helping where they can.
Arthur understands where this is going.
Richard does not dress it in diplomacy.
KING RICHARD: I need knights.
Silence.
Arthur's face changes slightly.
Not surprise.
Calculation.
KING RICHARD: Not an army.
Richard steps away from the table.
KING RICHARD: A company.
Arthur remains silent.
KING RICHARD: Men who know how to hold ground when the thing coming toward them cannot be found in a military handbook.
Peter smirks faintly.
PETER PAN: Or killed according to one.
Richard ignores him.
KING RICHARD: Camelot has some of the finest knights in any realm.
Arthur's eyes flick briefly toward Merlin.
Then back.
KING RICHARD: Lend me some of them.
Arthur walks slowly toward one of the tall windows.
Outside—
Camelot stretches beneath them.
Walls.
Towers.
Villages farther beyond.
The kingdom he built.
The kingdom he believes he must preserve.
KING ARTHUR: You tell me borders are failing.
Richard watches him.
KING ARTHUR: That creatures and men are crossing where they should not.
KING RICHARD: Yes.
KING ARTHUR: That entire regions may be vulnerable.
KING RICHARD: They may.
Arthur turns.
KING ARTHUR: And then you ask me to weaken Camelot.
Richard's expression tightens.
KING RICHARD: I'm asking you to help protect more than Camelot.
KING ARTHUR: And I am protecting more than Camelot.
That stops Richard.
Arthur walks back toward the table.
His finger comes down upon Camelot.
KING ARTHUR: Camelot is not merely another kingdom on one of your maps.
Glinda watches him carefully.
KING ARTHUR: It is anchored to the Core Realm.
Richard knows this.
His silence confirms it.
KING ARTHUR: If what you describe is truly spreading—
Arthur looks at the dark markings surrounding Camelot.
KING ARTHUR: —then this realm cannot be allowed to become vulnerable.
Peter unfolds his arms.
PETER PAN: So everybody protects themselves.
Arthur looks toward him.
PETER PAN: That's the plan?
KING ARTHUR: The plan is that a king protects the people placed beneath his care.
PETER PAN: And if every king says that?
KING ARTHUR: Then perhaps every kingdom survives.
Peter laughs once.
There is no humor in it.
PETER PAN: Or they fall one at a time.
Arthur takes a step toward him.
Richard immediately moves between the conversation before it can sharpen further.
Not physically.
With authority.
KING RICHARD: Peter.
Pan looks at him.
Richard gives a slight shake of the head.
Enough.
Peter's jaw tightens.
But he backs away.
Arthur turns back toward Richard.
KING ARTHUR: You came asking me to send Camelot's knights into an enemy we do not understand.
KING RICHARD: I did.
KING ARTHUR: While telling me that same enemy may already have reached Camelot.
Richard says nothing.
Arthur gestures toward the kingdom beyond the windows.
KING ARTHUR: Then you have given me every reason not to send them.
That lands.
Because Richard cannot simply dismiss it.
Arthur continues.
KING ARTHUR: If Camelot is an anchor—
He looks directly at Richard.
KING ARTHUR: —then Camelot must hold.
Richard studies his old friend for several seconds.
Searching perhaps for the Arthur he remembers.
Or trying to decide whether the argument before him belongs to that man.
Eventually—
Richard exhales.
Slowly.
KING RICHARD: I cannot tell you that reasoning is unsound.
Arthur's shoulders ease slightly.
KING RICHARD: I wish I could.
Peter looks toward Richard, disappointed.
Glinda remains unreadable.
Richard steps closer to Arthur.
Now there is no map between them.
No wizard.
No adventurer.
Only two kings.
KING RICHARD: When I came here, I believed Camelot would stand beside us.
Arthur's expression barely changes.
KING ARTHUR: Camelot does stand beside you.
Richard looks around the chamber.
KING RICHARD: From here.
A beat.
Arthur accepts the rebuke without answering it.
Richard nods slowly.
KING RICHARD: Very well.
Peter looks sharply toward him.
PETER PAN: Richard—
Richard raises one hand.
Peter stops.
KING RICHARD: He has made his decision.
Richard looks directly at Arthur.
There is disappointment there.
But also recognition.
A burden understood.
KING RICHARD: And I will respect it.
Arthur gives him a small nod.
King to king.
KING ARTHUR: Thank you.
Richard does not return the courtesy.
Instead, he looks once more at the maps.
KING RICHARD: I hope you are right.
Arthur's expression hardens.
KING ARTHUR: About what?
Richard looks up.
KING RICHARD: That Camelot is safer with its knights behind these walls.
Silence.
Richard turns away.
Peter follows immediately.
Glinda does not.
She remains beside the council table.
Her eyes are on Merlin.
The wizard begins gathering several parchments.
GLINDA: Merlin.
His hands stop.
MERLIN: Yes?
GLINDA: If Myrrden returns—
A pause.
GLINDA: —I would very much like to speak with him.
Merlin's eyes rise toward hers.
MERLIN: Should I see him, I will convey your interest.
Glinda smiles.
Warm.
Graceful.
Entirely without trust.
GLINDA: I'm sure you will.
She turns.
Then stops.
Without looking back—
GLINDA: One more thing.
Merlin waits.
GLINDA: You said magic leaves echoes.
MERLIN: It does.
Glinda looks over her shoulder.
GLINDA: This one is still echoing.
Merlin's expression does not move.
Arthur watches from across the chamber.
Glinda gives both men the slightest courteous inclination of her head.
Then follows Richard and Peter from the throne room.
The doors close behind them.
Silence returns.
Arthur looks toward Merlin.
For several moments—
neither speaks.
Then Arthur's eyes settle upon the closed doors.
KING ARTHUR: She suspects you.
Merlin looks down at the map.
At the dark mark over Camelot.
MERLIN: Glinda suspects everyone.
Arthur turns toward him.
Merlin slowly folds the map closed.
Camelot disappears beneath the parchment.
MERLIN: That is what makes her dangerous.
CUT TO BLACK.
SCENE 2 — AN UNEXPECTED OFFER
The doors of the throne room close behind them.
Richard continues walking.
Glinda follows beside him.
Peter Pan trails several steps behind.
None of them speaks at first.
The long corridor ahead is lined with stone pillars and narrow windows overlooking the lower courtyards of Camelot.
Morning light cuts across the floor in long pale strips.
Richard's expression remains controlled.
But his disappointment is obvious.
Peter is considerably less interested in hiding his.
PETER PAN: That went well.
Richard keeps walking.
KING RICHARD: Arthur gave his answer.
PETER PAN: He gave an excuse.
Richard stops.
Peter nearly walks into him.
Richard turns.
KING RICHARD: He gave the answer of a king responsible for a kingdom.
Peter folds his arms.
PETER PAN: You don't believe that.
KING RICHARD: I believe his argument has merit.
PETER PAN: That wasn't what I said.
Richard's expression tightens.
Glinda intervenes before either can continue.
GLINDA: Peter.
Peter looks at her.
She gives the smallest shake of her head.
Not here.
Peter glances back toward the enormous throne-room doors.
Then lowers his voice.
PETER PAN: Something is wrong in there.
Richard starts walking again.
KING RICHARD: Perhaps.
Peter follows.
PETER PAN: That's it?
KING RICHARD: Until we know more?
Richard looks over his shoulder.
KING RICHARD: Yes.
They reach the end of the corridor.
A stone arch opens into a smaller gallery overlooking the inner courtyard.
Richard stops again.
This time—
not because of Peter.
Because someone is waiting.
A man stands partially concealed beside one of the pillars.
Dark armor.
Measured posture.
Watching them.
Richard immediately recognizes him.
His hand does not reach for his sword.
But it comes considerably closer.
Peter notices.
So does Glinda.
The figure steps from behind the pillar.
MORDRED.
Richard's eyes narrow.
KING RICHARD: Mordred.
Mordred gives him a slight inclination of the head.
Not quite a bow.
MORDRED: Lionheart.
Peter looks between them.
PETER PAN: Friend of yours?
KING RICHARD: No.
Mordred almost smiles.
MORDRED: Direct as ever.
KING RICHARD: You were listening.
It is not a question.
Mordred looks toward the throne-room doors behind them.
MORDRED: The acoustics of Camelot are remarkable.
Peter grins.
PETER PAN: I like him already.
Richard gives Peter a look.
The grin disappears.
Mostly.
Richard returns his attention to Mordred.
KING RICHARD: How much did you hear?
MORDRED: Enough.
KING RICHARD: Which means?
MORDRED: Fissures.
A beat.
MORDRED: Disappearing travelers.
Another.
MORDRED: Something happening inside Camelot that your companions cannot explain.
Glinda studies him.
Mordred finishes.
MORDRED: And Arthur refusing to help you investigate it.
Richard's expression hardens.
KING RICHARD: That was a conversation between kings.
MORDRED: Then perhaps kings should choose chambers with thicker doors.
Richard takes one step toward him.
KING RICHARD: Be very careful.
Mordred does not retreat.
MORDRED: I am being careful.
That answer changes Richard's expression slightly.
Mordred looks toward the closed doors.
For the first time—
his amusement disappears completely.
MORDRED: That is why I waited for you.
Glinda notices the change immediately.
GLINDA: You wanted to speak with Richard.
Mordred looks at her.
MORDRED: With all of you.
Richard remains wary.
KING RICHARD: About Arthur?
MORDRED: Yes.
Richard lets out a quiet breath.
Almost an exhausted one.
KING RICHARD: Mordred—
He shakes his head.
KING RICHARD: You have believed something was wrong with Arthur for most of your life.
Peter's eyebrows rise.
Mordred's mouth twitches.
MORDRED: Fair.
Richard waits.
Mordred continues.
MORDRED: But this is different.
Richard's expression changes.
Barely.
But Mordred sees it.
KING RICHARD: Different how?
Mordred takes a moment before answering.
MORDRED: Arthur and I have disagreed about nearly everything two men can disagree about.
He begins walking slowly toward the open gallery.
MORDRED: Power.
MORDRED: Loyalty.
MORDRED: Camelot.
He turns back.
MORDRED: Me.
Richard says nothing.
MORDRED: I know what Arthur looks like when he is angry with me.
A beat.
MORDRED: I know what he looks like when he distrusts me.
Another.
MORDRED: I know what he looks like when he believes absolutely that he is right and everyone else in the realm has lost their senses.
Peter glances at Richard.
That description apparently sounds familiar.
Mordred's face becomes serious.
MORDRED: This is not any of those things.
Glinda steps closer.
GLINDA: What is it?
Mordred looks back toward the throne room.
MORDRED: I don't know.
That answer carries more weight than certainty would have.
Richard studies him.
KING RICHARD: You're asking me to believe that Mordred has suddenly become concerned for King Arthur.
MORDRED: No.
Mordred looks directly at him.
MORDRED: I'm asking you to believe that I know my enemy.
Silence.
MORDRED: And the man sitting on that throne is behaving like someone I do not know.
Richard's suspicion remains.
But now he is listening.
Glinda steps forward.
GLINDA: Myrrden.
Mordred looks at her.
GLINDA: What do you know about him?
Mordred's expression changes immediately.
That alone tells Glinda something.
MORDRED: Why?
GLINDA: Merlin claims Myrrden was conducting dangerous magical experiments.
MORDRED: Does he?
Glinda nods.
GLINDA: According to Merlin, Myrrden became unstable, endangered Camelot, and then disappeared.
Mordred says nothing.
Glinda watches him carefully.
GLINDA: Is that what happened?
A pause.
MORDRED: I don't know what happened.
She waits.
MORDRED: But Myrrden did disappear.
Richard steps closer.
KING RICHARD: When?
MORDRED: Suddenly.
Mordred thinks back.
MORDRED: He had been around Camelot regularly. Studying. Watching Merlin. Asking questions no one particularly wanted him asking.
Glinda's eyes sharpen.
GLINDA: What questions?
MORDRED: I wasn't privy to all of them.
A beat.
MORDRED: But he was concerned.
Glinda says nothing.
MORDRED: Then one day—
Mordred snaps his fingers.
MORDRED: Gone.
Richard glances toward Glinda.
KING RICHARD: No farewell?
MORDRED: None that I heard.
GLINDA: No message?
MORDRED: No.
GLINDA: And you haven't heard from him since?
Mordred shakes his head.
MORDRED: Nothing.
Glinda looks back down the corridor toward the throne room.
Merlin's words echo in her thoughts.
Myrrden fled Camelot.
Her expression hardens.
GLINDA: Interesting.
Peter studies her.
PETER PAN: That's your word for it?
GLINDA: At the moment.
Mordred turns toward Richard.
MORDRED: Whatever happened to Myrrden, I doubt he simply decided he had grown tired of Camelot's weather.
Richard's gaze hardens.
KING RICHARD: Be careful what you are implying.
MORDRED: I am not implying anything.
A beat.
MORDRED: Yet.
The distinction is deliberate.
Richard understands it.
Mordred steps closer.
MORDRED: But I did hear Arthur refuse you.
Richard's jaw tightens again.
KING RICHARD: We've established that.
MORDRED: You asked for knights.
KING RICHARD: I did.
MORDRED: You still need them.
Richard looks at him.
KING RICHARD: Where is this going?
Mordred's answer is immediate.
MORDRED: I'll give you some.
Silence.
Peter unfolds his arms.
Even Glinda appears surprised.
Richard simply stares.
KING RICHARD: You'll what?
MORDRED: Arthur will not release his knights.
Mordred gestures toward himself.
MORDRED: Mine are another matter.
Richard's eyes narrow.
KING RICHARD: Your knights.
MORDRED: The Black Knight.
A beat.
MORDRED: And the Dread Knights.
Peter whistles softly.
Richard ignores him.
KING RICHARD: You expect me to take the Black Knight and the Dread Knights across the realms on your word?
MORDRED: No.
Mordred's eyes meet his.
MORDRED: I expect you to take them because you need swords.
Richard says nothing.
MORDRED: You came asking Camelot for warriors willing to walk into something none of us understands.
A small shrug.
MORDRED: I have warriors.
KING RICHARD: And what does Mordred want in return?
There it is.
The question Richard has been waiting to ask.
Mordred smiles faintly.
MORDRED: You really haven't changed.
KING RICHARD: Answer me.
The smile vanishes.
MORDRED: Nothing.
Richard waits.
Mordred continues.
MORDRED: If there is something moving between realms—
he glances toward the castle—
MORDRED: and if whatever it is has already reached Camelot—
his eyes return to Richard—
MORDRED: then helping you discover what it is benefits me as much as it benefits you.
Richard studies him.
KING RICHARD: That's the reason?
MORDRED: Would you trust me more if I pretended it were charity?
Peter mutters—
PETER PAN: I wouldn't.
Mordred looks toward him.
MORDRED: Sensible boy.
PETER PAN: Don't call me boy.
MORDRED: Even better.
Glinda almost smiles.
Richard does not.
His eyes remain fixed on Mordred.
KING RICHARD: If your men come with us, they answer to me while they are under my command.
Mordred nods.
MORDRED: Agreed.
KING RICHARD: Not you.
MORDRED: Agreed.
KING RICHARD: No private objectives.
Mordred pauses.
Richard catches it.
KING RICHARD: Mordred.
Mordred raises a hand.
MORDRED: Fine.
A beat.
MORDRED: No private objectives that interfere with yours.
Richard's eyes narrow.
Mordred sighs.
MORDRED: You negotiate like Arthur.
Richard looks genuinely offended.
Peter bursts out laughing.
Even Glinda cannot completely hide her smile.
Richard waits until the amusement passes.
Then—
KING RICHARD: They follow my command.
MORDRED: They follow your command.
Richard extends his hand.
Mordred looks down at it.
For perhaps a second longer than necessary.
Then clasps it.
Not friendship.
Agreement.
KING RICHARD: Then I accept.
They release.
Peter looks at Richard.
PETER PAN: You trust him?
Richard answers without taking his eyes from Mordred.
KING RICHARD: No.
Mordred nods approvingly.
MORDRED: Excellent.
Richard turns toward Peter.
KING RICHARD: Go with him.
Peter's amusement disappears.
PETER PAN: Me?
KING RICHARD: Find the Black Knight. Gather the Dread Knights. Determine what they need before we leave Camelot.
Peter looks at Mordred.
Then back at Richard.
PETER PAN: You just said you don't trust him.
KING RICHARD: Correct.
Peter waits.
Richard raises an eyebrow.
Peter finally understands.
PETER PAN: Oh.
Mordred looks between them.
MORDRED: Should I be offended?
KING RICHARD: Probably.
Peter grins.
PETER PAN: Now I definitely like him.
Richard points down the corridor.
KING RICHARD: Peter.
PETER PAN: Going.
Mordred turns toward the opposite passage.
Peter starts after him.
Then stops beside Glinda.
Glinda quietly catches his wrist.
Only for a moment.
Peter looks at her.
Her voice lowers.
GLINDA: Watch.
Peter's expression changes.
The playful edge disappears.
He nods once.
Glinda releases him.
Peter catches up with Mordred.
The two disappear down the corridor.
Richard watches until they are gone.
Then—
KING RICHARD: You believe him.
Glinda does not answer immediately.
KING RICHARD: About Myrrden.
GLINDA: I believe Merlin withheld something.
Richard turns toward her.
KING RICHARD: That's not the same thing.
GLINDA: No.
She looks toward the throne-room doors.
GLINDA: It isn't.
Richard follows her gaze.
Arthur is somewhere beyond those doors.
So is Merlin.
KING RICHARD: Mordred has spent years seeing conspiracy wherever Arthur stands.
GLINDA: Perhaps.
Richard looks at her.
Glinda's expression has become distant.
Thoughtful.
GLINDA: But sometimes the man who spends his life watching for a knife—
A beat.
GLINDA: —is the first person to notice when someone is holding one.
Richard considers that.
Then looks toward the passage where Mordred and Peter disappeared.
KING RICHARD: Black Knight and Dread Knights.
Glinda glances at him.
GLINDA: You wanted Camelot's help.
Richard exhales.
KING RICHARD: I was hoping for a slightly less complicated version of it.
Glinda smiles faintly.
GLINDA: We came to Camelot.
Richard looks at her.
GLINDA: Complicated was rather inevitable.
Richard almost laughs.
Almost.
Then his expression becomes serious again.
KING RICHARD: Find out everything you can about Myrrden.
Glinda looks toward him.
KING RICHARD: If Merlin is lying—
A pause.
KING RICHARD: —I want to know why.
Glinda nods.
Together they walk away.
The corridor becomes empty.
For several seconds—
nothing moves.
Then—
far above them—
behind one of the narrow stone openings overlooking the gallery—
a shadow withdraws from view.
CUT.
SCENE 3 — ALICE'S WARNING
A smaller courtyard within Camelot Castle.
Far removed from the throne room.
A fountain stands at its center, surrounded by old stone benches and carefully trimmed hedges.
Richard stands beside one of those benches.
Several maps have been spread across the stone surface.
Glinda stands opposite him.
One map shows Camelot.
Another—
the surrounding pathways into the Core Realm.
A third is covered with handwritten notes documenting the disturbances they have encountered.
Richard studies the markings.
KING RICHARD: Mordred.
He shakes his head.
KING RICHARD: Of all the men in Camelot.
Glinda smiles faintly.
GLINDA: You asked for knights.
KING RICHARD: I asked Arthur for knights.
GLINDA: And Camelot provided them.
Richard looks at her.
KING RICHARD: Through Mordred.
GLINDA: I didn't say Camelot provided them conveniently.
Richard almost responds—
when footsteps approach rapidly from behind them.
Not armored footsteps.
Running.
Richard turns immediately.
Glinda's hand shifts slightly upon her staff.
A young woman rounds the corner into the courtyard.
Breathing hard.
Moving quickly.
Determined.
She sees them.
Stops.
Then approaches.
ALICE: King Richard?
Richard straightens.
KING RICHARD: Yes.
The woman looks toward Glinda.
Her expression brightens slightly.
ALICE: And Glinda.
Glinda studies her.
Something flickers across her expression.
Not recognition.
Something close to it.
Then gone.
GLINDA: Yes.
The woman takes another step forward.
ALICE: Good.
She catches her breath.
ALICE: I was afraid you'd already left.
Richard glances toward Glinda.
Then back.
KING RICHARD: And you are?
The young woman answers without hesitation.
ALICE: Alice Liddle.
A beat.
ALICE: Of Wonderland.
Something happens.
Nothing visible.
No flash.
No sound.
No magical distortion.
And yet—
Richard's eyes narrow slightly.
Glinda tilts her head.
Alice continues speaking.
Neither interrupts.
ALICE: The White Rabbit sent me.
That gets Glinda's attention immediately.
GLINDA: White Rabbit?
Alice nods.
ALICE: He heard you were here.
KING RICHARD: How?
Alice gives him a look.
ALICE: He's the White Rabbit.
Richard waits.
Alice shrugs.
ALICE: He hears things.
A tiny smile touches Glinda's face.
Richard accepts this with considerably less enthusiasm.
KING RICHARD: What does he want?
Alice's demeanor changes.
The urgency returns.
ALICE: He wants you to come to Wonderland.
Glinda becomes serious.
GLINDA: Why?
Alice glances around the courtyard.
Not fearfully.
Carefully.
Then lowers her voice.
ALICE: Something has happened there.
Richard and Glinda exchange a look.
KING RICHARD: Another fissure?
ALICE: Maybe.
A beat.
ALICE: White Rabbit doesn't know.
Glinda steps closer.
GLINDA: Tell us what he saw.
Alice hesitates.
ALICE: The Mad Hatter came back.
Richard waits.
KING RICHARD: Came back from where?
ALICE: That's part of the problem.
Alice searches for the right words.
ALICE: Hatter disappears all the time.
She gestures vaguely.
ALICE: Tea parties. Roads that don't exist. Doors he insists were there yesterday. Sometimes he leaves Wonderland entirely.
A faint smile.
ALICE: With Hatter, you learn not to ask too many questions.
The smile disappears.
ALICE: But this time he came back different.
Glinda's eyes sharpen.
GLINDA: Different how?
Alice looks directly at her.
ALICE: Wrong.
Silence.
Richard folds his arms.
KING RICHARD: That's not very specific.
ALICE: That's because White Rabbit couldn't explain it either.
She steps toward the maps.
Her finger moves across them.
Searching.
Then stops.
Not on Camelot.
On another route.
ALICE: Rabbit saw Hatter near one of the old paths.
Glinda watches her finger.
ALICE: There was someone with him.
KING RICHARD: Who?
Alice shakes her head.
ALICE: He doesn't know.
A pause.
ALICE: He'd never seen him before.
Glinda looks up.
GLINDA: Describe him.
Alice hesitates again.
ALICE: That's another problem.
Richard's expression tightens.
KING RICHARD: What problem?
ALICE: Rabbit says he remembers seeing him.
A beat.
ALICE: But every time he tries to describe the man's face—
Alice touches her temple.
ALICE: —it's like the memory slips sideways.
Glinda becomes very still.
Richard notices.
KING RICHARD: You believe him?
Alice looks almost offended.
ALICE: White Rabbit has many faults.
She starts counting them.
ALICE: Nervous.
Another finger.
ALICE: Obsessive.
Another.
ALICE: Usually late despite constantly complaining about being late.
She lowers her hand.
ALICE: But he doesn't invent monsters.
Glinda looks toward Richard.
Richard understands.
KING RICHARD: What happened between this stranger and the Hatter?
Alice's face darkens.
ALICE: Rabbit couldn't hear everything.
A beat.
ALICE: But he saw enough.
She looks between them.
ALICE: Something happened to Hatter.
Richard waits.
ALICE: Something changed him.
Glinda lowers her voice.
GLINDA: Magic?
ALICE: I don't know.
GLINDA: Did White Rabbit see a fissure?
Alice thinks.
ALICE: Not exactly.
That answer interests Glinda even more.
ALICE: He described something like darkness folding around them.
She struggles with the description.
ALICE: Not opening.
ALICE: Not closing.
A beat.
ALICE: More like the world forgot there was supposed to be something between one place and another.
Glinda and Richard exchange a glance.
That is close enough to other reports to matter.
Alice continues.
ALICE: When it was over—
she pauses—
ALICE: the man was gone.
KING RICHARD: And Hatter?
Alice looks at him.
ALICE: He wasn't Hatter anymore.
Silence.
Even the fountain suddenly seems loud.
GLINDA: What do you mean?
Alice's answer comes quietly.
ALICE: White Rabbit calls him Dark Hatter now.
Richard's expression hardens.
KING RICHARD: Has he harmed anyone?
ALICE: I don't know.
KING RICHARD: Where is he?
ALICE: I don't know that either.
Richard doesn't like those answers.
Alice steps closer.
ALICE: That's why you need to speak to Rabbit.
GLINDA: Why didn't he come himself?
Alice gives her an incredulous look.
ALICE: Leave Wonderland?
A beat.
ALICE: Right now?
She shakes her head emphatically.
ALICE: Absolutely not.
Despite herself, Glinda smiles.
Alice points toward the map.
ALICE: Come to Wonderland.
Her tone becomes serious again.
ALICE: Let Rabbit show you where it happened.
Richard looks toward Glinda.
Glinda gives a slight nod.
The report fits too closely with everything else they have encountered to ignore.
Richard turns back.
KING RICHARD: We will come.
Alice visibly relaxes.
ALICE: Good.
She steps backward.
ALICE: Ask for White Rabbit when you arrive.
Richard nods.
KING RICHARD: We will.
Alice turns to leave.
Then remembers something.
She looks back.
ALICE: And don't follow any doors that appear after midnight.
Richard stares at her.
KING RICHARD: Why?
Alice considers answering.
Then—
ALICE: Wonderland.
That apparently explains everything.
She turns and hurries away.
Around the corner.
Gone.
Silence.
Richard watches the empty passage.
Glinda does the same.
Neither speaks.
Several seconds pass.
Richard's brow furrows.
He looks toward Glinda.
Glinda is already looking at him.
Something is wrong.
Not alarming.
Not yet.
Just—
wrong.
Richard glances back toward the passage.
KING RICHARD: She said—
He stops.
Glinda waits.
Richard tries again.
KING RICHARD: She said her name was...
Nothing.
He knows she said it.
He remembers hearing it.
But the name itself—
will not come.
Glinda's expression changes.
She tries.
GLINDA: A...
A pause.
Nothing.
Glinda looks unsettled.
Richard studies her.
KING RICHARD: You heard it.
GLINDA: Clearly.
KING RICHARD: So did I.
They stare at one another.
Richard looks toward the map.
KING RICHARD: Wonderland.
GLINDA: Yes.
That remains.
KING RICHARD: White Rabbit.
GLINDA: Yes.
KING RICHARD: Mad Hatter.
GLINDA: Dark Hatter.
Richard nods.
Everything she told them remains perfectly clear.
Except—
her.
Glinda looks again toward where the woman disappeared.
GLINDA: Curious.
Richard gives her a look.
KING RICHARD: You used that word earlier.
GLINDA: It remains appropriate.
Footsteps approach.
Both turn.
Peter Pan emerges into the courtyard.
His expression is considerably more pleased than it was earlier.
PETER PAN: Good news.
Richard waits.
PETER PAN: Mordred wasn't lying.
A beat.
PETER PAN: Completely, anyway.
Richard raises an eyebrow.
PETER PAN: Black Knight is ready.
He gestures back over his shoulder.
PETER PAN: Dread Knights too.
KING RICHARD: How many?
PETER PAN: Enough to make traveling quietly impossible.
Richard nods.
Acceptable.
Peter notices both Richard and Glinda staring toward the empty corridor.
PETER PAN: What?
Neither answers.
Peter looks in that direction.
Then back.
PETER PAN: Who was that?
Richard looks toward Glinda.
Glinda looks toward Richard.
A beat.
Both shrug.
Peter stares at them.
PETER PAN: You were talking to her.
Richard slowly looks back toward the corridor.
KING RICHARD: Apparently.
PETER PAN: Apparently?
Glinda turns toward Peter.
GLINDA: She brought a warning from Wonderland.
PETER PAN: Who did?
Silence.
Richard and Glinda look at one another again.
Peter's smile disappears.
PETER PAN: That's strange.
KING RICHARD: Yes.
Glinda's eyes remain on the passage.
GLINDA: Very.
Peter takes a step toward it.
PETER PAN: Want me to find her?
Richard considers it.
Then shakes his head.
KING RICHARD: No.
Glinda looks toward him.
KING RICHARD: We know where she wants us to go.
Richard taps Wonderland on the map.
KING RICHARD: And we know who she wants us to speak with.
GLINDA: White Rabbit.
Richard nods.
KING RICHARD: Whatever just happened—
he looks toward the corridor—
KING RICHARD: perhaps he can explain part of it.
Peter does not look convinced.
Neither does Glinda.
Richard gathers the maps.
KING RICHARD: Peter.
PETER PAN: Yes?
KING RICHARD: Take Glinda.
He folds the final parchment.
KING RICHARD: Take the Black Knight and the Dread Knights.
Peter looks toward him.
KING RICHARD: Get everyone to the travel point.
GLINDA: You're not coming?
Richard secures the maps beneath one arm.
KING RICHARD: I am.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: In one hour.
Glinda studies him.
She recognizes the tone.
Not strategy.
Something personal.
GLINDA: Where are you going?
Richard looks toward one of Camelot's distant towers.
Beyond it—
the roads leading away from Arthur's castle.
Toward another part of the realm.
His expression hardens.
KING RICHARD: There is someone in Camelot I need to speak with before we leave.
Peter tilts his head.
PETER PAN: Who?
Richard starts walking.
KING RICHARD: Personal business.
Peter watches him go.
Then looks toward Glinda.
PETER PAN: Kings.
Glinda smiles slightly.
GLINDA: Come.
She begins collecting the remaining materials.
Peter helps.
Then—
he stops.
Looks toward the passage where the young woman disappeared.
A strange expression crosses his face.
As though something is almost there.
A memory.
A name.
Recognition.
For half a second—
Peter seems certain he knows it.
Then it is gone.
His brow furrows.
GLINDA: Peter?
He looks at her.
PETER PAN: Nothing.
He picks up the final map.
They leave.
The courtyard becomes empty.
The fountain continues flowing.
The camera slowly moves toward the passage.
The exact place where the woman disappeared.
Nothing waits there.
No shadow.
No figure.
No fissure.
Only an ordinary stone corridor.
Hold.
Then—
CUT TO BLACK.
SCENE 4 — A ROYAL WARNING
Prince John's temporary lodgings within Camelot Castle.
The contrast with the rest of Camelot is immediate.
The chamber is extravagant.
Too extravagant.
Rich fabrics have been draped across furniture that clearly did not belong to Prince John when he arrived.
Silver platters cover a long table.
Wine.
Fruit.
Pastries.
Several decorative cushions have somehow accumulated around an enormous chair that has been positioned at the far end of the room like a makeshift throne.
And sitting upon it—
Prince John.
He is examining himself in a polished silver mirror.
A jeweled circlet rests slightly crooked upon his head.
Two nervous attendants stand nearby.
John adjusts the circlet.
PRINCE JOHN: Higher.
One attendant carefully adjusts it.
John looks.
Frowns.
PRINCE JOHN: No, no, no.
The attendant freezes.
PRINCE JOHN: Lower.
The circlet moves.
John studies himself again.
PRINCE JOHN: There.
A satisfied smile.
PRINCE JOHN: Regal.
A voice comes from the doorway.
KING RICHARD: Ridiculous.
Everything stops.
The mirror slips from John's hand.
One attendant barely catches it.
John goes completely pale.
Slowly—
very slowly—
he turns toward the doorway.
King Richard stands there.
Alone.
Arms folded.
Expression unreadable.
John stares.
PRINCE JOHN: Richard.
Richard says nothing.
John immediately rises.
Too quickly.
His knee strikes the table.
A goblet tips over.
Wine spills across the surface.
John ignores it.
PRINCE JOHN: Brother!
He forces an enormous smile.
PRINCE JOHN: What an unexpected pleasure.
Richard enters.
KING RICHARD: Is it?
John laughs nervously.
PRINCE JOHN: Of course.
Richard continues walking.
The attendants look toward John.
John looks toward Richard.
Richard looks toward the attendants.
KING RICHARD: Leave us.
They do not hesitate.
Both practically flee.
The doors close.
John watches them go.
His smile becomes considerably less confident.
Richard's eyes travel around the chamber.
The fabrics.
The food.
The makeshift throne.
Finally—
the circlet.
John notices.
He quickly removes it.
PRINCE JOHN: Costume.
Richard looks at him.
PRINCE JOHN: Presentation.
A beat.
PRINCE JOHN: Wrestling.
Richard continues staring.
John places the circlet on the table.
Very carefully.
PRINCE JOHN: You know how theatrical NPCW can be.
KING RICHARD: Sit down.
John immediately sits.
Richard looks at the chair.
John realizes which chair he has chosen.
The makeshift throne.
He springs back up.
PRINCE JOHN: Perhaps I'll stand.
Richard walks toward the table.
KING RICHARD: I've heard about you.
John attempts a smile.
PRINCE JOHN: All good things, I hope.
KING RICHARD: No.
The smile disappears.
Richard takes one of the ordinary chairs.
He turns it around.
Sits.
John remains standing.
Richard looks up at him.
KING RICHARD: Sit.
John quickly grabs another ordinary chair.
He sits opposite Richard.
For several seconds—
Richard says nothing.
That is far worse than shouting.
John begins fidgeting.
PRINCE JOHN: If this is about the taxes—
Richard's eyes narrow.
PRINCE JOHN: Not taxes.
A beat.
PRINCE JOHN: Obviously.
Richard leans forward.
KING RICHARD: I am going to make something very clear.
John nods enthusiastically.
PRINCE JOHN: Excellent. Clarity. I've always been very fond of clarity.
KING RICHARD: John.
Silence.
John sits straight.
KING RICHARD: You may continue wrestling.
John blinks.
That wasn't what he expected.
KING RICHARD: You may continue appearing in NPCW.
Richard gestures dismissively around the room.
KING RICHARD: You may wear ridiculous clothes.
John looks down at himself.
KING RICHARD: Surround yourself with whatever collection of flatterers, mercenaries, sycophants, and fools you've gathered this time.
John raises one finger.
PRINCE JOHN: Some of them are very accomplished—
Richard looks at him.
The finger lowers.
KING RICHARD: You may play your games.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: But you will understand where the game ends.
John swallows.
Richard's voice lowers.
KING RICHARD: Nottingham.
The cowardice momentarily gives way to calculation.
John chooses his words carefully.
PRINCE JOHN: Ah.
Richard waits.
PRINCE JOHN: Nottingham.
KING RICHARD: My kingdom.
John forces another smile.
PRINCE JOHN: Naturally.
KING RICHARD: My crown.
John nods.
PRINCE JOHN: Absolutely.
KING RICHARD: My authority.
Another nod.
Faster.
PRINCE JOHN: Without question.
Richard leans back.
KING RICHARD: Good.
John relaxes slightly.
Too soon.
KING RICHARD: Then you will stop pretending otherwise.
John freezes.
PRINCE JOHN: Pretending?
KING RICHARD: Do not make me repeat myself.
John immediately changes tactics.
PRINCE JOHN: Richard, surely no one believes—
KING RICHARD: Enough people believe whatever is repeated loudly enough.
John's mouth closes.
KING RICHARD: You have spent enough time presenting yourself as though you hold some royal authority over Nottingham.
PRINCE JOHN: I am a prince.
KING RICHARD: You are.
John brightens slightly.
Richard immediately crushes it.
KING RICHARD: You are not its king.
Silence.
KING RICHARD: You do not rule Nottingham.
PRINCE JOHN: I never specifically said—
Richard raises one finger.
John stops.
KING RICHARD: Do not insult me with wording.
John shrinks slightly into his chair.
KING RICHARD: I know you.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: I know how you speak.
Another.
KING RICHARD: More importantly, I know how you allow others to speak around you.
John's eyes flick away.
Richard caught something.
KING RICHARD: Your people.
John looks back.
KING RICHARD: Your faction.
KING RICHARD: Your court.
The last word carries obvious contempt.
KING RICHARD: Whatever you are calling them this week.
John shifts.
PRINCE JOHN: It's branding.
Richard stares.
PRINCE JOHN: NPCW branding.
Richard does not blink.
John weakly continues.
PRINCE JOHN: Very important commercially.
KING RICHARD: Then brand yourself something else.
John winces.
Richard stands.
John rises immediately.
KING RICHARD: Here is what will happen.
Richard walks toward him.
John instinctively backs away.
KING RICHARD: You will continue having your fun.
Step.
John retreats.
KING RICHARD: You may proclaim yourself Prince John from every arena in NPCW.
Another step.
KING RICHARD: You may boast.
Another.
KING RICHARD: You may cheat.
Another.
John reaches the wall.
KING RICHARD: You may embarrass yourself however you please.
John tries to speak.
PRINCE JOHN: Richard—
Richard stops directly in front of him.
KING RICHARD: But you will not insinuate that your organization represents my kingdom.
John says nothing.
KING RICHARD: You will not imply that anyone standing beside you acts with my authority.
Richard's voice becomes quieter.
KING RICHARD: And you will not suggest that the crown of Nottingham belongs to anyone other than me.
John looks toward the door.
Richard notices.
KING RICHARD: Expecting someone?
John quickly looks back.
PRINCE JOHN: No.
A beat.
PRINCE JOHN: Of course not.
KING RICHARD: Good.
Richard steps away.
John immediately breathes easier.
Then—
PRINCE JOHN: Arthur has never objected.
Richard stops.
John realizes immediately that this may have been a terrible choice.
Richard slowly turns.
PRINCE JOHN: I merely meant—
KING RICHARD: Arthur?
John swallows.
PRINCE JOHN: We are in Camelot.
Richard walks back toward him.
PRINCE JOHN: And obviously Arthur is king here—
Richard continues approaching.
PRINCE JOHN: Which I have always respected enormously—
Richard stops.
KING RICHARD: Camelot belongs to Arthur.
John nods eagerly.
KING RICHARD: Nottingham does not.
John nods even faster.
PRINCE JOHN: Precisely.
Richard watches him.
PRINCE JOHN: Exactly what I was going to say.
KING RICHARD: No, it wasn't.
PRINCE JOHN: Eventually.
Richard almost smiles.
Almost.
John sees the opening and immediately becomes more confident.
PRINCE JOHN: You know, Richard, perhaps all this unpleasantness has simply been a misunderstanding.
Richard says nothing.
PRINCE JOHN: Between brothers.
Still nothing.
PRINCE JOHN: And misunderstandings can be resolved.
John cautiously steps toward the wine.
PRINCE JOHN: Perhaps a drink?
Richard looks at the spilled goblet.
Then John.
KING RICHARD: No.
PRINCE JOHN: Excellent decision.
John immediately puts the bottle down.
Richard walks toward the doors.
John's relief is enormous.
Richard reaches them.
Stops.
Without turning—
KING RICHARD: John.
Prince John stiffens.
PRINCE JOHN: Yes?
KING RICHARD: I did not come here to remove you from NPCW.
John visibly relaxes.
PRINCE JOHN: Wonderful.
Richard turns his head slightly.
KING RICHARD: Do not give me a reason to return.
John's relief disappears.
PRINCE JOHN: Understood.
Richard opens the door.
Then pauses.
KING RICHARD: And take off the crown.
John looks toward the jeweled circlet resting on the table.
PRINCE JOHN: It's a circlet.
Richard looks back.
John immediately grabs it.
PRINCE JOHN: Gone.
Richard leaves.
The door closes.
Silence.
Prince John remains completely motionless.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then—
he slowly walks toward the door.
He presses his ear against it.
Listens.
Nothing.
John waits another moment.
Then pulls away.
His entire posture changes.
The frightened younger brother disappears.
Not completely.
But enough.
He looks toward the abandoned circlet.
Then toward the door Richard used.
His expression twists with resentment.
Quietly—
PRINCE JOHN: Still giving orders.
He moves back toward the table.
Picks up the circlet.
Looks at it.
For a moment—
he considers putting it back on.
Then remembers Richard.
John quickly sets it down.
PRINCE JOHN: Later.
He pours himself an enormous glass of wine.
His hand shakes slightly.
He drinks.
Then looks toward another doorway deeper inside the apartments.
PRINCE JOHN: You can come out now.
Nothing.
John frowns.
PRINCE JOHN: I said he's gone.
Still nothing.
Prince John's confidence evaporates again.
He looks around.
PRINCE JOHN: Hello?
Silence.
John grabs the wine bottle.
And retreats deeper into his lodgings.
CUT.
SCENE 5 — OLD FRIENDS
The Merry Band’s lodgings sit in one of the older wings of Camelot Castle.
Nothing like Prince John’s chambers.
No silks.
No jeweled decorations.
No makeshift throne.
The quarters have the feel of people who actually live in them.
Weapons lean against the walls.
A pair of worn boots have been abandoned beside the door.
Several mugs sit around a scarred wooden table.
A bow rests across two chairs.
An old Nottingham banner has been folded and placed beneath a stack of supplies.
Quiet voices can be heard from somewhere deeper inside.
King Richard approaches the door.
He stops.
For the first time since arriving in Camelot—
he hesitates.
Not from fear.
Memory.
Then he knocks.
A voice answers from inside.
ROBIN HOOD: If that's John, I've already told him no.
Richard almost smiles.
He knocks again.
Footsteps approach.
The door opens.
Robin Hood stands there.
Black and white gear.
Bow within easy reach.
Expression guarded—
until he sees who is standing outside.
Robin freezes.
Richard says nothing.
For perhaps two seconds—
neither man moves.
Then Robin's face breaks into an enormous smile.
ROBIN HOOD: Richard.
Richard smiles back.
KING RICHARD: Robin.
Robin immediately steps forward.
The two men clasp forearms.
Then—
abandon any royal formality entirely.
Robin pulls Richard into an embrace.
Richard laughs.
A genuine laugh.
The first one we've heard from him since arriving.
ROBIN HOOD: You miserable old lion.
KING RICHARD: Careful.
They separate.
Robin looks him over.
ROBIN HOOD: It has been too long.
His smile fades slightly.
ROBIN HOOD: Far too long.
Richard notices.
ROBIN HOOD: I've been worried about you.
KING RICHARD: I hear that has become a popular pastime.
Robin studies him.
ROBIN HOOD: I'm serious.
Richard nods.
The humor fades.
KING RICHARD: I know.
Robin steps aside.
ROBIN HOOD: Come in.
Richard enters.
Robin closes the door behind him.
Richard looks around the room.
His eyes eventually settle on Robin.
More specifically—
Robin's black-and-white attire.
Richard grimaces.
KING RICHARD: No.
Robin blinks.
ROBIN HOOD: No what?
Richard gestures at him.
KING RICHARD: That.
Robin looks down.
ROBIN HOOD: My gear?
KING RICHARD: Whatever happened to forest green?
Robin laughs.
ROBIN HOOD: Times change.
KING RICHARD: Not always for the better.
Richard circles him as though judging armor before battle.
KING RICHARD: Black.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: White.
Another.
KING RICHARD: You look like a particularly violent chessboard.
Robin laughs harder.
ROBIN HOOD: Good to see you've become more diplomatic with age.
KING RICHARD: Kingship requires diplomacy.
Richard points at the gear.
KING RICHARD: Friendship does not.
Robin shakes his head.
ROBIN HOOD: I'll remember that.
Richard takes one of the chairs.
KING RICHARD: You looked better in green.
ROBIN HOOD: There he is.
Richard settles in.
Robin sits across from him.
For a moment—
there is comfortable silence.
The kind shared by men who have known one another too long to fear it.
Then Richard asks—
KING RICHARD: Marian?
Robin's expression changes.
Richard watches him carefully.
KING RICHARD: How is she?
Robin leans back.
He considers the answer.
ROBIN HOOD: Better.
Richard waits.
ROBIN HOOD: We're better.
A small pause.
ROBIN HOOD: Not fixed.
Richard nods.
ROBIN HOOD: There are still things we have to work through.
He looks down at the table.
ROBIN HOOD: A lot of things.
Then back at Richard.
ROBIN HOOD: But we're talking.
A faint smile.
ROBIN HOOD: Properly talking.
KING RICHARD: That's usually where repairing anything starts.
Robin smiles.
ROBIN HOOD: Since when did Richard the Lionheart become an expert on relationships?
KING RICHARD: I have ruled nations.
ROBIN HOOD: That's not an answer.
KING RICHARD: It's the only one you're getting.
Robin laughs.
Then notices something in Richard's expression.
The warmth remains—
but the reason Richard came here has returned.
Robin leans forward.
ROBIN HOOD: All right.
A beat.
ROBIN HOOD: Why are you really in Camelot?
Richard's smile disappears.
He folds his hands together.
KING RICHARD: There are disturbances spreading across the realms.
Robin's expression sharpens.
ROBIN HOOD: What kind?
KING RICHARD: We don't know.
Richard begins carefully.
KING RICHARD: Borders shifting.
KING RICHARD: Passages appearing between places that should never connect.
KING RICHARD: People disappearing.
Robin says nothing.
KING RICHARD: Glinda and the Wizard of Oz have been tracking anomalies.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: Camelot registered as one.
Robin's expression changes.
ROBIN HOOD: Camelot.
Richard nods.
KING RICHARD: Strongly enough that we came personally.
Robin leans back.
Now thinking.
ROBIN HOOD: That explains why you're here.
KING RICHARD: Partly.
Richard studies him.
KING RICHARD: I spoke with Arthur.
Robin's face immediately hardens.
Richard notices.
KING RICHARD: That reaction tells me something.
Robin exhales.
ROBIN HOOD: Depends what you're asking.
KING RICHARD: I'm asking what has happened to him.
Robin looks toward the closed door.
Instinctively checking that no one is listening.
Richard notices that too.
Robin lowers his voice.
ROBIN HOOD: Arthur has changed.
Richard says nothing.
ROBIN HOOD: Not overnight.
A pause.
ROBIN HOOD: But quickly enough that people have noticed.
Richard leans forward.
KING RICHARD: How?
Robin thinks.
ROBIN HOOD: Less patience.
ROBIN HOOD: Less tolerance for disagreement.
Another beat.
ROBIN HOOD: He used to believe Camelot was strongest when people challenged him.
A bitter smile.
ROBIN HOOD: Now he seems to think challenging him means challenging Camelot.
Richard's expression tightens.
That sounds disturbingly close to what Mordred said.
KING RICHARD: Mordred believes something is wrong with him.
Robin laughs once.
ROBIN HOOD: Mordred has believed something is wrong with Arthur since before either of them learned moderation.
KING RICHARD: I told him much the same thing.
Robin watches Richard.
ROBIN HOOD: But you're telling me because this time you listened.
Richard does not answer.
That is answer enough.
Robin's expression becomes more serious.
ROBIN HOOD: I don't think Arthur is possessed, if that's where this is going.
Richard shakes his head.
KING RICHARD: I didn't say that.
ROBIN HOOD: Good.
Robin gets up.
He walks toward a nearby shelf.
A small representation of the Mythic Crown Championship sits among several NPCW items.
Robin picks it up.
Looks at it.
ROBIN HOOD: I think this has something to do with it.
Richard's eyes settle on the replica.
KING RICHARD: The championship.
Robin nods.
ROBIN HOOD: The Mythic Crown.
He sets it down.
ROBIN HOOD: Arthur spent his life being told he was the once and future king.
A beat.
ROBIN HOOD: Then NPCW put a championship around his waist that literally calls him the Mythic King.
Richard's expression remains thoughtful.
ROBIN HOOD: Crowds cheer.
Knights rally around him.
People speak about Camelot's destiny again.
Robin shakes his head.
ROBIN HOOD: Maybe that's all it takes.
KING RICHARD: Power getting into his head.
ROBIN HOOD: Power.
A pause.
ROBIN HOOD: Fear.
Another.
ROBIN HOOD: Pride.
Robin looks toward Richard.
ROBIN HOOD: Arthur has always had all three.
Richard gives a faint smile.
KING RICHARD: We all do.
ROBIN HOOD: Yes.
Robin's expression darkens.
ROBIN HOOD: But Arthur is starting to believe his authority and Camelot are the same thing.
Richard slowly nods.
KING RICHARD: He refused to send knights with us.
Robin is not surprised.
ROBIN HOOD: What reason?
KING RICHARD: Camelot is anchored to the Core Realm.
Richard gestures lightly.
KING RICHARD: If the fissures threaten the realms, Camelot must remain defended.
Robin considers that.
ROBIN HOOD: That's not unreasonable.
KING RICHARD: No.
Richard's disappointment returns.
KING RICHARD: That's what bothers me.
Robin understands.
The argument itself isn't the problem.
The man making it is.
ROBIN HOOD: So what are you doing?
KING RICHARD: Continuing without him.
Robin raises an eyebrow.
ROBIN HOOD: With what army?
Richard's mouth twists slightly.
KING RICHARD: Mordred lent me one.
Robin stares.
ROBIN HOOD: I'm sorry?
KING RICHARD: The Black Knight.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: The Dread Knights.
Robin continues staring.
ROBIN HOOD: You have been in Camelot less than a day.
Richard waits.
ROBIN HOOD: You've already recruited Mordred's knights?
KING RICHARD: Technically Mordred recruited himself into my problem.
Robin sits again.
ROBIN HOOD: Somehow that's worse.
Richard almost smiles.
KING RICHARD: Peter is taking them to the travel point.
Robin nods slowly.
Then—
something occurs to him.
ROBIN HOOD: Richard.
KING RICHARD: Yes?
ROBIN HOOD: Have you ever heard of the Blood Moon Warden?
Richard's expression tells Robin the answer before he speaks.
KING RICHARD: No.
Robin studies him.
ROBIN HOOD: Nothing?
Richard shakes his head.
KING RICHARD: Should I have?
Robin considers how to answer.
ROBIN HOOD: I'm not sure.
Richard waits.
ROBIN HOOD: He arrived recently.
KING RICHARD: In Camelot?
ROBIN HOOD: Yes.
KING RICHARD: From where?
Robin shakes his head.
ROBIN HOOD: That's the problem.
KING RICHARD: He didn't say?
ROBIN HOOD: He says enough to make you think he's answering.
A beat.
ROBIN HOOD: Then later you realize he didn't actually tell you anything.
Richard raises an eyebrow.
KING RICHARD: I know several diplomats like that.
Robin smiles faintly.
ROBIN HOOD: This one carries a sword.
KING RICHARD: So do most of the diplomats I know.
Robin laughs.
Then becomes serious again.
ROBIN HOOD: He's aligned himself with me.
Richard's expression changes.
KING RICHARD: Why?
ROBIN HOOD: Says Arthur is walking toward something dangerous.
Richard considers this carefully.
KING RICHARD: And you trust him?
Robin takes longer to answer than Richard likes.
ROBIN HOOD: I trust what he's done.
KING RICHARD: That's not the same thing.
ROBIN HOOD: No.
Robin looks toward the door.
ROBIN HOOD: But right now there aren't many people willing to stand in Arthur's way.
Richard studies him.
KING RICHARD: I've traveled farther than most men ever will.
He leans back.
KING RICHARD: And there are still realms I've never visited.
ROBIN HOOD: So he could be from anywhere.
KING RICHARD: Or somewhere neither of us knows exists.
Robin nods slowly.
Richard files the name away.
KING RICHARD: Blood Moon Warden.
ROBIN HOOD: Yes.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: I'll remember it.
Robin gives him a pointed look.
ROBIN HOOD: You might want to.
Silence settles again.
This one heavier.
Richard eventually rises.
Robin does as well.
ROBIN HOOD: Leaving already?
KING RICHARD: I have people waiting.
Robin nods.
Richard walks toward the door.
Then stops.
Turns.
KING RICHARD: Robin.
Robin looks at him.
Richard's expression has changed.
The king is back.
But the friend remains underneath.
KING RICHARD: Keep your eyes open.
Robin's smile fades.
KING RICHARD: Watch Arthur.
A beat.
KING RICHARD: Watch Merlin.
Robin's expression tightens at the second name.
KING RICHARD: And watch Camelot.
ROBIN HOOD: For what?
Richard thinks about Myrrden.
About Merlin.
About the strange silence surrounding Arthur's throne.
KING RICHARD: Anything that doesn't belong.
Robin studies him.
Then nods.
ROBIN HOOD: You really think something is here.
Richard takes a moment.
KING RICHARD: When I arrived, I thought something might be.
A pause.
KING RICHARD: Now I think there are too many people noticing different pieces of the same problem.
Robin considers that.
ROBIN HOOD: And nobody sees the whole thing.
KING RICHARD: Exactly.
Robin walks with him to the door.
Richard reaches for the handle.
Robin stops him.
ROBIN HOOD: Richard.
He turns.
Robin's expression is sincere.
ROBIN HOOD: Stay safe.
Richard gives him the faintest smile.
KING RICHARD: From you, that's rich.
ROBIN HOOD: I'm serious.
KING RICHARD: So am I.
They clasp forearms again.
This time longer.
ROBIN HOOD: Don't disappear for another lifetime.
Richard looks at his old friend.
KING RICHARD: Keep Nottingham standing.
Robin smiles.
ROBIN HOOD: Always.
Richard opens the door.
Before leaving—
he looks once more at Robin's black-and-white gear.
KING RICHARD: Green.
Robin groans.
ROBIN HOOD: Goodbye, Richard.
KING RICHARD: Forest green.
ROBIN HOOD: Get out.
Richard laughs as he steps into the corridor.
The door closes behind him.
Robin's smile remains for several seconds.
Then fades.
He turns back toward the room.
Toward the bow.
Toward the weapons.
Toward the small Mythic Crown replica.
Richard's warning echoes in his head.
Keep your eyes open.
Robin looks toward the castle wall.
Somewhere beyond it—
Arthur rules Camelot.
Robin's expression hardens.
ROBIN HOOD: Already are.
CUT TO BLACK.
EPILOGUE — THE LEDGER
Camelot Castle.
Night has settled fully over the old stone corridors.
The castle is quieter now.
Not empty.
But quiet enough that every footstep seems to travel farther than it should.
King Richard moves alone through one of the outer passageways.
His meeting with Robin Hood is over.
Ahead lies the road toward the travel point—
where Glinda, Peter Pan, the Black Knight, and the Dread Knights should already be assembling.
Richard walks with purpose.
Then—
stops.
No sound caused it.
No movement.
Nothing obvious.
Just—
a feeling.
Richard slowly turns his head.
Behind him—
an empty corridor.
Torchlight moves against ancient stone.
Nothing else.
Richard looks toward a narrow archway.
Empty.
Then toward the staircase leading to the upper gallery.
Nothing.
His hand settles near the hilt of his sword.
Richard waits.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing comes.
He exhales.
KING RICHARD: You're getting paranoid, you fool.
Richard shakes his head.
He starts walking again.
Several steps.
Then slows.
Something has surfaced in his thoughts.
Barely.
A word.
Richard frowns.
KING RICHARD: Rabbit...
He stops.
Looks ahead.
Why did he say that?
Richard tries to follow the thought.
It is already moving away.
KING RICHARD: Why rabbit?
A beat.
KING RICHARD: What about rabbit?
Nothing.
No face.
No conversation.
No place.
Only the word.
Rabbit.
Richard rubs his beard.
Then snorts at himself.
KING RICHARD: Maybe I'm hungry for some stew.
He continues down the corridor.
His footsteps gradually fade.
Richard turns the distant corner.
Gone.
Silence.
The camera remains.
Holding on the exact stretch of wall Richard had inspected.
Nothing moves.
Then—
the darkness changes.
Not dramatically.
There is no flash.
No portal.
No magical burst.
The shadow between two stone columns simply becomes—
deeper.
And something separates from it.
A shoulder.
An arm.
A crooked silhouette.
A hat.
Dark Hatter steps from the darkness.
So slowly that, for one unsettling moment, it appears he had not been hiding within the shadows at all.
He had been part of them.
Hatter watches the corridor where Richard disappeared.
His head tilts.
A smile creeps across his face.
Not the wild grin of the old Mad Hatter.
Something quieter.
More deliberate.
He whispers—
DARK HATTER: Rabbit stew.
A small chuckle.
Then silence.
Dark Hatter reaches inside his coat.
He removes a book.
Black leather.
No title.
No crest.
No visible writing upon the cover.
The edges are worn despite the book somehow looking ancient and new at the same time.
The Black Ledger.
Hatter opens it.
Pages filled with handwriting.
Some orderly.
Some cramped.
Some written vertically along margins.
Others occupying spaces that should not reasonably hold that much text.
Hatter removes a black quill.
No inkpot.
He places the tip against the page.
Black ink appears anyway.
He begins to write.
The camera moves closer.
His voice quietly follows the words.
THE BLACK LEDGER
CAMELOT — FIRST OBSERVATION
The Lion returned.
Hatter pauses.
Then continues.
Richard Lionheart entered Camelot expecting an ally.
He found a king defending walls.
A faint smile.
Disappointment registered. Suspicion incomplete.
The quill moves again.
Arthur refused the request for knights.
Reason offered: Camelot is anchored to the Core Realm and must remain defended.
Hatter taps the quill against the page.
Once.
Twice.
Then writes:
The Lion accepted the King's reasoning.
A pause.
Below it—
He did not accept the King.
Hatter smiles.
Another entry.
Glinda questioned Merlin.
Merlin blamed Myrrden the Hollow.
The quill stops.
Hatter's smile disappears.
He writes more slowly.
Myrrden remains absent.
Then—
The wizard prefers that absence.
Hatter turns the page.
MORDRED LISTENED.
A quiet laugh escapes Hatter.
Of course Mordred listened.
He writes:
He offered the Black Knight and Dread Knights where Arthur offered nothing.
The Lion accepted.
Hatter pauses.
Then adds beneath it:
Interesting.
A second word.
Useful.
The quill scratches onward.
THE GIRL MADE CONTACT.
Hatter stops.
His eyes linger on those words.
Something changes in his expression.
For the first time—
no amusement.
He writes:
She gave her name.
A pause.
They heard it.
Another.
They understood it.
Hatter's eyes rise briefly toward the corridor.
Then return to the page.
Then she left.
His hand moves again.
Slowly.
And the conversation went with her.
Silence.
Hatter stares at that sentence.
Then underneath—
Lionheart remembers almost nothing.
Glinda remembers almost nothing.
Pan remembers almost nothing.
The quill hovers.
One final line:
But I remember her.
Hatter stops.
A long beat.
Then he draws a small question mark beside the sentence.
Not decorative.
Not playful.
A genuine question.
The first one in the ledger.
Hatter turns another page.
Prince John remains Prince John.
Hatter snickers.
Fearful before authority.
Resentful once authority leaves the room.
A pause.
Predictable creatures are comforting.
Another quiet laugh.
Then—
Robin Hood remains loyal to Richard.
Concern regarding Arthur confirmed.
Robin attributes the change primarily to the Mythic Crown.
Hatter tilts his head.
The quill rests against the paper.
Then writes:
Perhaps.
A long pause.
Perhaps not.
Another line.
Blood Moon Warden discussed.
Hatter's hand stops.
The smile disappears.
He looks toward the darkness around him.
Not frightened.
Alert.
Then writes:
Lionheart does not know him.
A pause.
Robin does not understand him.
Hatter looks around once more.
Then adds:
Neither do I.
The quill leaves the page.
Hatter reads the night's entries.
Then flips backward several pages.
Names.
Places.
Observations.
Marks.
Patterns only he seems to understand.
His finger traces one line.
Stops.
Returns to tonight's page.
He writes one final entry.
Larger than the others.
CAMELOT IS BEING WATCHED.
Hatter considers it.
Then crosses out two words.
The sentence now reads:
CAMELOT IS BEING WATCHED.
He stares at it.
No.
His quill moves again beneath it.
EVERYONE IS WATCHING CAMELOT.
That satisfies him more.
Dark Hatter closes the ledger.
The sound of the cover shutting echoes strangely loudly through the corridor.
He slips the book back inside his coat.
Then looks toward the direction Richard traveled.
DARK HATTER: Off you go, Lion.
His grin returns.
DARK HATTER: Find the crack.
A beat.
DARK HATTER: Find the rabbit.
Another.
His voice drops almost to a whisper.
DARK HATTER: Find whatever you think you're looking for.**
He turns.
Walks toward the darker end of the corridor.
With each step his shape becomes less distinct.
Until—
Dark Hatter disappears around the corner leading toward his temporary lodgings.
Silence returns.
The corridor is empty again.
Hold.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Then—
a faint metallic sound.
Not from where Hatter went.
From above.
The camera slowly rises.
Toward the upper gallery.
A figure stands behind the stone balustrade.
Perfectly still.
Watching the corridor below.
Watching the place where Dark Hatter had been standing.
Moonlight catches portions of dark armor.
Then the mask.
Then the silhouette.
The Blood Moon Warden.
He has been there.
Perhaps for the entire conversation.
Perhaps longer.
The Warden looks toward the passage where Richard disappeared.
Then toward the opposite corridor where Dark Hatter went.
No movement.
No words.
Finally—
his head tilts slightly.
The same gesture Dark Hatter made moments earlier.
But without humor.
Without madness.
Analysis.
The Blood Moon Warden reaches one hand toward the stone railing.
His fingers tighten against it.
Then release.
He turns away.
Takes one step into darkness.
Stops.
Without looking back—
BLOOD MOON WARDEN: A ledger.
Silence.
One more step.
BLOOD MOON WARDEN: Good.
A beat.
Then—
BLOOD MOON WARDEN: Now I know where you keep your secrets.**
He disappears into the upper passage.
The camera remains on the empty corridor.
Three men have passed through it.
Richard—
who knows he is searching for something.
Dark Hatter—
who is recording what everyone else searches for.
And the Blood Moon Warden—
who has begun watching the watcher.
The torches flicker.
Once.
Twice.
Darkness.
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