The Crown Prince is now King.

And he would give anything not to be.

Even his dreams are troubled.

Uneasy is the head on which lays the crown.

Merlin has been left in a horrible state...

And the Nexus has decided now is the time to pluck Arthur from his world.

Not that we don't get almost a hundred scrolls every day (and if Monmouth had his way he'd read every single one out loud during meetings), but this one...

I don't even know what to say, or think.

It is from my Uncle.

My Uncle!

This is the first I've ever heard of him! I never even considered....

Obviously the news was a bit overwhelming, I barely had a chance to digest in fact, when all of sudden Morgana was there. Not...Morgana as she is now (God knows what that is), but when she was a little girl, just beginning to learn how to duel. How did it all go wrong?

After all that I could have done without a sudden trip to that Nexus thing. Although I did get rather good advice, so I suppose I shouldn't complain.

Still! An Uncle, out of nowhere! Gaius and Monmouth have authenticated the seal and assured me the man really does exist (although apparently they decided never to mention this to me!), so there's no reason not to accept his request.

I've never actually invited anyone to Camelot officially before, it's...nerve-wracking. I hope I didn't make too many spelling errors on my reply...

After the mess that was yesterday, I found some relaxation in that strange place - although yet again I have no idea how I wandered in there.

And for once I ran into someone wearing normal clothes, armour even!

Although the normal ended with the clothing, which I suppose isn't all that surprising. Still at least someone else was having a problem rather than me.

And Merlin cleaned my room very well indeed for once. I really should apologise to him for the other day, but then again...he might think I'm going soft, so maybe I'll just leave it be.

Besides he might collaspe from shock and we can't have that! It's ridiculously hard to get a half-decent servant...

No, I'll keep that to myself.

At least that was the greeting for King Tewdrig today. I can't say I didn't mean it, he seems...well, he's certainly no Cenred, or Lord Olaf, or King Bayard. He seems to have a level head and everything.

The problem is...well, I haven't been named regent yet, but it's going to happen any time now, it could be the end of the week even. I visited Father this morning and...there was no recognition. Nothing at all. I mean, he seemed to settle when I took his hand when I was trying to get through to him, but he won't talk.

I don't know what to do with these negotations, I feel like...well I should be doing what Father would do. Even if I don't entirely agree...because...well if when he recovers I don't want him to think...

I don't even know.

The multiverse seemed to understand my confusion, I ended up wandering into that strange room in time to hear a question on that very subject.

I'm not anymore certain about what I should do, though...

That's the only reason I can think of for why all this is happening. After having my ears almost fall off yesterday I ended up in that nexus place this morning, there was some sort of hunt on and it's hard to resist a hunt. So I joined in, and what happend?

The second I found an egg I started floating.

FLOATING!

Floating for God's sake!

Obviously I couldn't go back to Camelot like that! It was all I could do not to float away! I was there for hours until someone had a very good idea that I just shove rocks in my pockets.

Which worked I guess... I'm still six inches off the ground however.

And I missed an entire day's worth of meetings...it's going to be fun trying to explain that.

I need to find a way to blame it Merlin, obviously.

It's been a mere four days since the overthrow of Queen Morgana and the sorceress Morgause and talk of the future of Camelot abounds.

Arthur finds himself wandering into the Nexus and posing a question hoping to get answers...

The competitors didn't stay for long, some of them have such a long trip home I suppose it isn't too surprising. The barman at the Rising Sun was standing in the doorway looking like he'd just been punched in the gut. He tried to convince a few of us to come in for a drink or two, something about it being the only thing that would keep him from poverty.

Needless to say we did not take him up on the offer, at least not right then, I think a few of the knights might still be down there.

I meanwhile returned to the castle to find myself face to face with Vivian!

At least that's what I thought for a minute or two (and believe me, it was horrifying), but no it was a future person...and a look-a-like. I pity the poor soul who ends up with Vivian, but someone must, if she has a decendant. She was a lot nicer than Vivian I'll say that much, centuries must have fixed some of the worst traits.

After that, I found myself stumbling into the Nexus again, where I met up with April who seemed upset. I think I might have cheered her up a bit at least.

So, council meetings start up again tomorrow, which means I have hours of boredom to look forward tomorrow.

Definitely no more pagentry.

Father I mean, of course I'd get through the first few rounds.

I couldn't be sure that Father would, even if competitors were going easy on him...which incidentally not all would do, some are from kingdoms so far distant that it wouldn't really matter to them if Camelot's king was horribly injured.

And now I have to face him in the quarter finals tomorrow. If you can believe that.

I will say this (although not to his face, Father's ego can be absolutely ridiculous), he's actually very good. Better than some of the knights, and I mean fully-fledged knights, not the squires. Of course he defeated that wraith some years ago, but he's not getting any younger.

I went to see him before dinner, he was in ridiculously good spirits. Honestly, I was amazed! I haven't seen him in such a good mood in...well, ten years. He even laughed, like an actual laugh. This does not happen...Father has never been..cheery. I could even go so far as to say, well...this tournament's good for him.

All the same, I want him out of it, not that I think he can beat me...in fact that's what I'm afraid of, I'll beat him so badly he'll never live it down. I tried to convince him to do so, I mean, he's made an impact, the people were impressed and heartened and all those things, but he refused. Actually said he wasn't a coward and he could fight as well as anyone! Honestly, cowardice and skill have nothing to do with it! I don't even know how he says that with a straight face.

Finally I gave up and managed to stumble into that Nexus place.

Because I can't be the only one with a hardheaded fool for a father, can I?

Is going to insist on suddenly pulling me from my time, I might as well take advantagge of it. There's so many people there, one of them should be able to help me decided want to do. About my father.

I can hardly speak about this to anyone else, I mean I could...but it would be awkward and strange and unpleasant.

Right, now to think about what advice I've been given...there's quite a bit of it.

Spring has finally come. A few days ago (in the throes of that horrible curse) Leon, a few of the knights and I went hunting. And it was a good hunt, the green is coming back and I think I saw a few squirrels out. I haven't seen a squirrel in ages.

That aside, since I was afflicted by this rhyming curse, I've been trying to get into the Nexus since that must be where it came from and I finally succeeded in doing so today. But apparently one cannot challenge a 'lol' as it's called to a duel.

Well, I guess I'm not going to get any satisfaction from that, damnit.

It's all over now, though and as I told Morgana, I'm going to forget about it, and hope everyone else does as well...eventually.

As it turns out the multiverse likes to provide distraction or reminders that your life is no worse than anyone else's. For example that look-a-like of me from the future who's not me is in quite a bit of trouble. I hope I was at least able to help him.

Well, in celebration of spring finally beginning training is certain to be tough.

So! I better be well rested...I can't wait!

After dinner I was heading back to my chambers, when the multiverse decided to be clever and pluck me out of Camelot's itself and dump me in that room.

I arrived just in tme to hear a small girl talk about reciving repairs. I really have no idea what the future is like and conversations like that make me not want to know.

Also...I happened to overhear Merlin today saying some very inapprorpiate things about me. Really, I give him too much leeway in thse things.

Still, he always looks hilarious when he's trying to cover something up so I'll let him off, though really, I've seen him eat and he's really in no position to point fingers.

Honestly, how rude!

In the multiverse....

I ended up in there last night when I went out into the corridor to see if the guards were still awake. I ran into April who had a very interesting question! And it's made me think, I've meet five different versions of myself! And one was a girl! It's bizarre! I wonder if I'm supposed to be learning something from this. I assume so, but I can't really say what...Be nicer to Morgana? Be relieved Merlin isn't evil or a sorcerer?

I'd really like it to be more clear...I'm a busy man with a lot of duties, I don't have time to be thinking about...what's that word? I can't remember. But I don't have time for it.

Father has announced a visit to the fields tomorrow to see how the winter crops are fairing, if at all, so I especially don't have time now.

So, multiverse, make things clearer if you will.

Seems to be a bit of a dangerous thing these days... I was simply returning to my chambers afte a late meeting of the Council (Monmouth had something to say tonight....honestly I was surprised the meeting finished as early as it did!) and suddenly I'm in that room that's not really a room.

And immediately I run into a strangely dressed woman who is posing an interesting question about theft and I figure I might as well answer. Which is actually...unusual. Because really a prince, no a person shouldn't just answer questions posed by strangers. They could do anything with that information.

On the otherhand, I've never seen anyone from the Room in Camelot, they don't seem to visit or I visit them, so I suppose I'm safe enough. Still I'm quite sure Father would have a thing or two to say about it. But really, there's nothing else to do! Because it's not snowing, but now it's raining again! I can't spend all my time with Guinevere (unfortunately), mocking Merlin is only fun for so long, I can't mock Morgana's hair anymore, so...

Answering odd questions in an odd room it is! And hey, I might even find out something interesting.

The reports are back...to be honest I'm not sure this is really necessary, I mean is the grain count really going to change that much in a week, or at least to an extent I have to write a whole lot on it.

Father is absolutely insistant, so there's no getting out of it.

But I've finally finished the new wheat figures and now I'm going to see if I can find a way into the Nexus so I can give April her Yule gift (she gave me that beautiful painting which I gave to Guinevere.)

Wish me luck, it's rather hit and miss!

Yes, I can no longer deny it, the snow and enforced idleness here in the castle has driven me insane.

Witness today's events.

After the purple hands incident, which Guinvere rescued me from (and necessitated that I reveal my gift) I was back to square one with gift ideas.

But last night I had a dream an inspiration struck! Shoes. Girls love shoes, at least, I know Morgana does. Of course, they're rather hard to see with the floor length dresses, but if it makes them feel comfortable, why not.

There was just one problem...I don't know Guinevere's shoe size. I could have just asked of course, but where's the surprise in that? So, what could be more natural than sneaking into her house to find a pair.

I swear to you, this seemed to make perfect sense at the time. I am MAD, and I discovered Guinevere there. I had no idea...I mean she always seems to get to the castle so EARLY! I didn't even realise it was so early.

God...so embarrassing!

After that I tried to get Merlin to do it for me...but he must be getting smarter because he wouldn't.

But! I've just returned from the Nexus having met with April who's acting normal once more and she has saved me! She's going to paint a portrait of Guinevere and I. I have every faith it'll will be amazing.

And failing that, I'm going to get Guinevere some door locks...the security of her house is completely lacking.

Although she certainly knows how to wield a poker!

Of embarrassment, complete an utter embarrassment...

I can't believe what happened to me last night or this morning or whenever the Hell it was!

I hate the Multiverse and those who can sympathise with me need to know it, since it was at least polite enough to suddenly deposit me there today.

At least Guinevere was understanding...and I suppose I can hardly blame the multiverse for her appearance or Merlin's...but really? Did I really need to see myself?

I don't even want to write about this anymore.

Let's never speak of it again.

Has been too bizarre...I suppose I needed something to get my mind off the complete debancle the guards made out of training today.

I mean yes, it was pouring down, but they're going to have to guard in bad weather, for God's sake it's not that hard! At least when you know what you're doing. Which of course our frontier of defence don't. And they dragged me down with them! I've never been so caked with mud! And before I could even get back inside and have Merlin take care of most of it I ended up that Nexus thing.

Face to face with something...utter weird... something...future related I suppose. I don't even know how to describe what I saw.

But we definitely need to change the guard policy.

And well...it wasn't as clear cut as the last few times I've been there...

Father is going to recover! I don't know how Gaius managed it, and I don't think I ever will, but he found an antidote.

But...well...I don't know...I went to that Nexus place, to ask about if I should have done more. With the woman I mean...who poisoned him in the first place. Incidentally...she's escaped, some of the 'better' guards are out searching for her, but it's been hours and hours now and I'll assume she's long gone. If she knows what's good for her however, she won't be coming back. I don't know if she was telling the truth about the creature, but if she was she would be executed for using magic and if it wasn't she'd be executed for high treason.

What bothers me and what the Nexus couldn't help me with was whether or not I was right not to order, to put it blunty, the woman to be tortured to extract information since she kept claiming she didn't know what posion it was. To be honest it didn't occur to me until some hours later that I could have ordered such thing at all. I pleaded with her better side, but I didn't think to do anything more.

Is that a sign of weakness? I don't know...I like to think I did the right thing, but would my father agree with me? I don't know...

And writing all this time hasn't done a thing to help me...bloody ridiculous waste of time...

If it wasn't so late I'd train, in fact, to Hell with it...I'll just go out. Otherwise I'll never get to sleep.

I definitely need to keep this book more secure! I came back to find Morgana had written in it! I don't think she went through it...because I'm sure if she had she would have written more than just what she did.

I wonder what her gift's going to be...hopefully not a punch in the face...I'm no idiot, I know she's angry at me for losing her bracelet. But! For once that stupid Nexus things helped me out! I was given a life-saving idea by April (lovely name that).

I've all ready started my research, with no help from Merlin, honestly, he can be such a girl's petticoat! He used to (still has?) a fancy for Morgana. She of course would never give him the time of day, but there's no need to be an idiot about it. So far, the information's been sketching, I've managed to find out her mother's name was Viviane (how...unfortunate for her), but I've never heard of the place she's from...it must be in somewhere other than Albion. Just to make life difficult I'm sure.

It's the thought that counts though...so I imagine if Morgana does plan to impale me on the Fisher King's trident I can tell her about my plan to hunt up a family heirloom for her and she'll let me live.

Good plan.