Jack and Annie’s quest takes them on a journey from innocence to heroism consistent with the book’s genre as a fantasy novel and an adventure story that draws on Arthurian legend. Initially, the adult inhabitants of Camelot try to dissuade the main characters from accepting the Christmas Knight’s challenge. King Arthur finds the idea of sending children on a mission that bested his three bravest knights both dangerous and absurd: “‘YES!’ thundered the Christmas Knight. He pointed his red-gloved hand at Annie and Jack. ‘The youngest of all—these two—they will go.’ ‘You are mocking us!’ King Arthur shouted” (31). From the perspective of the adults in the story, Jack and Annie appear unlikely heroes compared to the legendary figures they’re trying to save. They don’t possess the magic of Morgan Le Fay, the regal power of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, or the brawn of the Knights of the Round Table. However, through Merlin’s perspective, Osborne positions the main characters’ youthful innocence as an asset because it makes them creative and idealistic. Morgan explains:

Merlin has often heard my tales of your adventures in the tree house [.