Prologue
Merlin
“I’ve made a mistake!” I gasped, as I sat up in bed. Letting my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows, I looked around my small cabin. Thankful that everything was as it should be, I let my legs swing over the side the of the bed and stood up. Still a little shaky from the dream I’d just had, I made my way slowly out of my small bedroom and into the kitchen. Looking around for a clean mug and settling on the dirty one I used yesterday for breakfast, I prepared a quick cup of coffee. Pacing around the kitchen, I questioned, “What does it mean? What does it all mean?”
“Merlin? Are you okay?” Wart asked, as he made his way into the kitchen. “I had just finished cleaning up your study and was making my way into here.”
“Oh, you are fine, my boy,” I said, as I turned with the dirty mug in my hand and looked at the young boy who walked into my kitchen with a handful of dirty dishes.
Dropping the dishes into the already full sink, I heard, “Sit down, Master Merlin! I will take care of cleaning up for you.”
“Thank you, Wart. You are such a good boy.”
“Master Merlin, when does my training start?”
Remembering my dream and all the destruction that I saw, I said, “I need to study a few more things. We should be able to start magic lessons tomorrow morning.” I hoped that my answer would pacify the young boy while I do a little bit more digging.
“That is fine. I am really in no rush. I am on your schedule,” Wart excitedly said. Turning back to the sink full of dirty dishes, he added, “Maybe I do need to run to the lake and get a few more buckets of water. I didn’t realize that there was such a mess in here. It was dark when we arrived last night, and I went right to sleep.”
“That is completely understandable, my boy. You did have a pretty exciting day.”
“Oh, tell me about it! It’s not every day that a great wizard comes along and rescues you from your jerk of an older brother. If it wasn’t for you, I would probably be waking up to a punch to my head or something.”
“He really was mean to you, wasn’t he?” I asked, motioning for the boy to come sit with me for a few minutes.
Dropping into the seat next to me, he shared, “He was the worst. He seemed to hate me from the moment my memories stuck in my mind. Mother protected me for as long as she could, but then she disappeared, and I was on my own.” Seeing the tear drop from his eyes, I knew that even if he wasn’t the true king, I did the right thing. I couldn’t have left him with that boar of an older brother. Now, something told me that I needed to find the one that was called Morgan. The raven-haired beauty with the gift of magic already swirling through her veins. She is the one. The true heir that will save this kingdom.
Chapter One
Merlin
Standing on the banks of the magical lake, I stared out into the water. “Beautiful and wise, Lady of the Lake, I stand before you so conflicted,” I admitted as fear crept into my old and frail body.
“What troubles you, Merlin?” her melodic voice sang out from the depths of the crystal-clear blue water.
“I thought I knew what I must do to ensure that Camelot would once again rise from the ashes,” I said, fearing that everything I have done so far has been wrong.
“What do you mean, ‘you thought you knew?’ Are you having doubts?” she asked in a more curious tone.
“Beautiful One, I had a dream and it has made me question everything that I thought I knew. I fear that I have put my faith in the wrong person,” I confessed out loud for the first time.
“Oh, Merlin, you have not failed. Your dream was sent to you to make sure that you are on the right path. The one that you saved from a life of servitude to his unworthy brother will be king one day. He just will not be the one to lead Camelot into the future.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, even more confused than I was when I first arrived looking for guidance.
“The golden-haired boy that you call Wart, will grow into a king. He will rule Camelot, for a time. The raven-haired beauty with magic coursing through her veins is the one that you should be focusing on. She is the true heir. The one who will wield my sword and lead us into the future. She will step in and undo all the damage that Wart will cause. She will think with her head and not with her heart. She will embrace who she truly is and bring us all into a new day - the day of magic.”
“Then I have failed. I do not know who the raven-haired beauty is. I have no idea where to find her,” I admitted, falling to knees.
“You have not failed, Merlin. You have done what men have done since the beginning of time. You have underestimated a woman,” the voice from the lake informed me with a laugh. “Stand up and know that when the time is right, she will come to you.”
“So, what do I do in the meantime? The princes from near and far will be gathering at the great stone to test their strength. They will try to pull your sword from the rock and claim Camelot as their own. The full moon is almost here, and if none of them are successful then we will have to wait until the next full moon.” The panic in my voice was starting to rise. I knew the heir to the throne would be revealed this full moon. I had seen all the signs.
“Have faith, Merlin. The true heir will be revealed to all during this full moon. You will know what to do when the time is right.”
“Thank you, Wise Lady. I miss you dearly.”
“Our time is not over. We will have all of eternity to make up for the years of separation we have endured. Once the dark curse is lifted, we will be free to spend our days together.”
“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.” I say, missing my love with every ounce of my being.
“You know me better than that. I have been truthful with you. We will be together again,” she said, her voice fading.
“Don’t leave!” I pleaded. “We are not finished yet! There is more that I need to know from you.”
“All will be revealed when the time is right. In the meantime, trust your instincts and your magic. They will not lead you down a path that you should not travel.”
“When?”
“You will know,” she told me. As the waters turned a dark and murky shade of black, I knew that our time together had come to an end.
“Come back,” I pleaded, knowing that my demands would go unanswered.
Chapter Two
Morgan
“Hey Morgan! Come play with us?” one of the castle pages called out to me, as he ran by with a group of his friends.
“I know you want to go, but we are not done with your studies,” my mother said from the other side of the room. Walking to the window, she turned and looked out at the busy courtyard. Turning back to me, she said, “One day you will be the lady of this castle and you must know all that I have to teach you in order to survive.”
“What if I don’t want to be?” I sassed, knowing that I was pushing it and the end result was probably going to be me not being able to sit on my behind for a few days.
“I really don’t care what you want. I did not make all the sacrifices that I did in order for you to turn your back on your destiny.”