Chapter One

The two events happened nearly simultaneously.

One of King Uther's nobles (and staunchest supporters), Lord Torr, had joined him for the evening meal. Arthur and Morgana sat on either side of the king. Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Leon, and several high ranking members of the council rounded out the dinner list. Elyan and Percival along with two other knights were on guard duty near the entrance.

Everyone was mostly through eating and was kicked back drinking wine and talking in the manner of old friends when a current of cold air seemed to blow through the room. Merlin backed hastily away from where the prince was sitting and looked uneasily around the room. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

Arthur turned in his chair and looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"Something….," Merlin muttered.

A sudden wind swirled in the center of the room spinning out icy fog and smoke, and in the midst of that, a girl materialized. Seconds later, Merlin fell heavily to the floor and lay unmoving.

Alarmed, Arthur sprang to his feet. What the hell -? After the first stunned silence, everyone started talking, the clamor echoing in the dining hall.

"Guards!" Uther roared. "Seize her!"

Four knights hurried to obey the king's command. The girl hastily raised one hand, and an invisible barrier formed around her, effectively preventing the knights from grabbing her. At the same time, the prince attempted to reach his servant and discovered to his horror that Merlin lay inside her protective barrier. Well, this just keeps getting better and better, he thought.

"No closer, Prince Arthur," the girl said.

Thwarted, the blonde-haired young man studied her. She looked to be about seventeen, her auburn hair falling a few inches past her shoulders, a somber look in her brown eyes. She wore a filmy black gown which went oddly with her extreme youth and a hooded cape of midnight blue. Around her neck dangled a necklace with a firebird set with flaming rubies. So long was the silver chain that the charm fell to her navel. She looked like a child that had dressed herself from her mother's wardrobe.

"What is it you want?" Arthur demanded.

She started to reply when Merlin groaned and moved his head fractionally. The girl hastily knelt beside him and lifted his left wrist.

"Don't touch him!" Arthur said, fuming, hating his helplessness.

Ignoring the prince, the girl retrieved a bracelet from a pocket in her cape and, murmuring a few words, clasped it hurriedly around Merlin's wrist. She pulled the sleeve of his jacket down. If Gaius had been in the room, he would have known that the mysterious girl had just neutralized the warlock's magic.

The room fell silent as the dark-haired young man rolled over onto his stomach then weakly pushed himself into a sitting position. He sat there, his head drooping, all energy gone from his body. After watching him for a moment, the girl knelt in front of him, steadying herself with one hand on his left shoulder. "Don't stress yourself, Emrys," she whispered into his ear, "I have no intention of harming you." Her hair felt soft against his face, and she smelled faintly of cinnamon and orchids. She leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. She stood back up and, far from moving away from the warlock, she stood close enough that her cape brushed against him in a pose that looked oddly protective.

Watching, Arthur relaxed a bit, deciding that the auburn-haired girl posed no immediate threat to his friend. His relief was short-lived as an unwelcome thought surfaced in his mind. If she decided to take him with her, he had no way of stopping her.

"Who are you?" the king demanded. "And what is it you want?"

"And what have you done to my servant?" Arthur added.

"He is nobody's servant," the girl replied, cryptically, a slight frown marring her youthful features.

"Arthur," his father said. "I will deal with this."

The king looked across the room at their unexpected visitor. The girl was watching Merlin fumbling with the bracelet trying to pull it off. "You can't get it off you know," she told him. "It can only be removed by magic."

"Take it off," the warlock mumbled in a low voice, still sitting dejectedly at her feet.

"No, it stays for now." She reached down and ruffled his hair.

"Young lady," said an exasperated Geoffrey of Monmouth. "Will you kindly get to the point! Some of us have important affairs to attend to. I myself am working on a book." There was a general hubbub as everyone expressed similar sentiments.

"Who are you?" the king repeated. "And why are you here?" The girl seemed to have the attention span of a small child.

"You may call me Mariana," she said, looking at the king. "I have been sent by my mother to give you a warning. There is a curse on your kingdom. No young will be born of your farm animals or the animals of your forests. And your young women will bear no children."

Once again the room was shocked into silence. The king stared at her in consternation. Could this possibly be true?

This time the girl continued without prompting. "Someone in your kingdom has captured the firebird and is holding it captive." She fingered the charm on her silver chain. "To break the curse, you must find it and set it free."

The girl looked over to the table and noticed Morgana. She studied her for a moment, noticing her dress and the way she wore her hair. "I like what you've done with your hair. Do you fix it yourself?"

"Thank you. No, my maid, Guinevere, does it for me."

"Do you know where we can find this creature? The firebird?" Arthur asked, trying to get the conversation back on topic. He was still standing feet from Merlin and the girl, but it may as well been ten kilometers for all the good it was doing him.

"You must take the son of Lord Torr with you on your quest. He will help you locate the firebird."

Everyone looked at each other confusedly. "Your information is faulty, young lady," Uther said, impatiently, rising to his feet. "I have known Lord Torr for over twenty years. He has no children." The king happened to glance down the table at the noble as he spoke. The man would not meet his eyes. After a moment, Uther sank back into his chair. Well, this was a day for surprises.

Mariana bent down and grasped an unresisting Merlin by the hand. Seeing her action, the prince paled. "Don't take my ser- Don't take him!" Arthur said, hastily. "My knights and I will locate and free the firebird. You have my word as a knight."

Mariana hesitated. She looked undecided.

"Who is your mother, child?" Geoffrey asked, curiously.

"Her name is Persephone."