Helping A Friend In Need

Chapter One

Artie woke up feeling strange for some reason. He'd had troubled sleep last night from strange dreams which he didn't know what they meant. He felt something itch on his neck and looked in the mirror.

There was a rose on his neck and it itched madly.

"Where did it come from?

Maybe Ari put it on me to protect me." he thought as he dressed in his usual jersey.

He went downstairs into the dinng room. His daughter Ari or Arianna was already there but he felt a deep sadness within him.

It'd been a year since the demise of his wife Marissa through illness.

Even though he seemed to be dealing with it, he sometimes cried at night or in his throne room.

But in front of Ari and the others, he kept his feelings within.....

"Hey Dad you okay?

You look like a mess." Ari said to him.

"Yeah I know.

I had.... trouble sleeping." he answered.

She sighed as she brought him a cup of black coffee. It helped him wake up when he had trouble sleeping. She saw the rose mark on her father's neck. Artie saw fear in her emerald eyes and wondered what was wrong.

"It's nothing.

.... That mark on your neck.

How did you get it?" she asked him softly.

"I don't know. I woke up and it was there. It itches like mad." he answered.

She saw it glow with purple light.

It shocked her.

"I have to tell Merlin. He'll know whatever spell is on my Dad.

It feels like dark magic." she thought leaving for Merlin's study.....