Chapter 2

Many weeks had gone by, Marina and Gwen had both gotten accustomed to the tasks that were required of them, and began thoroughly enjoying themselves. Of course being a servant in a Royal household was not easy, but the friendships they had forged during their stay made it all more than worthwhile. Marina was happy, and hoped that her mother could somehow feel the happiness she felt every day.

"Marina! Marina, wait!"

Marina saw Guinevere hurrying towards her and smiled. Not her friend Gwen, but the maid who Arthur had referred to when they had first met in the forest. She hadn't known her for very long, but the very little she did know of her made her sure that she was a genuine and kind-hearted person.

"Marina, I need you to do me a favour!"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Gaius asked me to bring him an ingredient he needs for one of his potions, from the market, but there's something really important that I have to do. Could you please go to the market for me instead?"

"Er, yeah okay I guess I could, I just need you to tell me what he needs."

"It's a rare herb, he didn't tell me the name, he just said that the lady on the stall would know what it was."

"Oh, okay... Well, where is her stall?"

"She's set up a tent towards the far end of the market...you can't miss it, it's bright red.

"Thanks, I'll go straight away."

"Great! Thanks Marina, I owe you!"

"Don't mention it!"

Marina set off for the market, wondering what it was that could be so urgent for Gwen to ask her to go instead. Lost in her thoughts, she reached the market, not paying attention to all the haggling and selling going on around her. She loved the market, strange, colourful things were on display everywhere, and she often liked to imagine what they were for. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she located the tent, and went inside; hoping that the lady would know what herb it was she needed. The tent did not seem big from the outside, but once Marina stepped in, she gasped. The tent was big. Very big. And full of jewels and diamonds which were hanging from the ceiling. Dream catchers were strewn around the tent, twisting and turning to a non-existent breeze. Marina seriously considered turning back; it did not seem like the tent of someone who sold herbs...More like a tent of a fortune teller.

"What is it you want my dear?"

Marina spun around, only to find herself facing a beautiful woman, dressed in an elegant, deep sea-green gown. Her green eyes seem to cut through Marina, "Just like Merlin" she thought. Her red, fiery hair hung loosely on her shoulders, framing her beautiful, graceful face. Marina could not breathe. The woman's presence, her aura, was too strong, too impressive.

"Do not be afraid my child. Speak up, and name your business here."

The woman's hold over Marina seemed to suddenly wear off, letting her come to her senses.

"I come from the castle, the court physician Gaius needs a rare herb and..." Marina's voice trailed off as she felt increasingly stupid. What kind of an errand had Gwen sent her on? She didn't even know what kind of herb it was!

"I know which herb you speak of, and I shall give it to you, but first, let me read your fortune."

"No thank you ma'am, I have to get back as soon as I have gotten what I need."

"Do not tell me you do not believe in this art? I know you do child. I can feel the pull it has on you. Magic."

Marina gasped. The woman had spoken as if she knew her, as if she really could see through her.

"I...I don't know what you mean..." Aware that her voice sounded weak, Marina felt sure that the fortune teller would not believe her.

"Oh I think you do. But you fight it. You fight your powers. You need to embrace your magic."

"Excuse me?" Marina felt as if the floor was going to give way underneath her. Magic? Powers? What was this woman talking about?

"My child, you are magical. This is why you are drawn to magic. This is why Uther Pendragon's ban of magic infuriates you so much. You are magical."

And with this affirmation, the beautiful woman crossed the short distance between her and Marina, and grasped her hand, palm up, inspecting it intently. Suddenly, she looked at Marina, her eyes full of urgency. She grasped her by the shoulders.

"My dear. You must accept your powers. You must! The destiny of Camelot depends on that."

"WHAT? Are you mad?"

"The destiny of a great King lies on the shoulders of a young boy. It is this boy whom you must assist and protect, with your powers."

"Okay, Lady, with all due respect, I don't understand a thing you are saying, and besides, what king? What young boy?"

"You shall understand in time, but first, it is most important that you learn to master your powers."

"This is crazy. I don't know any boy who practices magic and I certainly have NO powers."

"But you do Marina. Think. There is someone. A boy that you know, one with whom you share a particular bond; that of magic."

"Nope. I'm sorry, the only boy I know is Merlin."

"Yes, Merlin."

"What? You mean Merlin...? No, you're wrong. So so wrong. Merlin is just an ordinary servant. Look I'm sorry but I really need to get back."

"Marina, if you don't accept your powers, all will be lost."

Marina was really starting to feel angry. It was all going so fast; too many absurd details were being thrown at her, making it difficult for her to keep up. Who did this woman think she was, telling her that the destiny of Camelot depended on her and Merlin? Like that was likely. Camelot didn't mean much to her and anyway, she had no powers. At all. Didn't that woman understand?

"I HAVE NO POWERS!"

"Think what you will child, but if you do not come to your senses, I will have to implicate myself further than I already have done."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The woman took Marina's hands in both of her own and closed her eyes. Trying to pull her hand away, Marina found that she couldn't. Panic flooded through her as she felt a slow, burning, consuming heat, seeming to originate from the woman's hands coursing through her body, so intense that Marina felt sure she would burn to death. Suddenly, as quick as it had come, it vanished, leaving her tired and drained of energy. "I have got to leave" she thought "this woman is dangerous", and, mustering all the energy she could, wrenched her hand away and stumbled out of the tent, making her way back towards the castle as fast as her trembling legs permitted her. It was only once she was safe inside the castle walls that she let herself stop and rest. She then realised that she had left without the herb.

oOo

Gwen was getting ready for bed when Marina came in, looking unusually tired, and somewhat upset. "Rough day?"

"Uh-uh"

"Marina?"

"Mmm?"

"Did you have a fight with Merlin?"

"What? No? Why? Did he say something?"

"No calm down! You just look a bit upset, so I thought I'd ask..."

"Oh... Oh no it's not that..."

"What then?"

Marina took a deep breath, and launched into a retelling of the afternoon's events. Although Gwen did not interrupt, a million questions buzzed through her head.

"So you've never met this woman before?"

"No."

"Hmm, it's strange that she knew your name. And your fascination with magic. And the fact that you know Merlin..."

"I know. But I'm sure I've never seen her before...Gwen...she said I was magical...that I had powers."

Gwen could see a glimmer of hope in Marina's eyes. She knew that her friend would almost kill to be amongst those who had magic in them. However, she owed her friend the truth...Besides, reason itself showed that this was not possible.

"That's not possible though. Things like that are inherited aren't they? And your mum or dad did not practice magic...No; she must have been putting on a show, hoping you'd give her some money for all her troubles probably..."

Still, the explanation did not appear to satisfy Marina. Gwen soon found out why.

"There's more to it than that...When I came back to the castle, I saw Guinevere. I tried explaining to her what happened, but she just stared at me as if I was mad."

"Well, that's not surprising...it must have sounded slightly...fantastical."

"But that's not it you see, that's not it. Because Guinevere then told me that she had never seen me that afternoon, she had not sent me on that errand, someone else wanted me there."

"That's not possible Marina. It can't be."

"Unless magic was used."

"Even so, who would want you to be there?"

"I don't know...Maybe it was the woman herself."

"Marina, I don't like this. We left to get away from trouble, not run into more of it."

"I know, I know..."

As they both settled into their beds to sleep, Gwen thought of how strange all this was, and started to doubt that coming to Camelot had been the right decision to make.