A young king rose to the throne of Benwick. His kingdom was a small but complex one. Every day in his court the rising tension between mages and fairies would threaten the safety of all his people. The same tension had once caused the short but deadly battle that killed his great grandfather. King Ban had a wise advisor. She told him to appoint a new foreign minister, from among the fairies. Someone respected by the tribes, who would be listened to in the lands around Benwick and by fairies in neighbouring kingdoms. But Ban’s foreign minister had served his father for many years and was loved by the high king, Uther Pendragon. Instead, Ban chose a more traditional route-an arranged marriage with a fairy of noble birth: Vivienne, Lady of the lake, daughter of queen Morgan La Fay. They mages supported this decision too, for the children of a mortal-like him-and a fairy were always mages. What he didn’t expect was that one look at Vivienne, washing her hands in a fountain where they first meet, sprinkles of water shimmering on her skin, will seal his heart forever. And hers.
This video story is a background for characters in the FREE book Black Emerald
The book of Kaldoorin speaks of the Nawadan people and the small kingdom of Pivendale. All copies of book were burned in the dark ages. All but one-The original.
When Kim Evans found it, in the Oxford archives, it was completely by mistake. She had ordered another book, Asmole 1131. But the Kaldoorin arrived instead. She sensed its magic and waited to get home to examine it. Her magic was a secret-and could put her family in danger if it got discovered.
The book was in a language she couldn’t read, but changed to English, when she touched its pages. An ornamented Phoenix decorated the top of every page. “Strange,” she thought. The book started with the kingdom of Pivendale. She knew it as a nation of scholars, compassionate healers and noble rulers. ‘Fighters of the light’-named after their magical swords that could cut through armour, and helped them liberate humanity from oppression of all kinds. They were a legend to her. A legend, because no mater how hard she tried she never found a confirmed historical case that fit such noble stories. Yet, here was the book. And written by a woman from the rebellious Nawadan people, which were a big part of Pivendale’s story. Except…the Nawadan woman told it in a different way-similar to the Irish song, Skiberreen:
The people of Pivendale came in the night, burned down Nawadan houses, killed most of the men and attacked women before marching the few survivors, of all ages away, through the cold snow. Many died, others became slaves, like the woman who later wrote the book. Some escaped and tried to attack Pivendale. But the so-called glorious armies of Pivendale always won.
Kim’s world was shattered. If the story was true, then the Humanitarian Pivendale she’d know, was gone. In fact, it never existed.
The next morning, she asked one of the Irish professors she knew, about Skibereen. But too many details didn’t match.
“Who were the Nawadan?” Kim wondered before going to sleep that night. The survivor’s last words, written right next to the phoenix illustration on the final page were, “From her ashes, shall she rise again.”
She discovered the answer later, during a great adventure, when she found herself sent back in time, and saw the ruined town of Camelot and a nearby village, both burned by King Harthenon, before Avalon’s Curse, many generations before the birth of King Arthur. The story was not exactly the same, but…with the coming of King Arthur- a descendant to the slave, Camelot was rebuilt to a great kingdom.
This video story is a background for characters in Forbidden Road
The scroll of Lanas-Pirith is the oldest surviving telling of the Curse of Avalon. A protective spell concealed it through the dark ages and the inquisition, turning its words into a euphemistic retelling, guarding it from those who wanted to burn any evidence of the truth: that the world was once ruled by mages.
Julie Evans read it when she was 19, one late evening. A year after she’d given up her powers to save her family. She hoped that here, she could finally find the answer to a question deep in her heart: was there a way to know who her Charge would be? Because meeting him would bring her powers back and put her family in danger again.
She knew exactly what to look for on the Harvard online archive of medieval scrolls. And the words of the Lanas-Pirith, brought to life Ivan of Camelot: a mage from a humble peasant family, who was forced to serve the tyrant mage Harthenon, king of Avalon. And the only one with the courage to challenge him.
Ivan was an optimist. He believed that by joining Harthenon’s forces he wouldn’t just save his village, but he would one day be able to change the King’s ways.
He was wrong. Harthenon’s tyranny grew worse with time. And when other mages wanted to unite against him, he put a curse on the world, the Curse of Avalon: in the event of his death, mages would lose dominion; to humans.
Harthenon sacrificed mighty dragons to produce such a spell, and used their flame to diminish the great fire of Avalon—so nobody could ever reverse the Curse.
All mages feared him now. Feared to challenge him. Except one: Ivan. When Harthenon burned down his village, killing the woman he loved, Ivan had a vision that the Curse would create a destined-love bond between mages and humans, that she would be his Charge-a person he was bound to love and protect for centuries-a woman he could bring back to life!
So he faced Harthenon, took him by surprise and overthrew him. With Harthenon’s final heartbeat, the Curse of Avalon was triggered.
And that was the end of the scroll. Nothing more!
But when Julie closed the computer, she suddenly noticed a strange mark on her hand. She tried to rub it off, and a vision flashed through her mind. She saw a young man, dressed plainly, standing in a street. Someone who lived simply-like Ivan. Humble, she thought. It was over too fast and she didn’t see his face clearly. When she looked back at her hand, the mark had vanished.
Still it was comforting. He seemed to live a simple life. She wouldn’t be tied to anything that could risk her family. Comforted, she closed her eyes and slept soundly.
But the image was misleading. And being bound to someone like Mark Ralston was anything but safe. And to protect him—like Ivan—Julie would be facing an adversary at impossible odds.
This video story is a background for characters in Blue Diamond, Dark Flame and Dragon Fire
Merlin walked up the old stone spiral staircase of the highest tower of his Order, the stairs sturdy under his old but agile feet, and the rail creaking under his firm grip. This would be the last time – he knew. He was here to say goodbye. At the top of the stairs, Seraphim would be waiting.
This parting had been coming since the day a vision showed him a future of King Arthur and his many just and progressive ways. Once Arthur was born, he would have to protect the boy from this Order. So he now had to leave.
And there was another reason. The visions also showed him a mysterious woman with long bright curls, whose face was always hidden. But through magic he knew what her presence felt like and that she was the one he’d been waiting to meet for centuries. The chain of events that would lead him to her had to start today.
“So…it’s time,” Seraphim said when Merlin entered the warm, fire lit room, with its large ornamented windows. He didn’t bother with Hello. Not when he knew Goodbye was coming. “We’ll miss your funny ways.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice – something Seraphim didn’t often show.
“Will you, mate?”
“Mate?!”
Merlin chuckled. “It means ‘friend’ in the future.”
“Merlin, we’re parting. For once be truthful: I know you can’t possibly see the future.”
“Do you, now?” Merlin laughed. Seraphim didn’t. Silence passed between them and Merlin observed his friend. Seraphim looked tired. Strained. “You look worried.”
Seraphim sat down. “The humans are rising into power, diminishing mages’ strength in the world. And a strong mage like you is leaving the Order? I still fear the ancient prophecy: about the human-king who will seal our fate.”
“Would it be that bad?” Merlin asked, thinking of Arthur and the great new world that he would create. He’d also foreseen that he himself would one day die to protect it all.
Seraphim grew angry. “How can you ask this? Humans are vermin. Spreading everywhere, growing in numbers, changing what we’ve built over centuries.”
Merlin sighed. “As I’ve often said: This is the natural way of things: empires rise and fall. Our time is over. We’ve given this world what we could and now it’s their turn.”
Seraphim rose and gave his friend one final glance, a farewell glance. “On this we will never agree, will we?”
“A snowball’s chance in Hell.” Merlin smiled.
Seraphim squinted at the phrase he didn’t know, but shook Merlin’s hand. “Goodbye old friend. The best of luck to you.”
“See you later alligator,” Merlin laughed at his own private joke, and then set out on a path that would one day make the world a better place.
This video story is a background for characters in Merlin’s Creed and Secrets of Camelot
Nobody knows who created the Mirror of Eileenthor, or why. It was last seen by Isadora Gifford-now head of the Guild- before the battle of Culloden. And it was the images that magical mirror showed that led her to Culloden. Endangering her life to save a man she’d never met, one of the sons of clan Mackenzie, who she soon found out was her Charge.
She found the mirror after years of research. It was a great moment, when she finally stood in front of it, the ancient map that had led her to its secret location in her hands. She hesitated. It was said that those who dared look into it were changed forever. She had much to lose: her reputation among mages, which was the labour of many years- serving in smaller organisations until she was offered a place in the Guild, as well as her position within the English nobility. Still, the mirror of Eileenthor promised to show her the truth of the world-something she felt she needed, if she were ever to rise to a position of leadership. Slowly, she looked into the glass.
The Red coats fighting the Scottish were the first thing she saw. She almost looked away, disappointed. Angry even. She’d already heard all about the Scots. But then she realized that the images were different from what she knew: the mirror showed the Scottish as heroic freedom fighters, an oppressed people who protected their land and families-not the brutal unjust enemy that had been described to her. She looked away, but the images remained with her. And the battle of Culloden, which was yet to happen, was in the mirror when she looked back. And amidst the smoke and roar cannon fire, a man she never saw before called for her help. The mirror then took her back to Alexander the Great, considered a saviour by some and the devil by others. “It all depended on which side of the mirror you stood”-she realized, “because everything was the opposite on the other side.”
After the images ended, she remained stunned, unable to move for hours. She eventually rose, knowing her heart had been changed forever. She was ready to face her role in the Guild with fresh eyes. And one day, when the Guild will be ready for an egalitarian world view, to be its leader.
This video story is a background for characters in Dark Flame
Behind the scenes
Me talking about the inspirations behind the short stories, including my ideals of pacifism and diversity