The news was not good. Ruber was mounting an army, that much they already knew, but more than that; the sorceress Odette had magic which could make the soldiers virtually undefeatable.

“Unless some kind twist of fate intervenes,” Lionel told his wife, “there will indeed be a war, between Arthur’s knights and Ruber’s army.”

Juliana shuddered. “Darling-”

“We’re going to have to tell the children that,” Lionel replied, glancing over at them.

Juliana looked too. Their four children and the newcomer were all sitting beside the fire as Anya told a story of storms and dragons and...

Ariel lay awake that night, wondering what to do. She wanted to help Jasmine so badly, but how? How? If only she knew someone who knew something about magic.

Then it hit her. She sat up, pondering for a few seconds and then, excitedly, she nudged her husband. Ramses stirred. “What is it?” Opening his eyes properly, he sat up, worried. “Is something wrong? Is it the baby?”

“No, no,” she smiled. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, thank Ra!” Ramses sighed. “You had me worried there for a moment.”

“Sorry. Oh, don’t go back to sleep,” she added as he lay back down again. “I’ve had...

Ariel awoke early the next morning; exhausted but happy. The sunlight wafted in through the open window, warming the room and bathing it in a golden glow. She felt as though she might be glowing herself as she remembered everything that had happened the night before; her marriage to Ramses.

“Good morning, my princess.”

She hadn’t realised that he was awake, but he was, and smiling at her, like any man in love. She smiled back, warmly. “Good morning.” Her heart leapt at remembering she was now awake and had to get up and dressed. “Oh, by Ra! I’ve got to get up and attend to your...

Ariel stared at the scene before her. First it had been fire, raining down from the sky like lightening and burning houses here, fields there, and people and animals all over Egypt. Then it had been locusts, which wouldn’t have been too bad, except that they were suddenly everywhere, even crawling into bathtubs and into people’s food, spreading disease everywhere. Then the Nile waters had turned into blood and no one had any clean water to drink. Plague and pestilence was everywhere, and each second she had to watch the people of Egypt staggering under festering boils and oozing sores and...