Some thought the old man a specter, he purported himself none other than the Wizard Merlin. Whoever he was, he told a story about Arthur that no one had heard before, a tale of victory and disgrace, love and treachery, arrogance and destiny. It was a time of great turmoil in Britain. A ruthless Saxon warlord was planning to invade. The Norsemen continued their coastal raids. The Picts of north Britain were growing bolder. And the British were not unified. Merlin had groomed young Arthur to deal with threats such as these, but neither master nor pupil was prepared for what they encountered at the annual tournament in Londinium, a beautiful, dark-haired girl named Brenna.