Out of the shadow of legend and pagan magic, Gwenhwyfar emerges: a Celtic queen who must choose to do her duty or follow her heart.

    When sixteen-year-old GWENHWYFAR is forced into marriage with the arrogant KING ARTHUR, one man befriends her. LANCELOT, the pagan son of the Lady of Broceliande, as virile and imaginative in pleasuring a woman as he is fierce and relentless in the male world. Gwenhwyfar struggles with Christian guilt and erotic attraction, suppressing her feelings for Lancelot to be a dutiful queen.

    Her problems continue. MORGANA, Arthur’s sister who treads the Dark Path, is secretly raising MEDRAUT to usurp the throne. Arthur nearly raped her; she is determined to avenge that and be the King’s Consort and equally determined to keep Gwenhwyfar barren by using poisonous herbs.

    NIMUE, the beautiful priestess of Avallach who bears Arthur a daughter as a product of the Great Rite, the King’s marriage to the land, has a Sighting of the final battle. She vows to search for the child who will cause Arthur’s demise; Arthur loves her and depends on her as the chasm widens with his wife.

    With Arthur’s driven intent to unite Britain, Gwenhwyfar feels abandoned and turns to the comfort that Lancelot offers, embracing hot, sizzling moments only to push shakily away from him time and again.

    As Arthur realizes Lancelot’s love for Gwenhwyfar is growing, he sends him north to Joyous Garde, yet he can be no husband to her. Committing incest with his sister has made him impotent.

    Lancelot returns two years later to participate in a tournament in which he is wounded. He rides away, but the wound festers. He is found unconscious by ELEN of Astolat and nursed back to health. She falls in love and begs him to marry her; shocked, he leaves abruptly. Later, when her body is brought to Camelot for burial, he is overwrought with guilt and wanders the country. Morgana and her lover, ACCOLON, drug him, and hold him hostage. Arthur meets the hand combat challenge from Accolon for Lancelot’s release and removes his swordbelt; Morgana switches scabbards during the fight.

    Medraut is infatuated with Gwenhwyfar. When Lancelot returns, Medraut is instantly jealous; the hatred will continue to grow until he goes mad. No one, least of all Gwenhwyfar, realizes how ill he is.

    When Arthur refuses to make Morgana his consort, she dispels quicklime in the lining of a special cloak for Gwenhwyfar, which will disfigure her. The plan is thwarted; that night, the old nurse tells Lancelot that Gwenhwyfar is so shaken she needs to see him. He is duped into bed by Gwenhwyfar’s cousin, ELAINE. They are discovered and he is forced to marry her. When she bears GALAHAD, she informs Lancelot if he goes back to Gwenhwyfar, he will never see his child again.

    Arthur is plagued by continual battles—Aesc in the east, Cerdic in the south, the Scotti in the west. When Cerdic’s son, CYNRIC, is taken hostage, no one could imagine that the Saxon would one day save both Lancelot’s and Gwenhwyfar’s lives.

    Medraut gathers his men and plots to find Lancelot and Gwenhwyfar in bed. When they are exposed in the throes of love-making, Morgana demands a trial; Arthur breaks his own code of honor and allows them to escape. It is the beginning of the end for him.

    Lancelot and Gwenhwyfar spend two glorious, sensually torrid years at Joyous Garde before Arthur summons her home. The land lies barren, the people famished. According to Druid legend, only the queen can heal the land. She must go.

    HOEL calls Arthur to Armorica to battle Clovis. While he is away, Medraut plots his revenge; his army waits at Cam’s Landing to ambush Arthur. The next morning, thousands of men lay dead.

    Gwenhwyfar, Galahad and PEREDUR ride to the field. They meet the Washer at the Ford, the Morrigan. She tells them she has not seen the king this day. They ride on to find Arthur near death.

    Nimue, who has accompanied him, says he can be healed if they can get him to Avalon, beyond the land of Faerie. The portal she can use lies at the Lake of Avallach.

    MYRDDIN and MORGAN LE FEY, queen of Faerie, await them. Gwenhwyfar offers to go, but Nimue tells her she won’t be able to return since she lacks fey blood.

    Arthur tells her she’s done her duty, now is the time for her to follow her heart, just as he is doing with Nimue at his side. He tells Lancelot to take care of her.

    Lancelot and Gwenhwyfar watch as the barge is poled away and disappears into the mists.

    “I think,” Lancelot said, “that we have years of time to make up for. First, we’ll get married.”

    Gwenhwyfar smiled up at him and nodded. “Let’s go home.”

    From across the still water came the low tinkling of faerie laughter.