The Mists of Avalon

Morgaine awakes from a dream of Kevin taking Gwydion to Avalon. She also pictures him and Arthur fighting, and Gwydion taking Excalibur. Morgaine finds Taliesin and asks about Kevin’s whereabouts. Taliesin says he is headed for Lothian and says she should not be surprised if he asks for her hand in marriage. Morgaine says that she has no interest in getting married and knows in her heart this is because of Lancelet. When Kevin returns to Camelot, he confirms that he rode with Gwydion to Avalon, causing Morgaine to think that perhaps she still has the Sight after all.

At Arthur’s Pentecost dinner, he begins to call forth the new knights. Gareth, the son of Morgause and Lot, asks if Lancelet will knight him. This offends Gawaine, who wanted to knight his little brother, so he makes a joke about Lancelet’s open desire for Gwenhwyfar. This angers Lancelet to the point that he starts a fight, “bend[ing] his arm backward, growling with rage like an angry wolf” (480).

Morgaine, knowing this behavior is out of character for Lancelet, seeks him out after the feast. He confesses to sleeping with both Arthur and Gwenhwyfar at Arthur’s bidding. Ever since, he has come to see Arthur in a new light, realizing he loves Gwenhwyfar because she is the closest he can get to being with Arthur. He laments, “I love the wife of my king, and yet…yet it is Arthur I cannot leave…I know not but what I love her only because I come close, thus, to him” (482). Morgaine tells Lancelet that the Goddess will guide him, but he says he is not sure that he believes in anything anymore. Knowing that Morgaine can do nothing to help him, he prepares to leave for Arthur’s knighting ritual. Lancelet explains that Arthur has come up with a ritual where all the knights, both new and old, will spend a full night together in prayer. New recruits will have their knighthood bestowed upon them in the morning. Morgaine is horrified, thinking that Christianity is overtaking the Druid Mysteries. She leaves Lancelet and suddenly sees a Sending of Viviane. Morgaine no longer doubts that the Sight returned to her.

Arthur welcomes guests from far and wide to the Pentecost feast. Morgaine escorts Gwenhwyfar into the hall, where she sees Balin. He asks Morgaine targeted questions about going to mass, but Morgaine simply says she is here to support Gareth. When Gareth greets her, he tells her that her son, Gwydion, has grown. Gwenhwyfar overhears this and confronts Morgaine, who tells her that she had a son through the Beltane rites. Gwenhwyfar swears to keep Morgaine’s secret.

Morgaine spots Viviane arriving at the castle gates. Overwhelmed with emotion, they weep and embrace. Morgaine admits that she tried to return to Avalon but could not summon the barge. Cradling her, Viviane says, “Darling, my own darling girl, do not cry […] you shall come back to Avalon…we will go together” (493). Morgaine tells Viviane about her years in Arthur’s court and explains that she willingly chose to serve Gwenhwyfar. Viviane is scandalized, saying it is unseemly for Christians to have power over a high priestess. She vows to discuss it with Arthur when she charges him with oath-breaking.

Viviane addresses Arthur, who is genuinely excited to see her. Balin sees her as she reminds Arthur of his oath. Overwhelmed with anger at the role he believes she played in his mother’s death, he grabs an ax and strikes her in the head, killing her instantly. Balin justifies his actions, saying that he “rid [Arthur’s] kingdom of a wicked and evil sorceress” (499). Many of the knights are descendants of Viviane and jump into action while Morgaine begs Arthur to let her avenge her.

Present-day Morgaine reflects on an argument she had with Kevin after Viviane’s death. As Morgaine said that the two of them must find a way to bury her in Avalon, Kevin admitted that Arthur was planning to publicly bury her in the church in Glastonbury. He said that Morgaine had no say in the matter because she renounced Avalon long ago. As the Merlin of Britain, he alone had the authority to approve of Arthur’s decisions on the matter. Their fight turned explosive, and Kevin stormed out of the room. Later that summer, Taliesin also passed of old age.