The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

One day, a wounded knight-messenger arrives at King Arthur’s Royal Hall in Camelot. He tells the court that the kings of Denmark, Ireland, Soleyse, Vale, and Longtinaise are wreaking havoc. Arthur sends messengers to Pellinore and Urien to bring their armies, and rides with his own army into the forest of Tintagalon. Arthur’s army holds off the enemy until Pellinore arrives. Eventually, their combined forces defeat the enemy, but eight Knights of the Round Table die in battle. Merlin suggests Arthur consult with another knight to choose replacements. Arthur and Pellinore select a combination of young and old candidates. For the final young knight, they struggle to choose between two men: Sir Baudemagus and Sir Tor, eventually deciding on Tor. Once this is decided, all the names of the knights they choose magically appear on the Round Table.

Morgana le Fay is upset that Baudemagus, her son, was not picked, and speaks out against Arthur’s choice. Urien and Ewaine chide her for speaking against the king, but Baudemagus leaves Arthur’s court. Morgana also leaves his court and travels to the magical floating island of Avalon.

Morgana le Fay, second only to Merlin in magical power, decides to punish Arthur, her half-brother, for overlooking Baudemagus. In order to get to Arthur, she must distract Merlin. Morgana teaches magic to the beautiful and cruel Vivien, and Vivien desires even more wisdom. Morgana offers Vivien a charm to help her seduce Merlin in order to gain the power of prophecy, which Merlin never taught Morgana. Vivien agrees and plans to use the magic he teaches her against him. Morgana gives her two magic rings, telling her that the wearer of one ring will fall in love with the wearer of the other ring.

During the feast at Pentecost, Vivien arrives at King Arthur’s Court, identifying herself as the daughter of the King of Northumberland. She presents the magic ring as one that only the wisest and worthiest can wear. Many members of the court try on the ring, but it only fits Merlin. Once he puts it on, he cannot take it off, which alarms him. Shortly after Vivien tells him it is from Morgana, Merlin is under its spell and madly in love with Vivien.

Merlin follows Vivien around, and she pretends to like him. One day, Merlin follows her into the garden and notices that she tries to flee from him. When he asks if she hates him, she says she could love him if he teaches her magic. He hesitates, but eventually agrees, saying lessons must happen in a secluded place. Vivien tells Arthur they are going to visit Northumberland, but they instead head towards the Valley of Delight.

Merlin and Vivien travel through a dark forest to the Valley of Delight. Merlin uses magic to build a castle, and Vivien asks if he will teach her the spell. He says he will teach her to magically build and destroy a castle, as well as many other spells. She pretends to love him, but knows he only loves her because of the ring.

In a year, Merlin teaches Vivien all of his magic spells. She has a great feast prepared and doses his wine with a sleeping potion. While he is asleep, she casts a spell that immobilizes him. He wakes up, realizing she betrayed him. Merlin requests that she help save Arthur’s life by going to the castle of Sir Domas de Noir, and Vivien agrees. She calls in her attendants to laugh at Merlin and help her put him in a stone box. Then, she makes his magic castle disappear, covers the valley in mist, and rides off to the castle as Merlin requested.

The narrator hopes the reader is never betrayed like Merlin and announces that he will now turn his attention to Arthur.

After Vivien and Merlin leave, Morgana le Fay returns to Arthur’s court and begs his forgiveness. He forgives her, and she lives in her old apartment. One day, Morgana asks to see Excalibur. Arthur shows it to her, she asks to keep it for a little while to enjoy it further, and he agrees. Morgana finds eight goldsmiths, eight armor smiths, and eight jewelers to make a copy of Excalibur.

Before Arthur goes out for a hunt, Morgana gives him a black horse. During the hunt, he and Sir Accalon follow a deer and get lost in the forest. Accalon suggests they let the horses lead them to civilization. Arthur’s horse leads them to a river, and a ship appears. On the ship are 12 damsels who recognize them and admit to being part fay. They invite Arthur and Accalon aboard for rest and dinner. After feasting, Arthur feels extremely tired, and the damsels take him and Accalon to lush bedrooms. When Arthur wakes, he discovers he is in a prison made of stone. Other knights in the dungeon tell him they are in the castle of Sir Domas le Noir. One prisoner tells Arthur that Domas is the brother of Sir Ontzlake and has taken all his lands except one castle. Domas seeks a knight that will win him this castle, which Ontzlake defends skillfully. The imprisoned knights refused to fight for Domas, so he put them in his dungeon.

Arthur agrees to fight for Domas, secretly planning to betray him after he defeats Ontzlake. Arthur tells the messenger that Domas must free all the knights if Arthur defeats Ontzlake. Arthur almost recognizes that the messenger is one of the damsels from the ship (and a servant of Morgana’s), but she denies knowing him. Arthur sends her to Morgana with a letter asking for Excalibur, and Morgana sends the fake she had made. Ontzlake hears that Domas found a champion, but he is injured and cannot fight.

The narrator returns to Sir Accalon, who woke up next to a fountain when Arthur woke up in prison. A dwarf greets Accalon and invites him to the nearby pavilion of Lady Gomyne of the Fair Hair. Accalon cleans up in the fountain and follows the dwarf. In the pavilion, they have breakfast and Gomyne tells him about Domas taking Ontzlake’s lands. She asks Accalon to be Ontzlake’s champion in the fight for the final castle. Accalon is willing but does not have armor. Gomyne offers a sword, which Accalon recognizes as Excalibur, and he mentions that he has seen a twin of the sword. Gomyne claims she has heard of its twin, and Accalon decides he will be a champion in order to obtain it. The narrator reminds the reader that Morgana coordinated the fight and switched the swords.

When Arthur and Accalon prepare to joust in the armor of Domas and Ontzlake, respectively, they do not recognize each other. Both their spears break, they jump off their horses, and draw their swords: Excalibur and its duplicate. Vivien arrives at the fight, but is not sure which knight is Arthur, so waits to use her magic to help him as requested by Merlin. Accalon, who holds Excalibur’s magic sheath, is able to avoid injury. Arthur, bleeding, realizes his sword is a fake copy of Excalibur. Arthur lands a blow on Accalon and the fake Excalibur breaks. Arthur refuses to yield, so Accalon strikes him with Excalibur, and Arthur falls to his knees. Vivien realizes that Arthur is about to be killed and casts a spell causing Accalon’s arm to go numb. Accalon drops Excalibur, and Arthur picks it up, dealing several blows to Accalon. Accalon begins to bleed after Arthur takes the sheath of Excalibur away from him. Arthur takes off Accalon’s helmet, but his eyes are blurred with blood, so he has to ask who he is. Once both men reveal their identities, Accalon faints. The crowd gets excited to see Arthur, and he also faints from blood loss.

Vivien says she can heal the knights and takes them away to a small nunnery. There, she heals Arthur and her assistant heals Accalon. The next morning, Arthur interrogates Accalon, and Accalon tells him what happened after they fell asleep on the ship. Arthur tells Vivien to use the same healing potion on Accalon as she did on him, but she refuses, and Accalon dies.

Arthur summons Domas and Ontzlake, and they kneel before him. Arthur punishes Domas by giving Ontzlake all of Domas’s lands and leaving only one castle in Domas’s possession. Arthur also demands that Domas free the knights in prison, and he agrees to all the conditions.

Morgana hears that Accalon died and is concerned because this was not part of her plans. She goes to where Arthur is healing and, while he is asleep, steals Excalibur’s sheath. When Arthur wakes up and realizes the sheath is gone, the attendants reveal Morgana visited him while he slept. Vivien joins Arthur in his pursuit of Morgana.

Morgana sees them approaching and throws the sheath in the lake, where a woman’s arm catches it and pulls it underwater. Then, Morgana casts a magic spell that turns all of her court and horses into stones. Vivien tells Arthur about the spell and offers to reverse it if he will kill Morgana. Arthur refuses to kill his half-sister. Vivien calls him a fool and disappears, hating Arthur for condemning her actions in public. Shortly after, Arthur learns that Vivien captured Merlin, and mourns his loss.