The Mists of Avalon

Now one of Gwenhwyfar’s ladies-in-waiting, Morgaine is spinning when she has a vision of blood spilling onto the hearth. A concerned Gwenhwyfar approaches her and asks if her vision was true, but Morgaine assures her it was just a dream. However, Morgaine later predicts that the men will be home in the evening, making Gwenhwyfar skeptical. Gwenhwyfar brushes it off, calling for a great feast for when the men return.

Later in the evening, Arthur returns, disappointed that Gwenhwyfar is not pregnant. The couple has been trying to conceive since their marriage without success. Gwenhwyfar has convinced herself that this is punishment for her secretly coveting Lancelet and for Arthur’s refusal to rule Caerleon under Christianity. As Arthur and Gwenhwyfar prepare for bed, Arthur remarks that Lancelet needs a wife. He suggests Morgaine, which upsets Gwenhwyfar. Angry and disappointed, she tells Arthur he should be ashamed of ruling over a kingdom that supports Druidism. When Arthur reminds her that he has sworn an oath to Avalon and intends to be a king for all people, Gwenhwyfar suggests that he no longer has his priorities in order. She says that people who practice magic are just as barbaric as the Saxons: “The true warfare for a Christian king is only against those who do not follow Christ” (317).