And as attendants to her, Morgana le Fay didst have three fair damsels of fifteen years of age, and they were three of the most fair and beautifullest maidens that had ever graced the world. And the fairest damsel was of the name Vivien, but her heart was cold and devoid of all but the most meagre of human feeling.
One day this damsel and Morgana le Fay sat together in a garden, and the garden was upon a very high terrace and overlooked the sea. And the day was very fair and the sea so wonderfully blue that it appeared to be as though the blue sky had melted into water and the water into the sky. As Vivien and Morgana sat in this beautiful place, Morgana said to the damsel,
"Vivien, what wouldst thou rather have than anything else in all the world?" To which Vivien replied,
"Lady, I would rather have such wisdom as thou hast, than anything else."
Then Morgana laughed and said,
"It is possible for thee to be as wise as I am, and wiser too, if so be thou wilt do according to my ordination. For I know a way in which thou mayst obtain wisdom."
"How may I obtain that wisdom, Lady?" said Vivien.
Then Morgana le Fay said,
"Hearken and I will tell thee. Thou must know that Merlin, whom thou hast several times seen at the Court of King Arthur, is the master of all the wisdom that it is possible for anyone to possess in this world. All that I know of magic Merlin hath taught me, and he knoweth many things that he did not teach me, but which he withheld from me. For Merlin taught me, when I was a young damsel at the Court of my mother's husband. And thou, Vivien, are certes thrice as fair as I. It is surety, that for love of your beauty, he shalt teach unto thee all he dost know of his magic.
"But thou art to know, Vivien, that in winning this gift of knowledge from Merlin thou wilt put thyself in great peril. For, by and by, when he hast taught thee his power, then he may easily regret what he hath done in imparting his wisdom to thee; in the which case there will be great danger that he may lay some spell upon thee to deprive thee of thy powers; for it would be impossible that both thou and he could live in the same world and each of ye know so much cunning of magic."
Now unto all this Vivien listened with a great deal of attention, and when Morgana had ended the damsel said,
"Dear Lady, all that thou tellest me is very wonderful, and I find myself possessed with a vehement desire to attain such knowledge in magic as that. Wherefore, if thou wilt help me in this matter so that I may beguile his wisdom from Merlin, thou wilt make of me a debtor unto thee for as long as I may live. And touching the matter of any danger that may fall to me in this affair, I am altogether willing to assume that; for I have a great hope that I may be able so to protect myself from Merlin that no harm shall befall me. For when I have drawn all the knowledge that I am able to obtain from him, then I will use that same knowledge to cast such a spell upon him that he shall never be able to harm me or anyone else again. In this I shall play my wit against his wisdom and my beauty against his cunning, and I believe that I shall win at that game."
Then Morgana fell a-laughing beyond all measure, and when she had stinted her laughter, she cried,
"Vivien! certes thou art cunning beyond anything that I ever heard tell of, and I believe that thou art as wicked as thou art cunning. For whoever heard of a child of fifteen years old who would speak such words as thou hast just now spoken; or whoever could suppose that so young a girl could conceive the thought of compassing the downfall of the wisest magician who hath ever lived."
Now King Arthur took much pleasure in holding a great feast each Pentecost, at which time his Court was gathered about him with much mirth and rejoicing. At such times it delighted him to have some excellent entertainment for to amuse himself and his Court, wherefore it befell that nearly always something happened that gave much entertainment to the King. So came the Feast of Pentecost, and King Arthur sat at the table with a great many noble and lordly folk and several kings and queens. Now as they all sat at that feast, their spirits greatly expanded with mirth and good cheer, there suddenly came into the hall a very beautiful young damsel. And the damsel was dressed all in flame-coloured satin, very rich, and with beautiful embroidery of gold. And her hair, which was black like the wing of a raven, was coiled into a net of gold. And her eyes were black as coals and extraordinarily bright and gleaming. And she had about her throat a necklace of gold of three strands, so that with all that gold and those bright garments she shone with wonderful splendour as she entered the hall. And Merlin was smitten with the damsel Viviens beauty, and when she didst ask of the king that she may stay, he was most joyous.
From that day forth, whithersoever she went, there he might be found not far away; and if she was in the garden, he would be there; and if she was in the Hall, he also would be there; and if she went a-hawking he would also be a-horseback. And all the Court observed these things and many made themselves merry and jested upon it. But Vivien hated Merlin with all her might, for she saw that they all made merry at that folly of Merlin's, and he wearied her with his regard. But she dissembled this disregard before his face and behaved to him in all ways as though she had a great friendship for him.
Now it happened upon a day that Vivien sat in the garden, and it was wonderfully pleasant summer weather, and Merlin came into the garden and beheld Vivien where she sat. But when Vivien perceived Merlin coming she could not bear for to be nigh him at that time, for his pointed ears and strange eyes didst arouse great disgust in her, wherefore she arose in haste with intent to escape from him. But Merlin hurried and overtook her and he said to her,
"Child, do you then hate me?" And Vivien said,
"Sir, I do not hate you." But Merlin said,
"In very truth I believe that you do hate me." And Vivien was silent. Then Merlin said, "I would that I knew what I might do for you so that you would cease to hate me, for I find that I have a wonderful love for you." Upon this Vivien looked at Merlin very strangely, and by and by she said,
"Sir, if you would only impart your wisdom and your cunning unto me, then I believe that I could love you a very great deal. For, behold! I am but as a young child in knowledge and thou art so old and so wise that I am afraid of thee. If thou wouldst teach me thy wisdom so that I might be thine equal, then haply I might grow to have such a regard for thee as thou wouldst have me feel."
Upon this Merlin looked very steadily at Vivien and he said,
"Damsel thou art, certes, no such foolish child as thou dost proclaim thyself to be; for I see that thine eyes are very bright with a cunning beyond thy years. Now I misdoubt that if I should teach thee the wisdom which thou dost desire to possess, either it would be to thy undoing or else it would be to my undoing."
Then Vivien cried out with a very loud and piercing voice,
"Merlin, if thou dost love me, teach me thy wisdom and the cunning of thy magic and then I will love thee beyond anyone else in all the world!"
But Merlin sighed very deeply, for his heart misgave him. Then by and by he said,
"Vivien, thou shalt have thy will and I will teach thee all those things of wisdom and magic that thou desirest to know. But one condition only do I place upon thee. When I have taught thee my wisdom, thou must answer a question of mine."
Upon this Vivien was filled with such vehement agony of joy that she did not dare to let Merlin look into her countenance lest he should read what was therein written. Wherefore she cast down her eyes and turned her face away from him. Then in a little while she said,
"Master, I shalt submit to this condition, but when wilt thou teach me that wisdom?" To this Merlin made reply,
"I shall not teach thee today nor tomorrow nor at this place; for I can only teach thee those knowledges in such solitude that there shall be nothing to disturb thy studies. But tomorrow thou shalt tell King Arthur that thou must return unto thy father's kingdom. Then we will depart together accompanied by thy Court; and when we have come to some secluded place, there I will build a habitation by the means of my magic and we shall abide therein until I have instructed thee in wisdom."
Then Vivien made great joy, and she caught Merlin's hand in hers and she kissed his hand with great passion.
So the next day Vivien besought King Arthur that he would give her leave to return unto her father's Court, and upon the third day she and Merlin and a number of attendants who were in service upon the damsel, quitted the Court of King Arthur and departed as though to go upon their way to the Kingdom of Northumberland.
But after they had gone some little distance from the Court of the King, they both didst turn to the east and took their way toward a certain valley of which Merlin was acquainted, and which was so fair and pleasant a place that it was sometimes called the Valley of Delight, and sometimes the Valley of Joyousness.
And Merlin used his magic and wove a charm about the valley, so that no other but he and Vivien couldst come unto that place of fairness.
And so there they abode for nigh on two years, and Merlin taught unto Vivien the secrets of his craft, because of his love for her, though she cared naught for him. Yet as the turning of the seasons continued, Vivien didst thaw, little by little, day by day, and in her heart, human feeling and a great love for Merlin didst gradually grow. And as she learnt more, she perceived that Morgana le Fay had lied, and sent her to Camelot for her own evil ends. But she didst hide this from Merlin and continue ever more hardly with her studies.
One fair morning, Merlin didst approach Vivien, whom was set upon the grass and weaving a chain of small flowers, and he said unto her,
"Child, I have taught unto thee all that is in my power to do so, and now I wouldst ask thee my question." And Vivien replied, setting aside the flowers,
"Certes, Master, I would fain answer this question of thine." Then Merlin set himself to the left of Vivien, and he didst ask,
"Vivien, dost thou love me?"
And Vivien said,
"Merlin, I dost love thee beyond all things else, beyond even any description the Gods themselves could produce. So strong is my love for thee, I shalt give unto thee the greatest gift that is mine to give unto any being." And Vivien didst tell unto Merlin her true name; that is Nimue. And in return, Merlin didst tell her the secret of his birth; that he was born in Avalon, and his strange ears and eyes didst mark him as an elf, and one of the faery folk.
Then she and Merlin didst then depart from the valley, and go forth into the world again, and together didst seek for a way to overcome the evil of Morgana le Fay.
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