t was at a fine flowing fountain in the forest of Broceliande where I first met my Nimue. She sat alone on the rim of the well, trailing her fair fingers through the crystal waters. Such beauty! Such perfection! Surely she appeared the perfect princess of some mystical realm. I vowed to make her acquaintence. I hid myself within the verge of the wood and spied upon her, until I was certain she had neither handmaids or guardians about. Then, cloaking myself in the visage of a much younger man, I ventured forth in the guise of a young squire. "Good morrow, Fair Maid," I said as I approached. "Do not fear, for you have captured my heart and hold it as hostage against my good behavior." I doffed my cap and sank down upon one knee, in reverance to her beauty. "And who, pray tell, are you who is wandering about my wood?" she asked with the sweetest of smiles. "I am but a humble squire, dear Lady, Mylfwdd by name" I said, looking up into her moonlit eyes. "My master is the Wizard Merlin, who has some business in these parts. He gave me leave to walk about and enjoy an afternoon of leisure. Upon seeing you here, I could think of no finer way to spend my free time than in the worship of a woodland goddess." She tossed her lovely head, which sent a ripple down her dark tresses. Suddenly I was taken with the urge to twine my fingers in that ebon cascade, which hung like a silken mantle, well down past her shaply waist. Instead, I contented myself with pressing a single lock to my lips. "And has your master taught you any arts suitable to the entertainment of a lady who is tired of waiting?" she asked, coyly. "Indeed he has!" I announced. "I can create a castle in the air and fill it with people who are going about their daily business. I can form an attacking army of sticks and stones, and cause them to storm the castle. I can then have the King and all his Knights come forth to defend their castle and drive off the usurpers." As I spoke, I conjured these images in the air above the fountain, and she laughed with glee. It made my heart beat fast to hear such a sweet sound. "These are strange things you have shown me," she said. "I wish that I could do likewise." "Ah, but I can do yet greater things," I bragged. "There is nothing that I cannot do, and I can make them endure forever or banish them in the twinkling of an eye." Thus saying, I waved my hand and caused the castle and all the people to vanish into the thin air. "I would love forever," she smiled, "someone who could do such things and teach me to do the same." "For the love of you, I would do anything," I replied in earnest. And with that, I took out my wand and described a great circle about the glade and the well where we sat. And in that circle, I caused a great orchard to grow, with fruits and flowers of all kinds. And a troop of Lords and Ladies and entertainers came out of the orchard. The ladies all gathered round while the lords set up a game of tilting at the quintains in the grassy meadow. The minstrels played and sang a song, ‘Truly, Love begins in joy but ends in grief’. And the merriment continued from mid-day until evening. Needless to say, Nimue was delighted. "For the things you have shown me and will teach me," she pledged, "I am all yours." "I will show you many more wonders than that," I pledged in return, "and you will learn more than any other woman before you." Eventually, I revealed to her that I was not the squire, but the master, himself. Howsoever, I am sure she had already guessed. She is, after all, a very bright girl! I have learned that many times over the years. So now, I approach her again, not as the wizard, but as the squire. We repeat our first conversation, almost word for word, and I recreate the castle and all the people. By the time I banish the image, she is giggling like a silly lass. We close upon one another in an embrace that is both sweet and sensual. However, before we get carried away and run off into the bushes, I put on my "serious" face. "Do you think we’ve put a little fear into the lad?" I ask. "He seems to be sorely lacking in caution."

Note: The first part of this post is my retelling of the meeting of Merlin and Nimue, as related by Thomas Wentworth Higginson in his collection, "Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic" (1898).