As High King and Queen, Arthur and Guenevere reign supreme across the many kingdoms and islands of Great Britain. Reconciled with Arthur, Guenevere secretly mourns the loss of her beloved Lancelot, who has returned to the Sacred Lake of his boyhood, hoping to restore his faith in chivalry in the place where he first learned to be a knight. In a glittering ceremony at the annual feast of Pentecost, new knights are sworn to the Round Table, including Arthur's nephews, the cunning Agravain and his heroic brother Gawain. Camelot is reborn in all its glory, and after many years of strife, peace is restored to Guenevere's realm. But betrayal, jealousy, and ancient blood feuds fester unseen. Morgan Le Fay, now the proud possessor of Arthur's only son, Mordred, has become the focus of Merlin's age-old quest to ensure the survival of the house of Pendragon at all costs. And from the east comes the shattering news that Guenevere may have a rival for Lancelot's love. A bleak shadow falls again across Camelot--and across the sacred isle of Avalon, where Roman priests threaten the sanctity of the Hallows and the life of the Lady herself. At the center of the storm is Guenevere, a proud and powerful queen torn between her love for her husband, her people, and her knight, Sir Lancelot of the Lake. With rare and intuitive magic, Rosalind Miles brings to life a legendary woman's bravery and passion, and all the pageantry, heartbreak, violence, and beauty of an age gone by.