Note: It is not necessary to read this poem to understand the fanfiction that follows, but as I included some of it in the text, and the poem itself is now in the public domain, rather than forcing my readers to hunt it down, I felt it wise to include Proud Margret with this prologue. Indeed, many readers will skip a prologue entirely, so feel free to move right on to the first chapter, for this, which I write now, is but a supplementary background. Included here is a small bit, in the style of Le Mortè de Artur, on Morgan le Fae.


PROUD Margret's father of wealth had store,
Time with me goes slow.--
And he was a king seven kingdoms o'er,
But that grief is heavy I know.

To her came wooing good earls two,
Time with me goes slow.--
But neither of them would she hearken unto,
But that grief is heavy I know.

To her came wooing princes five,
Time with me goes slow.--
Yet not one of them would the maiden have,
But that grief is heavy I know.

To her came wooing kings then seven,
Time with me goes slow.--
But unto none her hand has she given,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king asked his mother to read,
Time with me goes slow.--
How to win proud Margret he might speed,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And say how much thou wilt give unto me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"That herself may into the hill come to thee?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"Thee will I give the ruddiest gold,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"And thy chests full of money as they can hold,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

One Sunday morning it fell out so,
Time with me goes slow.--
Proud Margret unto the church should go,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And all as she goes, and all as she stays,
Time with me goes slow.--
All the nearer she comes where the high hill lay,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So she goeth around the hill compassing,
Time with me goes slow.--
So there openeth a door, and thereat goes she in,
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margret stept in at the door of the hill,
Time with the goes slow.--
And the hill-king salutes her with eyes joyful,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So he took the maiden upon his knee,
Time with me goes slow.--
And took the gold rings and therewith her wed he,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So he took the maiden his arms between,
Time with me goes slow.--
He gave her a gold crown and the name of queen,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So she was in the hill for eight round years,
Time with me goes slow.--
There bare she two sons and a daughter so fair,
But that grief is heavy I know.

When she had been full eight years there,
Time with me goes slow.--
She wished to go home to her mother so dear,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king spake to his footpages twain,
Time with me goes slow.--
"Put ye the gray pacers now unto the wain,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

And Margret out at the hill-door stept,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her little children they thereat wept,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,
Time with me goes slow.--
So he lifteth her into the gilded wain,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear now thou footpage what I unto thee say,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Thou now shalt drive her to her mother's straightway,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margret stept in o'er the door-sill,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her mother saluteth her with eyes joyful,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And where heat thou so long stayed?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"I have been in the flowery meads,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"What veil is that thou wearest on thy hair?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Such as women and mothers use to wear,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"Well may I wear a veil on my head,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Me hath the hill-king both wooed and wed,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"In the hill have I been these eight round years,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"The loveliest maiden the world doth bear,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear thou, proud Margret, what I say unto thee,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Can I go with thee home thy children to see?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king stept now in at the door,
Time with me goes slow.--
And Margret thereat fell down on the floor,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And stayest thou now here complaining of me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Camest thou not of thyself into the hill to me?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And stayest thou now here and thy fate dost deplore?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Camest thou not of thyself in at my door?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The hill-king struck her on the cheek rosie,
Time with me goes slow.--
"And pack to the hill to thy children wee,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The hill-king struck her with a twisted root,
Time with me goes slow.--
"And pack to the hill without any dispute,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,
Time with me goes slow.--
And lifted her into the gilded wain,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear thou my footpage what I unto thee say,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Thou now shalt drive her to my dwelling straightway,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margret stept in at the hill door,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her little children rejoiced therefòre,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"It is not worth while rejoicing for me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Christ grant that I never a mother had been,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The one brought out a gilded chair,
Time with me goes slow.--
"O rest you, my sorrow-bound mother, there,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The one brought out a filled up horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
The other put therein a gilded corn,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The first drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both heaven and earth,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The second drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both God and his word,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The third drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both sister and brother,
But that grief is heavy I knew.

She forgot straightway both sister and brother,
Time with me goes slow.--
But she never forgot her sorrow-bound mother,
But that grief is heavy I know.


How Morgan le Fae did come to reside Underground, and how her brother was saved from a most familiar of fates.

And one day young Morgan, being a child of ten summers, was angered at being bade attend the infant Arthur, and she said – you horrid child, it is for you that my father has been slain and my mother taken from me by that man, and here she spake of the High King Uther Pendragon, who slayed the Duke of Tintigel, who was her mother's husband. You horrid child, she said, how I wish that some creatures of equal horror, some troll or goblin or pack of pixies, would come and take you away, that I may be rid of you.

And then before Morgan appeared a Fae of many years, he who was the King of the Gobelins, who was called Drystan and who was father to young Titania, and he said to Morgan – I will take this child, and shall make him a Fae, and you shall be rid of him.

And young Morgan wailed and gnashed her teeth, saying to Drystan – You will not! He is my brother, and not yours. If you need to make a Fae of someone, make it me, and I will go away with you.

When Drystan heard Morgan's words he was moved, and bethought to amend his words. I shall not take the boy then, said Drystan, and shall instead take you, but not now. For you are too old to become full fae by a word, and too young to take power from one now dead.

And he did then tell her of an island that she would rule over, and that would come to be known as Avalon in later days. Morgan then did call herself Fae, and did watch carefully her brother until he came of age and she was late claimed by Drystan to serve the Fae in the magical arts which she had learned.

fin