Warning: Written for a prompt for which Merlin was born a girl and so on and so forth, as indicated in the summary.
The Lady of the Lake
PART I
The Lady:
I first saw you in the lake, golden prince at the glowing gates of Avalon
from the cold and shadowed tangle where my bones did lie.
Golden prince, I pulled you free, remembering your father
your father the king who wrapped me round with irons
and pushed me in these waters.
So far from rest so close to Avalon
I thought you should not find peace there where I could not, though the Sidhe curse me for it.
I am beyond their reach, and your father's
but not yours
when you woke and thought yourself saved
and held my shadow, promised me the earth and forever.
Golden prince shining in the warm sun
you cannot see how I am bound to these waters
these cold waters where my bones lie, wrapped round with irons
tangled in trailing weeds and half-sunk in silt.
The worms know my heart, the fish my eyes
better than you ever will, my prince
who lies on the soft grass with my shadow while I
watch you from the waters at the gates of Avalon.
Were I born a boy you would not have found me here.
I would have walked away and hidden in the woods
my mystery dismissed as boyish spirits
and when I came of age I would have left to find another place
your castle perhaps, to see what you make of me
my strange ways the strangeness of a traveller from a strange land
and I would pull you from these waters all the same
but to keep you not to lose you, prince.
But I am not a boy and I am strange, and that is enough
for your father to pull me from my village and wrap me round with irons
and push me in these waters that keep my bones forgotten in the dark green tangle
and my shadow pulls you from the lake that you might not find peace where I may not.
Hold my shadow while you can, my prince
I cannot leave and you cannot stay
your land and people cry to you
while my bones lie in the cold waters at the gates of Avalon
and I dream of the sunlight and warm grass
and fruit swelling on the tree
under which you embraced my shadow
and promised me forever and the earth.
Farewell, prince.
PART II
The Lady:
I dreamt of a dragon in a cave, sunken in shadows as I am in these waters
and he spoke to me of destiny and time to come
but brave dragon, I have no time and no destiny
my bones are tangled in the weeds and mud at the bottom of the lake.
I cannot begin to dream what you want from me.
Then he bade me hold a sword that he could temper it, and I did
for there was a blade that could give me rest.
But prince, you took it up and cast it away, into this lake where my bones lie waiting
and left me here again uneasy with your blade through my hollowed ribs
and left me here
and left me
and left.
PART III
The Knight:
Fair lady standing forlorn by the lake
Why do you tarry on these desolate shores?
Surely this grey sky and still waters, these dead rushes and chill winds
these are not meet company to frame such fair maid as you.
Tell me what troubles you and makes you sigh
is it a beloved father or brother away at war
an ailing mother abed at home
a faithless lad that wronged you?
The Lady:
Courteous knight, I have no father or brother away at war,
where my mother's body lies I do not know
and no faithless lad has found me here, so rest your mind.
I wait for the king that was and yet to be
who promised me earth and eternity
and left me with this sword to hold in my hollow breast
as I lie beneath these cold waters
bones wrapped round with irons where none can reach.
Go in peace and leave me be,
here to bide against his return.
The Knight:
Fair lady standing forlorn by the lake
If it is true your bones beneath these waters lie
Then all the more I should seek to aid you.
These cold waters are no place for man or maid
fish and frogs no fit companions
and it were wrong to leave you here.
Take my hand and come with me
to the old orchard where I grew and played.
There lie beneath the warm sun and flowering trees
and watch the fruit ripen on low branches as summer passes.
Let me bring you warm mulled wine in winter
and we shall watch the snowflakes fall, and dream of spring once more.
The Lady:
Courteous knight, I do not know these dreams
my girlhood springs rained mother's tears and bloomed in dreams of fire.
And then came the king with horses and knights
and found me here, and wrapped me round in irons
and pushed me in
here to bide
and hope for the king that was and yet to be.
The Knight:
Fair lady, speak no more and take my hand.
Have mercy on a poor knight who cannot bear to see you so forlorn.
Come away from these sad shores and leave waiting.
I will take you to the orchard of my boyhood days
there to learn what spring should be, will be.
The Lady:
Kind knight, I would not risk you...
The Knight:
At your service, my lady.
PART IV
Beneath the waters
beneath the waters you lie
beneath the waters, in the gloom at the gates of Avalon
in tangled weeds, wrapped round with irons
all is cold
all is still
all is quiet
a splash
a hand
rough hands
on your wrist, your arm, your shoulders
blood-hot
pulling you from the silt and tangled weeds
up
up
through the water
stony ground beneath you
pressure on your chest you are choking again and drowning
your lungs burning
with air
drowning
in air
hands on your face, a face above yours, laughing.
you are flesh, you are blood, and beneath your hands
inside your shadow that embraced the prince
inside you
life has quickened.
PART V
He finds her by the lake in spring, where the rushes grow
beneath the blooming tree where he embraced the shadow that pulled him from the water.
Have you come for your sword? she asks him, soft as thought.
It lies beneath the waters still.
No, my lady, he replies, holding out his hands, unarmed. I come for you
as I promised, when we lay beneath this self-same tree.
And your land, and your people?
They are safe, and well-attended, have no fear.
And what of me, and my bones that wait beneath the lake in which you sheathed your sword?
I come for you, as I swore I would. I have no earth and no eternity to give, but all I am is yours, he says, and takes her hands. You are warm.
She is, says the knight, coming forth from the little hut where they bided in patience for the prince's return.
All this while she waited beneath the cold, dark waters, and only wanted for a friendly hand to pull her back to shore, whole and warm.
All this while, living? he asks, holding her hands.
All this while I waited, and held your sword in safety in my breast, she says to him, and presses his hand to the white scar over her beating heart, and on the swell of life ripening in her belly.
I am here now, my lady, he says to her
and she replies, I am done waiting.
How it ends no one now knows. The woods are silent and the lake is still.