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Prologue
"THEY will believe I entrapped you" Coventina, the great water goddess, turned her head, unable to look at him
"I a from the darkness of this world," Merlin said He touched her saze "And since when have we cared what others say, Viviane?"
His use of the nickname he called her at their most intimate moments couldn't even make her smile "It is a curse to have the ability to see into the future," she said
"In many ways, love"
"Yes But have you always seen this for you? Forwhat you have known?"
"'Tis a man in the far future, a healer named Phil, who proclaims love is what it is It has no future or past, but simply the present"
"This healer does not impress me," Viviane said "We have a past, and we could also have a future See it Believe in it"
"I cannot see our future, my love It pains me too h was deep "The future of Arthur and Cah that more wounds feel unbearable"
She gazed at his wonderfully fath and kindness that had first drawn her to hie was shadowed by a weariness that o
If only there was a way she could take so a mortal would be difficult and that she would, eventually, have to lose hioddess had hoped that his ive hier than an ordinary mortal would have the ability to live
It was ironic that it had not been the stress of loving a goddess that had been Merlin's undoing Instead it had been the encroaching darkness that seeon, the boy grown to man as like a son to him, that had caused the Druid to want to escape the world badly enough that he had bespelled hiness in the self-made prison of this deceptively beautiful crystal cave
That damned Arthur! Why had he not listened to Merlin and chosen a wife other than young, beautiful and utterly vapid Guinevere?
As if reading her mind, Merlin said, "My love, please do not blame Arthur It isn't his fault, not entirely Nor is it Guinevere's fault None of us can choose where we love" Merlin leaned back against the fur pallet he'd arranged for himself in one s a coward, but I have seen ill happen to hie it It is " He paused, looking close to tears "It is as if Arthur is e in ht with hi works In every scenario of the future I see, the light and goodness that is Arthur is utterly destroyed by the darkness of jealousy and greed, lust and anger"
Viviane felt a flutter of panic as he closed his eyes Hoas she going to go on forever with hi in this coldly beautiful tomb, where she was unable to speak with him, or touch him, or hold him?
"But, Merlin, there must be a way to influence these events Thereso, she added silently to herself, I would save you, too
Merlin shook his head "It is beyond my power It is beyond your power"
"It cannot be beyond oddess cried in frustration
"Viviane, ods are not allowed to taht and dark The choice between the two is ain Camelot"
"Of course I know that! But I am an immortal I wield the very essence of life I must be able to save your son for you"
"I fear his fate is sealed He will die brokenhearted Betrayed by love, he will go willingly to his death Now, please, oddess, my love, allow me to sleep"
Viviane dropped to her knees beside his pallet and pressed her cheek against his thigh He stroked her golden hair with a hand that was increasingly weak
"I am so weary " he whispered
As his eyes fluttered shut again, perhaps for the last tis of hope
"Wait! Merlin, you said there is nothing in this tie his , or perhaps soe? Have you looked into that possible future and divined failure, too?"
His blue eyes opened and met hers "I did not look into a future touched by another time or reality You know I cannot manipulate time or realities" Merlin's voice was soft, almost inaudible
"You cannot, but I can!" Viviane shook his shoulders "You ive that future a chance!"
"I cannot," he whispered "The spell is set Besides, you cannot simply cast a net out into the waters of time or the waves of reality There must be a plana reasona unique soul "
"But I can try! I will look into the future and see if - "
"They do not even know us in the future" With a spurt of anger Merlin briefly sounded like hiend I am an absent mentor, often blamed for the entire debacle"
Viviane was horrified How could people forget her? She was goddess of the ancient world's ays Forget her? She thought not If she had a plan, a great one, as befitted one such as herself, not only would she save her beloved, she would be certain that her naacy would live on forever Oh, and she supposed if she saved that dumb, damn Arthur, that would be okay, too
How could the futures bla's poor choices? This oddess to do it, by damn "I will find a way, my love I will"
Merlin let out a puff of laughter "Oh, Viviane, what I love so ht Your devotion to ician had the fortune to be loved by one such as you?"
She stroked his ar siood Goodness shines frooodness is e find ourselves in this predicament But I will find a way This, I promise you"
Merlin shrugged and lay back again, breathing out the energy that had aniht help you, you cannot simply displace a life You know that Souls cannot be yanked about without any care for lives lost and futures broken Balance and reason must be maintained"
Viviane leaned forward and took Merlin in her arms "But if, by some wondrous twist of fate, I do succeed, will you swear to come back to me?"
He looked long into her eyes and Viviane watched compassion and love eariness and heartache Finally he raised one hand and began swirling it in the air
I leave a part of me
tied, Arthur, to thee
My future to thine,
our fates here combine
Survive and you shall give
ain, to live
The power that had been building around Merlin's hand was visible, a shining glow in the air With a gesturepower out at the walls of his ento crystal They shivered as they absorbed the spell
"There It is done Save Arthur and you savehis last waking breath with her
Weeping, Viviane pulled away from her lover, as now silent, completely under the spell of eternal sleep that hid hihly that he had even ed to escape the Underworld, where memory would torment his soul
Slowly, the goddess stood and covered hily with a thick pelt She kissed him once on his cool forehead and then turned and resolutely walked froet ird those damn loins