Chapter I:
The Birth of a King

Uther Pendragon Writing in 1136, Geoffrey of Monmouth tells us that once upon a time, Britain was ruled by a brave and wise king named Uther (pronounced “Oo-ther”) Pendragon. Under Uther's wise leadership, Britain was peaceful and prosperous and her citizens happy and protected.

Ygraine, Duchess of Tintagel But the king was troubled. He was childless. He had no son to inherit the throne after he was gone, nor a daughter to gladden his heart. Moreover, the King was desperately in love with Ygraine (pronounced “Ee-graine”), the Duke of Tintagel's wife.

Desperate for Ygraine, the King invited all the nobles in the land to attend a great feast at his castle. Ygraine and her husband, the Duke, attended, but Uther was ruthless in his pursuit of her. Seeing this, the Duke became enraged and he took his wife back to their castle at Tintagel without notice.

This was unheard of. No one left a royal feast without official leave from the King. The King demanded that they return, but they refused. A great battle broke out between the King's army and the Duke's.

In desperation, the King turned to the wizard Merlin for help. Merlin took pity on the poor king and agreed to help him. But with a price. Any child born of the union, he said, would have to be turned over to his care. The King agreed and Merlin wove a spell which made the King appear just like the Duke. He entered Tintagel Castle disguised as the Duke, and went to the Duchess' chamber where she had locked herself away. Upon seeing him, she thought him to be her husband and ran to him. They spent the night together, and shortly after, it was announced that the Duke had been killed in battle. Afterwards, Uther took Tintagel and married Ygraine.

Merlin takes baby Arthur Nine months passed, and the Queen gave birth to a baby boy. The royal couple named their son Arthur. But the King had promised to turn over any children born of his union with Ygraine, to Merlin. Reluctantly, Uther gave their only son over to Merlin's care, and Ygraine was forced to say goodbye to her child forever. Merlin assured her it was for the boy's own good, but she never forgave him.