Nimue

Nimue, also known as Damosel of the Lake, is a Lady of the Lake. Her mother is the aunt of sir Meliot. (3,xii)

During the feast of Arthur's wedding to Guenever in Camelot, her white brachet hunted a white hart into the hall of the Round Table. Sir Abelleus took up the brachet, and rode away out of the hall. Then Nimue came on a white palfray, asking for her brachet back. Arthur denied to help her, right then Hontzlake came in full armor and took her away as she cried loudly. Arthur felt glad she ws taken away, but Merlin tasked King Pellinore to bring her, and the knight so as not to shame Arthur's ceremony. (3,v)

As Hontzlake went by 2 pavilions and she was making great dole, her cousin Meliot claimed her and the two started fighting and she was guarded by the squires. Pellinore came soon after, telling her to come with him as he was on a quest to bring her back to Arthur's court but the squires told him to arrange it with the knights. Then all three fought for her. (3,xii) Seeing his prowess against Hontzlake, Meliot offered Nimue to him.

After lodging there, they rode off to Camelot. As they rode in a valley full of stones, her horse stumbled and threw her down, bruising her arm, and she was so much in pain that she almost swooned. She asked to rest, and Pellinore agreed and slept under a tree. He woke up at sunset ready to ride again, but Nimue stopped him saying that it will be night soon and they will lose their way, so they camped there. Before midnight they heard a horse approaching and Pellinore told her to be still. (3,xiii) indeed, they were servants of chieftains who are enemies of Arthur and discussed about poisoning the King.

Continuing their ride, they came by a well with a dead knight and a damsel that Pellinore met before and made great dole. Nimue asked him why and he said that he doesn't know why his heart mourns. She adviced him to bury the knight and bring the maiden's head to Camelot. They stopped by a hermitage to bury the knight. (3,xiv)

Merlin soon fell in love with Nimue after Pellinore brought her back. He always wanted to be with her and never left her alone. Nimue learned from him all things that she desired. Nimue departed (perhaps Cardoile) and Merlin always followed her and would use his crafts to have her "privily away", and she made him swear that he will never do enchantment upon her. Together they passed the sea and went to Benwick where Merlin saw young Launcelot. Soon after they left and Merlin showed Nimue many wonders until they reached Cornwall. He always lay near her to have her maidenhood, but she was afraid of him and got tired and wanted to get rid of him. Eventualy he showed her into an impressive rock made with enchantment, under a great stone. Nimue made him to go under it and tell her the marvels there and made an enchantment so that he couldn't come out, despite all his craft. She departed and left him behind. (4,i)

She knew that Morgan le Fay had orchestrated Arthur's death and she came to the field of Damas and Ontzlake where Arthur was fighting Accolon, in order to save his life for love of him. (4,ix) As Accolon was holding Excalibur and Arthur a counterfeit, he wounded Arthur heavily and Nimue had great pity, seeing how full of prowess his body was, and the false treason against such a good knight. So she made an enchantment that Accolon struck him such a stroke that Excalibur fell to the earth, allowing Arthur to grasp it and turn the course of the battle. (4,x)

One day Nimue met in a forest with a knight making great dole, and asked him why. The knight served Sir Pelleas, and told her that he was betrayed by a knight and a lady and decided not to leave his bed until he dies. Nimue asked to be led to him, promising that he will not die like this; and the woman who caused this will be brought in the same situation, as it is not fair such a proud lady have no mercy of a valiant knight. Once she was brought to his pavilion, she thought she never saw so likely a knight and with an enchantment he made him sleep. She charged no man to wake him until she get back, and rode to Ettard. Within 2 hours she brought Ettard to him as he was still sleeping, and told her that she should be ashamed to murder such a knight, and threw an enchantment that made her love him so much that she became mad, and said that it is the righteous judgment of God for her to love now the man whom she hated most. (4,xxii)

Nimue said to Sir Pelleas to leave this country and come with her to find love. Pelleas told her all the story of Ettard, which he now hates. She told him to thank her. Pelleas agreed to come with her and she assigned his men where to take and bring his stuff. (4,xxiii)

Nimue brought Pelleas to Camelot soon before the Pentecost and soon oined the Round Table. As Nimue was afraid of Sir Launcelot, when he was in tournaments, she made by her means that Pelleas never came against him. (4,xxviii) For the rest of their lives she rejoiced his love. (4,xxiii)