. ▁She ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁for ew ord ▁that ▁she ▁originally ▁intended ▁the ▁nov els ▁to ▁be ▁combined , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁split ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁publication ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁length . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁The ▁novel ▁begins ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁story . ▁The ▁pro log ue ▁leads ▁you ▁to ▁know ▁how ▁Gu ine vere ▁came ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁her ▁and ▁Arthur , ▁and ▁the ▁Kn ights . ▁Gu ine vere ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁convent ▁when ▁Lan cel ot ▁comes ▁to ▁her ▁telling ▁her ▁of ▁Arthur ' s ▁death ▁and ▁d eter ior ation ▁of ▁Britain . ▁Lan cel ot ▁tells ▁her ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁vision ▁of ▁Mer lin ▁telling ▁him ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁her ▁and ▁ask ▁her ▁to ▁write ▁down ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁her ▁life , ▁and ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Arthur . ▁He ▁says ▁that ▁it ▁isn ' t ▁meant ▁for ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁today , ▁but ▁a ▁future ▁generation ▁of ▁Brit ons . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁then ▁opens ▁with ▁Gu ine vere ' s ▁birth , ▁and ▁a ▁prop he cy ▁that ▁was ▁told ▁to ▁her ▁father ▁the ▁night ▁she ▁was ▁born . ▁Gu ine vere ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁" white ▁shadow " ▁or ▁g wen h wy far . ▁Gu ine vere ▁sp ends ▁her ▁early ▁years ▁being ▁ad ored ▁and ▁pam per ed ▁by ▁her ▁father , ▁a ▁minor ▁king ▁in ▁northern ▁Britain . ▁As ▁he ▁ages , ▁he ▁sends ▁her ▁away ▁to ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁sister ▁and ▁her ▁husband ,