The tale of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady is fleshed out and given new life as it is presented here to modern readers. Once, Aislyn and Gawain were in love, but a deception lay at the root of their affair; she was his mother's disciple, ordered to seduce him and enchant him so that he would betray Arthur. However, Aislyn could not go through with the plan and left him out of love. Now, years later, she has a chance to be with him again. Knowing that Gawain and the King are seeking the answer to a riddle, "what do all women want?", she transforms herself into a crone and offers Arthur the solution for the price of a husband. As Arthur's most trusted and loyal knight, Gawain offers himself. Against all good sense and protests from the king, he goes through with the bargain. Aislyn continues to maintain her ruse because she is hiding from Gawain's mother, Morgause, the king's sister. However, she can change back into her true form at will until Morgana, the king's other sister, visits and makes her crone like state permanent, unless she can win the kiss of true love from Gawain. Then, she might have a partial reprieve. How can Aislyn hope for such a thing when her face is hideous and her lies even uglier?

This has always been one of my favorite legends of the Round Table. Seeing it expanded into a full blown story is a joy that I hope many readers will share. Multiple flashbacks hamper the flow somewhat, however, in the end it comes together to make sense.