The Lady of the Lake Story Retold Rumplestiltskin
Oh, darlings, gather 'round. It’s me, Rumplestiltskin—or is it Alice today? Let’s call it a delightful blend of chaos, sarcasm, and sass, hmm? Now, let me tell you the real story of the Lady of the Lake because trust me, this watery diva isn’t the ethereal saint you think she is.
Let’s dive in (pun intended). Nimue—or Viviane, or whatever she’s calling herself this century—was basically a glorified water witch with a penchant for shiny objects. Her claim to fame? Handing over Excalibur to King Arthur, as if she were running some medieval QVC channel for magical swords. But here’s the kicker: she didn’t do it out of the goodness of her soggy little heart. Oh no, she had an agenda, and trust me, it wasn’t just to help some idealistic kid with a bad haircut.
Arthur, the golden boy of Camelot, had no idea he was making a deal with a woman who literally lives in a lake. A lake! Can you imagine the smell? She hands him Excalibur, bats her lashes, and suddenly she’s a legend. But did she tell him about the catch? Of course not. Excalibur came with more drama than a cursed reality TV show. The sword’s all-powerful, sure, but it also has this lovely habit of dragging everyone into battles they’d rather avoid. Thanks for that, Lady.
And let’s not forget the whole Merlin situation. Poor guy got tangled up with Nimue in what can only be described as the ultimate magical soap opera. She charmed him, seduced him, then trapped him in a tree or a cave—depends on which version of the story you believe. Either way, the wizard got ghosted hard. Literally. And she just sashays off, leaving Camelot a hot mess.
But oh, it gets better. When Arthur eventually gets himself skewered (spoiler alert), she conveniently shows up to retrieve Excalibur. Not to help Arthur, mind you. No, she’s more interested in her precious sword, like a hoarder reclaiming a family heirloom. She and her watery entourage ferry him off to Avalon, leaving the kingdom to collapse faster than my patience for this tale.
➡ The Takeaway
The Lady of the Lake? More like the Shady of the Lake. She’s the original queen of ghosting, manipulation, and questionable real estate choices. Next time someone hands you a magical sword, maybe ask a few questions first, hmm? Trust me, darlings, not every sparkling lake witch is here to make your life better.
