Down the Long Wind

This is the Arthurian trilogy written by Gillian Bradshaw. The first novel is called Hawk of May and it is about Gwalchmai, the son of queen Morgawse, Arthur's half sister. He is a prince of Orkney who is noble and good, and who rebels against his evil mother to go and fight for Arthur. The Second novel is set after Arthur has managed to subdue the Saxons and is married to Gwynhwyfar. Gwalchmai is travelling on diplomatic business for Arthur, but he also is trying to find a young noblewoman whom he seduced some years earlier. He feels guilty about his love affair with her, and wants to find her and ask her forgiveness but she has disappeared. On his travels he meets a farmer's son Sion, who would like to be a warrior. Sion leaves his father's home and goes with Gwalchmai as his servant and companion. Sion goes to Orkney with Gwalchmai, and meets a young woman called Eivlin, and he takes her back to Southern Britain and marries her. In the final novel, Gwynhwyfar narrates it, about the fall of Camlann and her love affair with Bedwyr, which leads to the break up of the brotherhood. Medraut, Arthur's son by Morgawse, comes to Camlann and works to undermine the friendships of the warriors, and he kills his own brother Agravain, thereby becoming King of Orkney. Gwalchmai meets his son Gwyn, and learns that Elidan, the boy's mother has died, having become a nun. Arthur learns of his wife's affair with Bedwyr and exiles her to the North, to her family, while sending Bedwyr away. Bedwyr rescues her and takes her to Brittany where he comes from and in the process accidentally kills Gwyn. This leads to more bitterness and anger among the warriors, and war breaks out. Arthur is killed in the battle, and so is Medraut, and Gwynhwyfar decides to go into a convent. Bedwyr tries to atone for his part in the end of the brotherhood by becoming a holy wandering man, and in time Gwynhwyfar becomes Abbess of her nunnery. But the brief years of unity among the Britons has ended and there are many small wars.