The Hollow Hills

Merlin narrates the secret years of Arthur's childhood: how he helped arrange the boy's conception between Ygraine and Uther Pendragon, then went into hiding when the birth brought accusations he couldn't survive in the open. Sworn to keep the child hidden until a proper heir is needed, Merlin sends the infant to be fostered by Count Ector, then travels to Constantinople chasing a legend, a sword once wielded by a Roman usurper, before prophetic dreams lead him to it in an abandoned temple. Returning to Britain as tutor to young Arthur, Merlin prepares the ground for a destiny only he understands. The second novel in Mary Stewart's Arthurian quintet.