text: "That's all? We can certainly do that!" Huon says. "That alone will solve our problems! With more of the field planted, we will be able to feed everyone."
  
  "There's one more thing that you need to do," you respond. "Your fields will not sustain the crops unless you complete the magic ritual."
  
  "Magic ritual?" Galeran repeats.
  
  "Just something to ensure that the magical planting doesn't wear off and make the soil barren."
  
  "What sort of ritual must we do?"
  
  > Must have a beautiful young maiden cook you dinner every night
  "You must find a beautiful young maiden to make me dinner every night; this will start tonight and continue year-round," you say.
  
  "Dinner from a young maiden?" Galeran says as he scratches his chin. "How exactly will that make the fields produce?"
  
  "Are you questioning my magic? I am casting a spell on the field; do you want me keeping the fields fruitful or cooking my dinners?"
  
  "We can talk to the king and see what we can do..."
  
  With that, Huon and Galeran scamper back to Camelot to inform the king of your assessment of the field. They mutter to each other as they walk away; all you can hear are the words "dinner," "fair maiden," and "three-field." You can't be sure how they feel about your advice, but Huon seems excited about it. All that remains for you to do is go home and wait.
  
  Back at the cottage, you make yourself at home. Whoever owns the place still has yet to show up, so you figure you can claim it; there isn't much to do, though. You fetch water, start a fire, and try to figure out how people took a bath in medieval times.
  
  Fortunately, before you can attempt to cook anything, a blonde girl your age with blonde hair and timid blue eyes shuffles into your cottage. She glances at you nervously from the doorway holding a woven-wicker basket. You stare back at her for a moment before both of you blush and look away. Her petite figure and soft features, combined with her apparent nervousness, make her seem cute beyond measure.
  
  "Don't just walk in, Viviane, that is rude," Huon says nervously appearing in the doorway. "Ah, Merlin, there you are! I have returned with great news!"
  
  "Let me guess, King Uther agreed to my proposal?" you ask without taking your eyes off of Viviane.
  
  "Yes! That is correct, of course, I wouldn't expect anything else from a sorcerer as powerful as you."
  
  "Great! I will make sure the fields produce as long as Viviane brings me dinner at this time every day."
  
  "That is excellent news! I will return and tell The King at once; Viviane, leave The Sorcerer his dinner and let's be off."
  
  "Hold on now, can't she stay and join me for dinner?"
  
  "Oh, I didn't think you would want her bothering you..."
  
  "She is no bother to me. Won't you stay, Viviane?" You turn to the beautiful blonde as you speak and lock eyes with her.
  
  Viviane looks down at her shoes and says, "As long as you promise not to eat me and to make the fields grow more food, I can stay."
  
  "Eat you? Why would I want to do that?" you ask, horrified that Viviane's first impression of you is that you are a cannibal.
  
  "My father says that anyone who does magic is wicked..."
  
  "Well, I am going to eat the dinner you made me... and I have never ate a person."
  
  "Do you promise?"
  
  "I promise."
  
  "Then I'll stay, but only because you said you would make the food grow..."
  
  After that, Huon leaves in a hurry; it seems like he might also believe you eat people and doesn't want to stick around to find out if it is true. Once you are alone, Viviane doesn't leave the door frame for a long time. She continues to stare at her feet but occasionally glances at you or out the door. Several minutes pass with you eating roasted boar before she gets comfortable enough to even sit down.
  
  Wanting to make a good impression, you do not rush her. You invite her to eat with you, but she politely refuses as if you asked her to be to entree. Praying for her to calm down and talk to you doesn't work; however, she does look more comfortable being there over time.
  
  Eventually, you finish eating and send her home with the empty basket. On her way out the door, Viviane asks if she will be staying for dinner again tomorrow; you tell her that she can if she wishes but doesn't have to. Disappointment over your first date haunts you even in your dreams. Your only solace is that she will be back again the next day.
  
  > 365 Dinners Later
  Roughly a year passes, though you can't be sure of the time since your calendar app isn't working, and the first harvest yielded more food than Camelot needed. King Uther showed up at your cottage to thank you in person over the winter; Viviane told you that it was the first time he had ever done that.
  
  She remained nervous for a few months; later, she admitted it was because of her uncertainty over the whole cannibal thing, but eventually, the two of you started to talk. Now she cooks you dinner and eats with you every day, today included.
  
  "Did you hear what they are starting to say about you around town?" Viviane asks as she sets the table for two.
  
  "That I ate that farmer's daughter who went missing?" you guess.
  
  "No, well, yes... but I mean besides that!"
  
  "I have no clue... you do know that I didn't eat the girl, right?"
  
  "Merlin! I thought we already sorted that out." You laugh and wink at her, a gesture that she has come to understand means you are kidding. She continues while you sit down to eat, "They have started calling you 'Merlin the Magician,' which is more fitting than 'The Sorcerer.'"
  
  "True, anything is better than that, now let's eat!"
  
  Digging into the bread and chicken that Viviane made, you continue to banter with her while she tells you the latest Camelot gossip; apparently, medieval kingdoms are just like highschool. Several scandals and a few good laughs later, it is time for Viviane to leave. Her departure is the worst part of any day, so you always go straight to sleep.
  
  Straw mattresses are not comfortable, but you have grown accustomed to yours. Drifting to sleep is easier now than it was when you first arrived; however, your rest is short-lived. The instant your eyes close, your door flies open. Viviane rushes inside with a pained expression in her blue eyes.
  
  "Merlin! Get up!" she shouts.
  
  Sitting straight up and rubbing your eyes, you respond, "Viviane? What are you doing; what is wrong?"
  
  Tears stream down her face, and she avoids eye contact with you while speaking frantically, "You need to leave Merlin. It's the fields; they aren't producing like they did last year."
  
  "What are you talking about?"
  
  "Huon said the sprouts are sickly because the soil is no longer fertile; this problem was prevalent before we switched to the two-field system. Your magic isn't working, Merlin; they are coming here for you!"
  
  Jumping out of bed, you gather your few possessions. Viviane packs provisions into a leather bag and hands it to you. She can't look into your eyes without sobbing.
  
  "What about you?" you ask.
  
  "They aren't after me, and you don't have time to worry."
  
  "No, I can't just leave without you, Viviane, come with me."
  
  "I... I wish I could..."
  
  "Why can't you? We can run away together!"
  
  "Please, Merlin, go!"
  
  Yells and cheers indicative of an angry mob prevent you from arguing further. Stepping outside, you can see a conglomeration of torches and pitchforks marching through the woods. Without Viviane's warning, they may have cornered you inside the tiny hut. Thankfully, they are all approaching from the same direction.
  
  Running in the opposite direction is your only choice; a flashlight guides your way through the dark and unfamiliar forest of the Broceliande. Your flashlight cuts through the darkness like a knife, illuminating your path with a narrow beam. Looking back, you can no longer see the torchlight of the angry mob through the trees.
  
  Unfortunately, taking your eyes off where you are going turns out to be your downfall. In that mere moment, you trip and fall. You expect to hit the ground quickly, but the fall continues for far longer than it should; eventually, over-rotation causes you to slam into the ground on your back. Laying there unable to move, you look up at a twenty-foot ledge.
  
  A large rock marks the top of the pit you are in. It is the only thing you can see besides dirt as the sounds of an angry mob start to grow louder. You wonder what would be better, to be found and killed by the mob, or left in this hole to die. Turning your mind to the field to distract yourself, all you can think of is that the fields may not have received enough fertilizer. Footsteps break your train of thoughts; they sound like they are separated from the mob.
  
  Without thinking, you yell, "Viviane is that you? Come help me!"
  
  "It is him, over here!" someone you don't recognize calls after peeking into the hole.
  
  Soon the top of the hole you fell into is filled with torchlight and pitchforks. People mutter to each other, but no one attempts to help you out of the pit. Nothing happens until Huon's face peers over the edge.
  
  "Well, I guess she took care of the punishment for us," Huon says.
  
  "What?" you croak.
  
  "Don't play dumb with me; we know everything. You stopped using magic on the field and taught Viviane witchcraft."
  
  "No, I--"
  
  "It backfired though. I was afraid that Viviane would try to help you escape us, but she used magic to trap you in this pit; otherwise, you would use magic to escape it!"
  
  "Viviane wouldn't..."
  
  "Yet here you are. Leave him and find the witch, she couldn't have gotten far."
  
  Huon turns and walks away, dispersing the crowd to find Viviane. You cant move, so climbing out of the pit is out of the question. Even if you were to recover, the walls are too steep to make it to the top. All you can do is lay there and hope Viviane isn't found.