Lake

Lake
Biographical information
Real name	Lady of the Lake
Aliases	Doom Taker The Green Woman The Green Woman of the Lake Lake World Walker
Status	Alive (resurrected)
Species	Fairy (Fable) Great Power
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Great Powers
Homeland	Deep Realm
Family information
Relatives	Ambrose Wolf — husband Bigby Wolf — father-in-law Blossom Wolf — sister-in-law Connor Wolf — brother-in-law Darien Wolf † — brother-in-law Ghost Wolf — brother-in-law Six unnamed children with Ambrose Snow White — mother-in-law Therese Wolf — sister-in-law Winter Wolf — sister-in-law
Appearances
Firstmentioned	Fables #69 — "The Good Prince, Chapter Nine, Conclusion: Eternal"
First issue	Fables #122 — "The Destiny Game, Part One"
Last issue	Fables #162 — "The Black Forest Chapter Twelve: Rightful Prey"
Sources
Original source	Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend

“	She doesn't reveal fates, she assigns them. And can unassign them.	„
	~ World Turtle to Bigby Wolf, Fables #122 — "The Destiny Game, Part One"

The Lady of the Lake, also known as the Green Woman and Lake, as well as by several other titles, is a Fable fairy who is one of the Great Powers. She is a messenger of the Fates and has the ability to assign and reassign different destinies to particular individuals. She first appears in Fables #122 — "The Destiny Game, Part One."

History

Early career

Lake is initially a sly and conniving woman. According to World Turtle, she looks attractive on the outside, but is a wicked person underneath. She doesn't just predict fates, she has the power to assign and unassign them as well. She sometimes lives in ponds. Lake has the power to select from a multitude of possible futures and decide who will receive what. People say that she only acts selfishly; it's as if she doesn't care about anyone but herself. The World Turtle suspects that Lake is a personal courtier serving the Fates, ensuring that the essential destinies are conveyed to their rightful owners. She wonders if Lake is keeping some of the best fates for herself. But she also considers that Lake's peculiar decisions could be the results of the fates she has appointed. The Turtle is convinced that Lake makes agreements with the "lords and ladies of scythe and harrow," because many people perish before completing their destinies. Regardless, Lake has the power to hand out destinies as she sees fit.

However, Lake turns more diligently after an encounter with Bigby Wolf.

Excalibur

The famed sword Excalibur is given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, who rises up from the water and holds up the sword for him, asking him to take up Excalibur and become the rightful King of Camelot.

After Flycatcher's heroic deeds in the Homelands kingdom of Haven, he asks Lancelot to throw Excalibur into the biggest lake he can find, and tells him to not be surprised if a "green bejeweled hand" reaches up to grasp Excalibur before it sinks out of sight.

Later, in the mundane world, a mysterious old man comes out of a river in the Grand Canyon, carrying Excalibur and says that the "green woman's gift must not fall into evil hands," before thrusting the sword right into Jack Horner.

Later life

Lake later marries Snow White and Bigby's cub, Ambrose, and the two have six children together.

Centuries after she withdrew from the fate business, Lake journeys to the Hall of the Mountain King to retrieve the debt that the Mountain King owes her, and presents a solution for settling it: By providing her with an exquisite fate with a happy ending and middle, but plenty of challenges along the way. The Mountain King complies with her request. Lake gathers five other fates from various other Great Powers and bestows them upon her children, believing them to be the most beneficial fates she can find for each of them.

Physical description

Both the Big Bad Wolf and the World Turtle characterize Lake as pretty, with Bigby describing her as having smooth, green skin; as he puts it, not-goblin-green, and not a wart or canker on her.

Appearances

Fables Fables #69 (first mentioned, indirectly) Fables #122 Fables #123 Fables #124 Fables #127 Fables #128 Fables #129 Fables #132 Fables #133 Fables #136 Fables #137 Fables #141 Fables #150 Fables #162 Jack of Fables Jack of Fables #12 (mentioned indirectly) Fairest Fairest: In All the Land

Original source

She is based on the Lady of the Lake, a water fairy and enchantress from Arthurian legend. She is known by several different names, such as Viviane, Éviène, and Nimuë. Her most famous role was presenting King Arthur with his legendary sword, Excalibur, pulled from the depths of her lake. When Arthur is fatally wounded in battle, he returns Excalibur to its watery home as a final act.