What about having a very powerful wizard with access to well guarded, very powerful knowledge become interested in the character, offering her a chance to visit and use the resources there as he had a great respect for someone so thirsty for knowedge and power that they'd give up true love?

The catch being, that only this wizard can grant access and remove the various protective wards, but every single time they arrange to meet so the character can access this knowlege, something happens. Usually something highly improbable that could only happen surely by fate inself conspiring to keep them apart...