Arthur and Guinevere
But Arthur saw her bending over the wall. She was slender and graceful; her black hair fell in two long heavy braids over each shoulder; her eyes were large and black. And Arthur felt a warm love spring from his heart for her, and said to himself:
“If I win this battle for Leodogran, I shall ask him to give me the princess Guinevere for wife.”
His love for Guinevere made him fight even more bravely than usual, and he soon won the battle. After he had returned to Camelot, he told his knights that he wished to marry the princess. They were very glad, because they, too, had seen her and thought her the most beautiful lady they had ever beheld.
Then Arthur said:
“I will send my three good knights, Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere, to King Leodogran to ask for Guinevere.”
The three knights set forth gayly, feeling certain that King Leodogran would be glad to marry his daughter to their great Arthur. When, however, they came to the castle of Leodogran with their request, the king hesitated. He bade them wait for a little while in the room adjoining his large hall. Then he said to himself:
“Arthur has helped me, indeed. I know, too, that he is powerful. But I hear strange stories of his birth. There are people who say that he is not a king’s son. However great he is, I cannot give him my only daughter unless he is really a true king, born of royal blood.”
He called the oldest knight in his kingdom and said to him:
“Do you know anything about Arthur’s birth?”
The old man looked very wise and said:
“There are two men who do know; the younger of them is twice as old as I am. They are Merlin, and Bleys, the master of Merlin. Bleys has written down the secret of Arthur’s birth in a book.”
Then King Leodogran laughed a little and said:
“My friend, your words have not helped me much. If Arthur had not helped me in my time of need more than you have helped me now, I should have been lost indeed. Go and call Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere.”
So the old man brought in the three knights, and Leodogran said to them:
“I hear strange tales of your king’s birth. Some say that he is indeed the son of the late King Uther, but others say that he is the son of Sir Hector. Do you believe that he is Uther’s son?”
They said “Yes,” and then told King Leodogran that Sir Hector had brought up King Arthur as his son, for fear that those who wanted the throne would kill the child; and that Arthur was undoubtedly Uther’s son.
Still King Leodogran could not make up his mind. He bade the three lords remain with him for a few days.
Meanwhile the beautiful Queen Bellicent came to the Court, and Leodogran asked her advice.
“Do you think Arthur is a great king?” he asked. “Will he always be great?”
“He is very great,” said the queen. “And all his people love him. Perhaps he has not many lords, but their deep love makes up for their small number.”
“That may be true,” replied the king.
“Besides that,” added the queen, “they are good men. As you know, the Knights of the Round Table are bound by vows to be kind and true and merciful and helpful.”
“I have heard it,” said the king.
“Moreover,” went on Queen Bellicent, “Arthur has powerful friends: Merlin, the magician, and the Lady of the Lake, who gave him his sword Excalibur, and the three fair queens, who will help him when he needs help most.”
“Yes, yes,” said King Leodogran, “if all this is true, Arthur must prevail over his enemies. But is he the son of King Uther and Queen Yguerne? You are the daughter of Queen Yguerne by an earlier marriage, and, therefore, Arthur’s half-sister if Arthur is really Uther’s son. You ought surely to know the truth.”
Bellicent waited a little while, and then said:
“King Leodogran, I do not know what the truth is. There are two stories: the story Merlin tells and the story Bleys tells. Merlin says that Arthur is Uther’s son, and indeed I should like to believe it.”
“But you are not sure?” asked the king.
“I am not sure. For my mother Yguerne was dark, and King Uther was dark. Their hair and eyes were black like mine. Yet Arthur’s hair is as bright as gold. Besides, there is the story of old Bleys.”
“What is his story?”
“He says that Uther died, weeping because he had no heir. Then Bleys and Merlin, who were present at his death, passed together out of the castle. It was a stormy night, and as they walked along by the lake they were forced by the roar of the tempest to look out upon the waves, whipped by the wind.
“Suddenly they saw a ship on the water. It had the shape of a winged dragon. All over its decks stood a multitude of people shining like gold. Then the ship vanished, and a number of great waves began to roll in towards shore. The ninth of these waves seemed as large as half the sea. It was murmuring with strange voices and rippling with flames. In the midst of the flames was a little fair-haired baby who was borne to Merlin’s feet. Merlin stooped and picked it up, and cried, ‘The King! Here is an heir for Uther!’ This, King Leodogran, is the story Bleys told me before he died.”
King Leodogran wondered very much. Then he said:
“But did you not question Merlin about this?”
“Yes,” answered Queen Bellicent. “I asked him if this story of Bleys was true. He would only answer me with a riddle.”
As King Leodogran was still silent, she said:
“Do not fear to give your daughter to Arthur, for he will be the greatest king the world has ever seen.”
Leodogran felt less doubtful. While he was thinking, he fell asleep and had a dream. He saw in his dream a field covered with mist and smoke, and a phantom king standing in the cloud. He heard a voice which said, “This is not our king; this is not the son of Uther.” But suddenly the mist disappeared and the king stood out in heaven, crowned.
King Leodogran took this dream for a good sign. He called the three knights, Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere, and said to them:
“Say to your king that I will give him Guinevere for his wife.”
So the three hastily returned to King Arthur, who was overjoyed with their message.
In the month of May he sent Sir Lancelot, the son of King Ban, for Guinevere. When she came, the Archbishop of Canterbury married them. And he blessed them and said that they, with the help of the Knights of the Round Table, must do much good for the land.
The beautiful Queen Bellicent had many sons, all of whom had gone out in the world except the youngest. His name was Gareth. His two brothers, Gawain and Modred, were with the good King Arthur, and Gareth longed to join them. His mother, however, would not let him go.
“You are not yet a man,” she said. “You are only a child. Stay a little longer with me.”
So Gareth stayed. One day he came to his mother and said:
“Mother, may I tell you a story?”
“Gladly,” she replied.
“Then, mother, once there was a golden egg which a royal eagle had laid, away up in a tree. It was so high up that it could hardly be seen. But a youth, who though poor was brave, saw it, and longed for it. He knew that if he could get it, it would bring wealth and prosperity to him. So he tried to climb. One who loved him stopped him, saying, ‘You will fall and be killed if you try to reach that height.’ Therefore the poor boy did not climb, and so did not fall; but he pined away with longing till his heart broke and he died.”
Queen Bellicent answered:
“If the person who held him back had loved him, that person would have climbed, and found the egg, and given it to the youth.”
“That could not be,” said Gareth. “Mother, suppose the egg were not gold, but steel, the same steel that Arthur’s sword Excalibur is made of.”
The queen grew pale, for she now understood his meaning.
But Gareth spoke on:
“Dear mother, the gold egg is the glory to be won at Arthur’s Court; I am the poor youth, and you are the one who holds me back. Mother, let me go!”
Then Bellicent wept, and she said:
“Oh, my son, do not leave me. You love me more than Gawain and Modred. You are all I have left in the world.”
But Gareth replied:
“Mother, I waste my strength here.”
“No, no,” she said. “You shall hunt; you shall follow the deer and the fox, and so grow strong. Then I will find you a beautiful wife, and we shall all live together till I die.”
Gareth shook his head.
“No, mother. I do not want a wife until I have proved myself to be a worthy and brave knight. I wish to follow Arthur, my good king and uncle.”
“Perhaps he is not the true king and your uncle,” Bellicent said. “At least wait a little till he has shown himself to be the greatest king in the world. Stay with me.”
“Nay, mother,” he said. “I must go.”
Then the queen thought of a plan which she hoped would soon make him willing to stay home.
“If I let you go, my son, you must make me a promise. The promise will prove your love to me.”
“I will make a hundred promises,” cried young Gareth, “if you will only let me go.”
“Then,” she said, “you must go in disguise to the court of Arthur. You must hire yourself out as a kitchen boy. You shall wash the pots and pans for a whole year and tell no one that you are the son of a queen.”
Queen Bellicent was sure that Gareth would not wish to make such a promise. He was silent a long, long time. He had hoped to take part at once with the Knights of the Round Table in great deeds. At last he said:
“I may be a kitchen boy and still be noble in heart and mind. Besides, I can look on at the tournaments. I shall see King Arthur and Sir Lancelot and Sir Kay. Yes, mother, I will go.”
Queen Bellicent was very sad. All the days before Gareth’s departure her eyes followed him until he felt that he could not bear to see her grieve longer. So in the middle of the night he rose quietly and woke two of his faithful servants. They dressed themselves like plowmen and started towards Camelot.
It was Easter time and the young grass was a bright green. The birds were beginning their chirping, although it was not yet light. As the dawn came, they saw the early morning mist sweeping over the mountain and forest near Arthur’s city of Camelot. Sometimes the mist drew away and showed in the distance the towers gleaming like silver.
One of the servants said:
“Let us go no farther, my lord Gareth. I am afraid. That is a fairy city.”
The second said:
“Yes, lord, let us turn back. I have heard that Arthur is not the real king, but a changeling brought from fairyland in a great wave all flame. He has done all his deeds with the help of Merlin’s enchantment.”
The first one spoke again:
“Lord Gareth, that is no real city. It is a vision.”
But Gareth laughed and said:
“Arthur is real flesh and blood, a brave man, and a just king. Come with me to the gate of his city, and do not be afraid.”
When they reached the gate of the city, they stared in amazement. It was made of silver and mother-of-pearl. In the center was carved the figure of the Lady of the Lake, with her arms outstretched in the form of a cross. In one hand she held a sword, and in the other a censer. On both sides of her figure was carved the story of the wars of King Arthur. Above all were the figures of the three queens who were to help Arthur in time of need.
The three looked till their eyes were dazzled. Then they heard a peal of music, and the gate slowly opened. An old man with a long gray beard came out to greet them, and returning led them up past the gardens and groves and roofs and towers of Camelot to Arthur’s great palace on the summit of the hill.
Gareth hardly thought of the splendors of the palace. He approached the arched doorway of the Assembly Hall, thinking only as his heart beat quickly, that at last he was to see the good King Arthur. Even before he entered he heard the voice of the king. For it was one of the days when Arthur was giving judgment to his people.
The king sat on a throne made of gold and ivory and ebony. On its arms and back were carved great dragons. Arthur wore a gold crown which was not brighter than his own beautiful hair and beard. His blue eyes were as calm and clear as the sky in summer time. His trusty knights stood about him on each side of the throne. The tallest of these, who had a worn, browned face, and piercing dark eyes, under frowning brows, must be, Gareth knew, the famous knight, Sir Lancelot.
As Gareth entered, a widow came forward and cried to Arthur:
“Hear me, oh, King! Your father, King Uther, took away a field from my husband, who is now dead. The king promised us gold, but he gave us no gold, nor would he return our field.”
Then Arthur said:
“Which would you rather have, the gold or the field?”
The woman wept, saying:
“Oh, King, my dead husband loved the field. Give it back to me.”
“You shall have your field again,” said Arthur, “and besides I will give you three times the amount of gold it is worth to pay you for the years King Uther had it.”
Gareth thought that Arthur was indeed a just king. And while this was passing through his mind, another widow came forward and cried:
“Hear me, oh, King! Heretofore you have been my enemy. You killed my husband with your own hands. It is hard for me to ask justice or favor of you. Yet I must. My husband’s brother took my son and had him slain, and has now stolen his land. So I ask you for a knight who will do battle and get my son’s land for me, and revenge me for his death.”
Then a good knight stepped forward and said:
“Sir King, I am her kinsman. Let me do battle for her and right her wrongs.”
But Sir Kay, Arthur’s foster brother, said:
“Lord Arthur, do not help a woman who has called you her enemy in your own hall.”
“Sir Kay,” replied Arthur, “I am here to help all those who need help in my land. This woman loved her lord, and I killed him because he rebelled against me. Let her kinsman go and do battle against the man who has wronged her. Bring him here, and I shall judge him. If he is guilty he shall suffer.”
While Gareth was still listening to the king’s words, a messenger entered from Mark, the king of Cornwall. He carried a wonderful gold cloth which he laid at Arthur’s feet, saying:
“My lord, King Mark sends you this as a sign that he is your true friend.”
But Arthur said:
“Take back the cloth. When I fight with kings who are worthy men, after I have conquered them I give them back their lands, and make them my subject-kings and Knights of the Round Table. But Mark is not fit to be a king. He is cruel and false. I will not call him friend.”
The messenger stepped back in alarm. Arthur said to him kindly:
“It is not your fault that Mark is unworthy. Stay in this city until you are refreshed and then go back home in safety.”
While the king judged other cases, Gareth looked around the great hall. Underneath the fourteen windows he saw three rows of stone shields, and under each shield was the name of a knight. If a knight had done one great deed, there was carving on his shield; if he had done two or more, there were gold markings. If he had done none, the shield was blank. Gareth saw that Sir Lancelot’s shield and Sir Kay’s glittered with gold. He looked for the shields of his brothers, Sir Gawain and Sir Modred. Sir Gawain’s was marked with gold, but Sir Modred’s was blank.
Meanwhile, Arthur had judged all the cases. Then Gareth came forward timidly and said:
“Lord King, you see my poor clothes; give me leave to serve for twelve months in your kitchen without telling my name. After that I will fight.”
“You are a fair youth,” Arthur replied, “and you deserve a better gift. However, since this is all you ask, I will put you under the care of Sir Kay, who is master of the kitchen.”
Sir Kay looked at Gareth with scorn.
“This youth has come from some place where he did not get enough to eat,” he said, “and so he thinks of nothing but food. Yet if he wants food, he shall have it, provided he does his work well.”
Sir Lancelot, who stood near by, said:
“Sir Kay, you understand dogs and horses well, but not men. Look at this youth’s face; see his broad forehead and honest eyes, and beautiful hands. I believe he is of noble birth, and you should treat him well.”
“Perhaps he is a traitor,” Sir Kay said. “Perhaps he will poison King Arthur’s food. Yet I believe he is too stupid to be a traitor. If he were not stupid, or if he were noble, he would have asked for a different gift. He would have asked for a horse and armor. Let him go to my kitchen.”
So Gareth went to the kitchen. And there he worked faithfully at hard tasks, such as cutting wood and drawing water. Sir Lancelot spoke to him kindly whenever he passed him, but Sir Kay was always very strict and severe. Sometimes Gareth grew discouraged and wished his mother had not exacted such a promise of him.
Whenever there was a tournament he was happy. He liked to watch the horses prancing, and the brave knights riding, with the sun shining on their helmets and lances. And he would say to himself:
“Only wait till the twelve months have passed, and then I shall ask King Arthur to let me do some brave deed. Perhaps some one will come to the hall and demand to have a wrong righted. Then I will beg the king to let me do that act of justice.”
Such thoughts kept him cheerful. And indeed, before many weeks, his chance came for doing a great deed.
Gareth served in the kitchen of the king only one month, for his mother became sorry for the promise she had asked of him, and sent armor for him to Arthur’s Court, with a letter to the king telling who the youth was. With great joy Gareth then went to Arthur and said:
“My lord, I can fight as well as my brother Gawain. At home we have proved it. Then make me a knight,—in secret, for I do not want the other knights to know my name. Make me a knight, and give me permission to right the first wrong that we hear of.”
The king said gravely:
“You know all that my knights must promise?”
“Yes, my lord Arthur. I am willing to promise all.”
“I will make you my knight in secret, since you wish it,” Arthur said, “except that I must tell Sir Lancelot. He is my dearest knight, and I keep no secrets from him.”
Gareth said that he would be glad to have Sir Lancelot know. Accordingly the king spoke to Sir Lancelot about Gareth.
“I have promised him that he may right the first wrong we hear of,” said Arthur, “but as he has not yet proved what he can do, I want you to take a horse and follow him when he sets forth. Cover up the great lions on your shield so that he will not know who you are.” Sir Lancelot agreed. Then Gareth was secretly made a knight.
That same day a beautiful young damsel came into Arthur’s hall. She had cheeks as pink as apple blossoms, and very sharp eyes.
“Who are you, damsel?” asked the king, “and what do you need?”
“My name is Lynette,” she said, “and I am of noble blood. I need a knight to fight for my sister Lyonors, a lady, also noble, rich, and most beautiful.”
“Why must she have a knight?” questioned Arthur.
“My Lord King, she lives in Castle Perilous. Around this castle a river circles three times, and there are three passing-places, one over each circle of the river. Three knights, who are brothers, keep a constant guard over these passing-places. A fourth knight, also a brother, clad in black armor, stands guard in front of my sister’s castle. We have never seen this knight’s face or heard his voice, but his brothers tell us he is the most powerful and daring knight in the world. All these four keep my sister a prisoner.”
“And why?”
“Because they want her to marry one of them so that they can have her great wealth. She refuses, but they say that they will have their way. In the meantime, they demand that you send Sir Lancelot to fight with them. They hope to overthrow Sir Lancelot, thus proving themselves the greatest warriors in the land. But I believe that Sir Lancelot could overthrow them; therefore, I have come for him.”
Arthur remembered his promise to Sir Gareth, and did not speak of Sir Lancelot, but asked:
“Tell me what these four knights, your enemies, are like.”
“The three I have talked to are vain and foolish knights, my lord,” answered the damsel. “They have no law, and they acknowledge no king. Yet they are very strong, and therefore am I come for Sir Lancelot.”
Then Sir Gareth rose up, crying:
“Sir King, give me this adventure.”
At this, Sir Kay started up in anger, but Gareth continued:
“My king, you know that I am but your kitchen boy, yet I have grown so strong on your meat and drink that I can overthrow an hundred such knights.”
The king looked at him a moment, and said:
“Go, then.”
At this all the knights were amazed. The damsel’s face flushed with anger.
“Shame, King!” she cried. “I asked you for your chief knight, and you give me a kitchen boy!”
Then, before any one could prevent, she ran from the hall, mounted her horse, and rode out of the city gate. Gareth followed, and at the doorway found a noble war horse which the king had ordered to be given him. Near by were the two faithful servants who had followed him from his mother’s home. They held his armor. Gareth put it on, seized his lance and shield, jumped upon his horse, and rode off joyfully.
Sir Kay, who was watching, said to Sir Lancelot:
“Why does the king send my kitchen lad to fight? I will go after the boy and put him to his pots and pans again.”
“Sir Kay, do not attempt to do that,” said Sir Lancelot. “Remember that the king commanded him to go.”
But Sir Kay leaped on his horse and followed Gareth.
Meanwhile, Sir Gareth overtook the damsel and said:
“Lady, I am to right your wrong. Lead and I follow.”
But she cried:
“Go back! I smell kitchen grease when you are near. Go back! your master has come for you.”
Gareth looked behind and saw that Sir Kay was riding up to him. When Sir Kay was within hearing distance, he shouted:
“Come back with me to the kitchen.”
“I will not,” said Gareth.
Then Sir Kay rode fiercely at the youth. Gareth, however, struck him from his horse, and then turned to the damsel, saying:
“Lead on; I follow.”
She rode for a long time in silence, with Gareth a few paces behind her. At last she stopped and said:
“You have overthrown your master, you kitchen boy, but I do not like you any better for it. I still smell the kitchen grease.”
Sir Gareth said, very gently:
“You may speak to me as you will, but I shall not leave you till I have righted your wrong.”
“Ah!” she said, scornfully, “you talk like a noble knight, but you are not one,” and she again galloped in front of him.
Presently, as they passed a thick wood, a man broke out of it and spoke to them:
“Help! help! they are drowning my lord!”
“Follow! I lead!” shouted Gareth to the damsel, and rushed into the wood. There he found six men trying to drown a seventh. Gareth attacked them with such vigor that they fled. When the rescued man had recovered, he thanked Gareth warmly.
“I am the lord of the castle yonder,” he said, “and these are my enemies. You came in time.”
Then he begged Gareth and the lady to stay all night in his castle. They agreed, and he led the way. He took them into his large hall and was about to seat them side by side at a dining table. But the damsel said in scorn:
“This is a kitchen boy, and I will not sit by him.”
The lord looked surprised. He took Gareth to another table and sat beside him. After they had eaten, he said:
“You may be a kitchen boy, or the damsel may be out of her mind, but whichever is the case, you are a good fighter and you have saved my life.”
The next morning Gareth and the damsel set forth. They rode for a while in silence, and then she said:
“Sir Kitchen Boy, although you are so low, I would like to save your life. Soon we are coming to one who will overthrow you; so turn back.”
But Gareth refused. In a little while they came to the first circle of the river. The passing-place was spanned by a bridge. On the farther side of the bridge was a beautiful pavilion, draped in silk of gold and crimson colors. In front of it passed a warrior without armor.
“Damsel,” he cried, “is this the knight you have brought from Arthur’s Court to fight with me?”
“Ah!” she said, “the king scorns you so much that he has sent a kitchen boy to fight with you. Take care that he does not fall on you before you are armed, for he is a knave.”
“Gareth rode at him fiercely”