betrothed,” said the lady, “thou shouldst know my name is Margawse.”
“A beautiful name,” said King Arthur in a murmur, being not fully awake. “And a queenly one as well.” Having yawned comfortably, he then said, “Didst not tell me thy mother was a queen?”
“The fair Ygraine,” said Margawse, “she who wedded thy predecessor Uther Pendragon and therefore wore the crown of Britain that you will place upon mine own head.”
Now Arthur opened his eyes fully and asked, “Then King Uther was thy father?”
“Nay,” Margawse did cry. “Mine own father was Gorlois duke of Cornwall, and felonious Uther did take away from him my mother and bring about his death!” And her eyes glared in hatred. “Alas that Uther Pendragon died without issue, leaving none of his blood on whom to take revenge.” But then she made her face soft and said, “But all of this is of no concern to thee, Arthur, for thou didst come from nowhere to take the sword from the stone. Thou art free of these feuds.”
Then Arthur retrieved his crown from the floor and his robe as well, and he dressed himself discreetly with his back turned to his half-sister, saying, “In truth, a British king is never free to do his will. He is captive of many laws, ordinances, traditions, customs, and moreover, prophecies. And these last can not be defied, for they are forecastings of what must necessarily happen in the future. And as it happens, Merlin tells me it is written that my queen shall be a golden-haired virgin.”
And Margawse seized the dagger from amidst her clothes on the floor and sprang at King Arthur with a purpose to kill him, for in shame he still kept his back to her, but at that moment a knocking came at the door of the chamber, and he went to answer, ignorant of the attack made upon him that was now carried no further.
Then the king went into the next room, where a messenger waited who had come from the castle of Leodegrance of Cameliard now under siege, with the news that unless succor could be provided, the castle would soon fall to the enemy host, for the stores had been exhausted and the well was discovered to have been poisoned by a spy or traitor.
Now Arthur was greatly relieved to be called away from the matter of his half-sister Margawse, which was a shameful thing though he had been ignorant of his relation to her and had committed the vile sin of incest unknowingly unlike the pagan kings and queens of Egypt with whom it was customary.
Therefore to the messenger, a young squire who was fearful he might be punished were his news unwelcome, Arthur said, “Go to the stables and get thyself a fresh mount. With mine host I shall ride towards Cameliard within the hour, there to relieve my ally King Leodegrance.”
And when King Arthur left Caerleon at the head of his forces, Margawse his half-sister also went away but by another route. By her husband King Lot she was mother of Gawaine (who would in time to come achieve great renown as a knight and lover of maids), the noble Gaheris, the valiant Gareth, and Agravaine (who would be Launcelot’s enemy).
And from Arthur’s seed she was at this very moment conceiving Mordred, from whom would come much evil, as much indeed as any son has ever brought against any father.
BOOK IV
How King Arthur took a wife and acquired the Round Table.
N OW KING ARTHUR WITH HIS host fell upon the forces that besieged Cameliard, who numbered three times as many as his own and were led by King Rience of North Wales, for his ally King Lot had returned to the Orkneys after the failure of Queen Margawse to conquer Caerleon by treachery.
And having begun their attack after matins, by sext Arthur and his men had won the field, for they were Christians whereas Rience’s host were paynims though not so heathen as the Angles and the Saxons, for their faith was druidical which is to say the worship of trees, and not shameful Teutonic idols like unto Thor and his hammer.
When this had been done and
“A beautiful name,” said King Arthur in a murmur, being not fully awake. “And a queenly one as well.” Having yawned comfortably, he then said, “Didst not tell me thy mother was a queen?”
“The fair Ygraine,” said Margawse, “she who wedded thy predecessor Uther Pendragon and therefore wore the crown of Britain that you will place upon mine own head.”
Now Arthur opened his eyes fully and asked, “Then King Uther was thy father?”
“Nay,” Margawse did cry. “Mine own father was Gorlois duke of Cornwall, and felonious Uther did take away from him my mother and bring about his death!” And her eyes glared in hatred. “Alas that Uther Pendragon died without issue, leaving none of his blood on whom to take revenge.” But then she made her face soft and said, “But all of this is of no concern to thee, Arthur, for thou didst come from nowhere to take the sword from the stone. Thou art free of these feuds.”
Then Arthur retrieved his crown from the floor and his robe as well, and he dressed himself discreetly with his back turned to his half-sister, saying, “In truth, a British king is never free to do his will. He is captive of many laws, ordinances, traditions, customs, and moreover, prophecies. And these last can not be defied, for they are forecastings of what must necessarily happen in the future. And as it happens, Merlin tells me it is written that my queen shall be a golden-haired virgin.”
And Margawse seized the dagger from amidst her clothes on the floor and sprang at King Arthur with a purpose to kill him, for in shame he still kept his back to her, but at that moment a knocking came at the door of the chamber, and he went to answer, ignorant of the attack made upon him that was now carried no further.
Then the king went into the next room, where a messenger waited who had come from the castle of Leodegrance of Cameliard now under siege, with the news that unless succor could be provided, the castle would soon fall to the enemy host, for the stores had been exhausted and the well was discovered to have been poisoned by a spy or traitor.
Now Arthur was greatly relieved to be called away from the matter of his half-sister Margawse, which was a shameful thing though he had been ignorant of his relation to her and had committed the vile sin of incest unknowingly unlike the pagan kings and queens of Egypt with whom it was customary.
Therefore to the messenger, a young squire who was fearful he might be punished were his news unwelcome, Arthur said, “Go to the stables and get thyself a fresh mount. With mine host I shall ride towards Cameliard within the hour, there to relieve my ally King Leodegrance.”
And when King Arthur left Caerleon at the head of his forces, Margawse his half-sister also went away but by another route. By her husband King Lot she was mother of Gawaine (who would in time to come achieve great renown as a knight and lover of maids), the noble Gaheris, the valiant Gareth, and Agravaine (who would be Launcelot’s enemy).
And from Arthur’s seed she was at this very moment conceiving Mordred, from whom would come much evil, as much indeed as any son has ever brought against any father.
BOOK IV
How King Arthur took a wife and acquired the Round Table.
N OW KING ARTHUR WITH HIS host fell upon the forces that besieged Cameliard, who numbered three times as many as his own and were led by King Rience of North Wales, for his ally King Lot had returned to the Orkneys after the failure of Queen Margawse to conquer Caerleon by treachery.
And having begun their attack after matins, by sext Arthur and his men had won the field, for they were Christians whereas Rience’s host were paynims though not so heathen as the Angles and the Saxons, for their faith was druidical which is to say the worship of trees, and not shameful Teutonic idols like unto Thor and his hammer.
When this had been done and
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