532:PART1: A year of Wonder

Sir Arrdur here...

What a sttrange year. We were called to Camelot with nearly every other knight of Logres to welcome a foreign King of such splendor that we would never behold his like again( so we were told). We went to Camelot which was dreadfully crowded. King Edar had to set up camp out side on the grass near the northern gates. We had to run of a minor lord of Kent to make room for my Lords retinue. Shortly afterword The Count of Lindsey sent knights to demand that we move and Sir Bledri had to joust down his man so that we could keep our spot. The man fell nearly dead at the first pass. Lindsey left without one word.
As I was raised from pagehood in Camelot I took Prince Aedon, and Sir Gherrin around and introduced them to some of the nobility. Prince Aedon is most interested in an Marrying a fine upstanding rich British wife with blue blood! "I know just what you mean, " I said, and we were off. We ended up leaving Gherrin very soon. He had no patience for it all. He is but 22 years old and Is not interested in marrying. i told him not to wait. Get the dowry now! But he wont listen.
So we dropped him off at the posh and upscale temple of Venus, wheSir Bledri confides:I still do not know the whole story of the disappearance of Sir Amadis. I have not said much, but it has troubled me greatly. Amadis was always a straight arrow, but it must have been an evil event that forced him from beloved King Edar's lands and the commraderie of his fellow Candlebeess. I feel his loss every day and wonder if I will ever be up to my elbows in blood, with him at my side, shield to shield. All of this courtly, intigue stuff gives me a headache. What is wrong with me that I long for clear enemies and battle? I recall being scared out of my wits at Bardon, and numerous other battles. Perhaps in my old age, i no longer fear death. I will die with the hot blood of war pouring out of me, of this I am certain.
March 27, 2009 3:02 PMre he must have had fun, for he did not reach camp again for some 7 hours! What a Tomcat he is.
Aedon did meet some nice prospects and waited until the feast to speak with them. He did not hit the mark exactly, but by night's end he did hit A mark! She wasn't rich, but then again ... Maybe she was! anyway, he lost her before morning.
The king was referred to as King Today of Overthere. In retrospect it sounds strange, but at the time perfectly reasonable. Most guests acted as if everything was normal, except VERY VERY elegant and posh to the extreme. All admitted that King Today's court was the finest in exsistence. I know it was ... it was Fey!!! I had experience with it. I once went OVERTHERE! And helped the fey King Tessia on a quest. And I met his lovely daughter. We had relations, because of her enchantements im sure. Bledri says she slept with us all, but I dont recall that and I know my Fiona. She wouldnt have done that. I couldnt take my eyes off of her unless it was to look at guenivere. I tried several times to approach Fiona the Fey, but her brothers would not let me. In a drunken moment I approached her and was escorted away by one of Arthur's pages. I gave up all hope and Got stinking filthy drunk that night.... which was unfortunate since the next day I had to joust against King Today's knights. I went down in my first pass and spent an hour getting out of the armour that i had just gotten into. Poor Extavias and Cadamar. They had to do all the work.
The last feast saw king Today give a speech about how Arthur was a great King but his knights were trespassing on Overthere too much. I was named personally as a trespasser because of King Tessia's quest. King Today went on to berate me becuse I apparently got My lady Fiona pregnant! Then last year when we were captive in the sorceress Cammiles dungeons my lady Fiona contacted me there and was trying to tell me of my son and help me escape but she says that I did not recognize her! I dont know what she is playing at , but it is not humorous. Anyway... Her father King Tessia complained and now King Today is punishing me for the slight. He says that I can not see my son ( who is now 5). He says that he is being raised by someone appropriate from the Overthere kingdom.. He said that to start the relationship of adventure between Arthurs Kingdom and his own off right, he would issue this first quest... I was told that I could have my son if I could take him from a tower in Listenesse where he is being held as ward. I went to pack right away, and my good companions Sir CynFyn, Sir Gherrin, And Prince Aedon all wished to aid me. Even sir Bledri said that for the friendship he bore my father he would aid me. So we are all prepared to go. I hope when all is said and done we will prosper for this...... My Lord Edar said to us at the last " Do not forget gentlemen, that King Todays realm has been freed from the old truce and just as we can now freely come to his lands so can he and his come to ours. Be ever watchful."

Sir Lucius speaking.....
What a strange year. Camelot was magnificent. Me and My wife completely fell in love with the King of Overthere and his retinue. They more than brought back the elegance that Britian once shared when under good Roman rule. It was fabulous, and At the end of it all I was happy to talk to many of King Today's retinue. They are the most sophisticated men in any realm, i'll wager!!
Everything was nearly perfect, except when that spoiled little ninny Arddur displeased King Today. Imagine acting like such a fool. And begetting a bastard child on His daughter!!!!! He is lucky the King found it in his heart to impose a simple quest and not demand Arddurs head from our High King on the spot! That is what I would have done. It would serve the brat right. Arddur is no Brandegoris( his father would be very dissapointed in his pampered son), that is for sure. Sir Bledri asked me if I would help Sir Arddur in his quest and I flatly refused. The man is an imbicile I told him. I will not aid him. If he was a roman christian this illigitamate child thing would not have happned. British Christians are getting to be as bad as pagans!
As I told Sir Bledri, If Sir Amadis had not quit the court of Sir Edar he would probably have helped. He loved to go on fool quests. I can not believe he left Edar's court. Especially at it's height. Edar is a King in his own right and I am sure his generosity and Largesse will soon show itself with appointments and gifts. And Amadis was supposed to be a Candlebee. But he left his brothers. A pity. He was brave beyond belief. A little queer at times. He was a good man though and i liked him. he will be missed sorely. I hope to run across him again and I will tell him this... I do not like or trust this Sir CynFyn. He is new blood in my eyes and he is ever trying to weasel his way up the ladder of success. he is oily as a snake and I am proud enough to say that it was not I that helped pull Sir Amadis away from CynFyn. And now that Amadis the Annis slayer is gone and CynFyn the too good is in, I am glad I never counted myself a Candlebee. he seems to be exerting too much influence over my young friend Sir Ellidyr as well. Ellidyr will not see anyone nor talk. He has said but 2 words to me since his return and they had to do with guard duty. When I try o find him to continue his fencing lessons he is always gone, Out riding or sulking in his room. He rides a lot these days. I went out to find him after he had been gone for 4 days in the rain. I found him Stinking drunk attempting to drown himself in a small spring. He was a mess and could not talk. I took him to my manor, and made him comfortable, but when I woke early he had already gone some time in the night. I finally cornered him one day just outside of Bunny on his way back from CynFyn's manor. the only reason he said that he was unhappy was because he had a secret Irish love that would not return the favor. I should have known. But that was hardly an excuse for Drunken depression for monthes on end not able to perform your knightly duties. He then said that he felt guilty about the raiding in Ireland and about some of the things he had had to do there. Now that made a little more sense. I assured him that he would get over that and that he had followed orders and been a good kinight. CynFyn was correct in one thing. The irish are damned wicked bastards. They were resisting and bringing it on themselves. Maybe it wasnt entirely true, but whatever needs be said to get the man to snap out of it was true enough . I asked if he had at last known a woman while abroad and he said no, He was saving himself for his love, the one he would marry. Gods Blood! What a dandy. If he just bedded a few fine women he would be good i think. Put his head back on straight ya know? I let the matter drop... until now. I was one of the first back to Leicester after the Camelot feast, except of course for Arduur and his Quest companions. To my surprise I spied Ellidyr coming out of the castle chapel with blind old father Merle ( now 89 years old). Merle i thought was senile but it appears not, for when I later cornered the cheeky old bastard I forced him to tell me the truth. He at first said it was the Irish lass that stayed on at CynFyn' manor of bunny as a slave, then it was because of wartime tragedies, but I could read the blind bastard like a book( I even know that he can see a little out of his left eye). he finally said it was because he betrayed his lord Edar when in Ireland. Together with Sir CynFyn they Took money off the top of Edar's cut to enrich themselves, and he felt guilty. I guess he would, the nieve little pup. he is so good-hearted that he doesnt know that that is expected in this day and age. Edar knew when CynFyn wanted the post that he wanted to enrich himself. Its accepted. Accepted as a reward for your good service. That is why I am trying to get Edar to appoint me as his lawyer and to make me a baron. I am useful at court and can help Edar on legal matters such as the De Ganis Clan stealing his rights to Lambor when old Lambor was evicted. Instead Roman law was flung around like shit by the DeGanis clan and made Sir Blamore the new Baron of Lambor. i hope to find through law, a way to get those lands back to my Count. then maybe he could name me as Baron owing fealty to him. If he did you can bet i would pocket a little more than MY share, and Edar would look away while I did so! It is the way of the world. I wish I could talk to Ellidyr about it but for now it is just safer to sit on the situation. Ahhh how difficult life can be sometimes... I hope he will soon snap out of it before something dreadful happens.






Sir Bledri, Candlebee and Knight of the Round Table speaks:Oh, what strange visitors we have in our lands these days! King Today of Overthere, and his otherwordly retinue arrived, seemingly only to tell King Arthur that he has loosed his fey knights on Britain. They are strange folk. I almost wish for the days when it was saxons who ran amok in our lands. At least you knew where you stood with them. We kill them, or they kill us, rape our women, and take our land. very simple. This whole idea of 'adventuring' knights seems silly. What is the point? Perhaps King Edar will send me to Ireland to be Marshall of his kingdom there. I think I could do the most good there. I think Medbourne would do better in Edar's hands.On a lighter note, Lindsay's Champion tried to move in on our pavillion territory at the big hubbub at Camelot. Foolish. One pass. Thats it. I may be old, but I am still dangerous. Also Arrdur knocked up King Tessia's daughter. We are going up north to claim the bastard. Sounds like a lot of fun. These Fey knights will find that the men of Leicester are frightening foes.
March 27, 2009 10:09 AM

Sir Bledri confides:I still do not know the whole story of the disappearance of Sir Amadis. I have not said much, but it has troubled me greatly. Amadis was always a straight arrow, but it must have been an evil event that forced him from beloved King Edar's lands and the commraderie of his fellow Candlebeess. I feel his loss every day and wonder if I will ever be up to my elbows in blood, with him at my side, shield to shield. All of this courtly, intigue stuff gives me a headache. What is wrong with me that I long for clear enemies and battle? I recall being scared out of my wits at Bardon, and numerous other battles. Perhaps in my old age, i no longer fear death. I will die with the hot blood of war pouring out of me, of this I am certain.
March 27, 2009 3:02 PM

Sir Amadis here...

Another miserable voyage across the Channel, but I don’t remember much. I was in such internal agony over leaving my lord, my companions…but so it goes. I made my choice, and so did they.

As we made our way south I directed my energies to accepting jousts from the swarms of knights on the roads, many of whom stationed themselves at a notable landmark—a bridge, a ford, a crossroads—and offering to fight all comers. Very well then! I let myself loose upon the French. I left Sir Sigibert unconscious on the road next to his mount…Sir Ingomer kept his saddle, but was sore wounded by my trusty Leicester spear, ceded the contest to me. So, too, did a knight of great repute among the Franks, Sir Rigunth, whom I left bleeding and reeling from my buffets. Sirs Clovis, Childeric, and Charibert were good enough men, but I them I killed, which in the case of the distinguished Sir Childeric, I regret. Their horses and arms I took, as is the custom in this land, but I let the wounded men keep their arms and mounts since they had such a visceral souvenir of our encounter.

The old kingdom of Ganis we found swarming with Franks, conquering the lands from the de Ganis clan, who all seem to have fled to Arthur’s court. We had some troubles on the road, but by then the Franks recognized my coat of arms and were on better behavior.

After many months of travel through warn-torn regions, we finally came to Gilet, a village up the river from Sagunto, the old Roman town. The new king, Theudis of the Visigoths, has a summer palace near here, in a place called Valencia. The heat is very staggering on the plains and in the mountains; it is only on the coast, with its cooling breezes, that our little party got any relief.

In Gilet we finally met my lady’s people, a large if not particularly wealthy family of cavalrymen. Their hospitality was as good as we would have received in Logres, and they made much fuss over my lady, the women of the household gathering in “their little lost child.” After the hardships of France and Ganis, Desdemona was comforted to be accepted so readily by a family she had never met.

The menfolk are not yet sure what to make of me, a knight of Logres newly arrived from the fabled land of King Arthur, and a knight of the legendary Idar of Allington. As I told them of our travels through France I could see them warming up to me as I recounted the good French knights I left injured by the side of the road, or lying dead on the ground. They bitterly hate the French, especially their former Queen, Chrotilda, for that people’s role in the death of their previous king, just this last year.