The Lancelot Lie (an excerpt)
Premise: What if the most famous love triangle of all time had been a lie? The truth would have destroyed it all, but the lie immortalized Camelot.
Audience: Young adult
The boredom was clearly setting in, he looked more like a trapped animal than a king waiting for his queen. Arthur never enjoyed sitting still for long, and he loathed excessive pageantry. Everything was certainly excessive tonight. It had to be. This marriage could save Arthur's reign, or signal the end of it. The hall was awash in all the finery that existed in the kingdom, resulting in clashing colors of opulence. Major and minor nobles were jammed in alongside merchants and landholders, each straining to be one inch closer to the center aisle. No one wanted to miss the grand entrance procession that a queen of such standing was expected to have. Her father was a wealthy king, from a wealthy country, and it was obvious to anyone who had seen the escort caravan arrive. It was the presentation of gifts brought by this caravan that now had Arthur so restless. He did thankfully remember to show appreciation for each gift as it was announced by the emissary.
Finally, the end of the long line of chests, wagons, performers and servants was reached. Now the aisle stood empty all the way down to the hall's closed wooden doors. Arthur seemed to regain full focus as the emissary spoke again. "Good King Arthur, I have been charged by the High King Leodegrance to present you with one final gift of the greatest value. The King sends to you his only daughter, Guinevere, in the hopes that a bond between your two kingdoms can be forged in friendship and love." Arthur stood up so fast that for a moment he looked as if he was about to charge an enemy. A split second later, barely noticeable, he settled into a formal stance on the dais and nodded towards the emissary. The great doors opened as the crowd hushed and turned to lay eyes on the new queen for the first time. A single figure could be seen standing in the wide gulf of the doorway.
After an hour of the vibrant and busy procession of gifts, the quietness of this lone figure was a shock to the system. The onlookers fell completely silent in confusion. Then she began to walk, slowly but with intent, her eyes never leaving Arthur. This was not the queen that was expected, there were no jewels dripping off extremities, no fine gown flowing behind her, not even a crown on her head. Instead, she wore a simple shift of pale cream that seemed to barely dare to touch her skin. Long fine yellow hair flowed loosely down her back and greedily caught reflections from the torches for it's own purposes. Even her feet were bare. The servants in the hall were more finely dressed than this queen, but no one would have mistaken her for a servant. She seemed more goddess than queen to all that saw her. Confidence without arrogance, strength without cruelty, power without harshness, a nobility that was deeper than just a birthright.
When she reached the base of the dais, she knelt on one knee as a knight would have, looking up directly at Arthur. He had the look of a man lost in a daydream, seeing only her. "My dearest Lord and King, my father has sent you many riches and treasures in thanks for our union. I have no such treasures of my own, so I come to you with only what is mine to give, myself." She did not shout these words, or whisper them, but spoke pleasantly and clearly in such a manner that all in the hall heard her. This was not a frail princess thrown into marriage, this was an equal for Arthur. For a moment no one breathed, no one moved, not even the king. One heartbeat, than another and still another went by with everyone locked in this perfect second of simplicity. A very slight grin from Guinevere broke the King's frozen state and he reached down to take her hands, raising her to her feet. The hall erupted in loud cheering and applause, dozens of the women in the crowd brushed away tears as the king brought his queen up next to him. Arthur and all of Camelot fell hopelessly in love with Guinevere.
As the cheers rolled over them both, Arthur knew with certainty, he would tell her the truth. He would tell her everything.