Arthur of the Roundish Table: Chapter One

ARTHUR OF THE ROUNDISH TABLE

CHAPTER 1

DUX BELLORUM

It had been a long campaign. Twelve great battles fought on battlegrounds to be memorialized in poetry and prose for centuries to come.

The first at Glein, four battles alone at the River Dubglais, In the place called Linnius, the battle at Bassas River, the next at Cat Coit Celidon, then on to Guinnion.

Finally THE GREAT BATTLE AT BADON where the Saxon pagans were finally defeated.

At Mount Baden Arthur meets with his primary lieutenants.

Sire, this may be the last of them, said Sir Kay.

All say yea to that, Bedivere responded.

Blood, sweat, tears and shite. All shed for Peace in Our Time. The King pronounced.

Sire, pray tell what is 'shite'? Inquired Bedivere.

Oh it is a term I learned from the Saxon over there. I smit him with my sword and just prior to disemboweling him, he yelled shite at me along with a litany of short words. I am pretty sure that shite has something to do with horses.

At any rate, the King continued, we have lost close to four thousand horsemen and many thousands of peasants over the last three years, but we have succeeded where my father has not.

Mission accomplished, I say, mission accomplished.

Now let us kneel down in prayer and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for our victory today. A victory that shall be remembered by our tribes for generations to come.

All the great lieutenants knelt. There was Bedivere and Kay who had been with him from the time of the stone. And Lancelot and Tristan, the greatest of his warriors. There was his cousin Gawain along with his brother Gareth. Merlin would appear and disappear. Come and go. But he had helped in the planning.

At last the forces of good had prevailed.

Arthur had disbanded most of his forces but decided to keep a significant guard, prepared to defend his people. And now, back at Camelot he calls for a meeting of the Round Table.

I know, how can you ‘head’ a roundish table. I mean there really is no place at the table that stands out. Merlin helped with this by establishing the King’s Chair. A chair with a huge back with the great seal of the King, chiseled into the wooden frame. The Seal portrays a Red Dragon defeating a white dragon. Arthur demurred at first and complained that the teeth of the Red dragon were cutting into his back. Merlin, a satirist at times, underlined that the King must always be watching his back but he had the chief tailor prepare a cushioned cape that removed the King's back from any discomfort.

Arthur stood to address his fiefs:

As you know, we are now a land at peace. A peace that we have not seen for decades. I commend the dukes, the earls and the kings (with small k's, remember, always small k's from now on) who joined forces for a cause and a new solidarity under my reign.

And....

(Lancelot waltzes in, with a zing to his step)

Lancelot, you are always late. And yet you always have that spring in your step. What is it that you always find time to do just before our important meetings?

I...I...Sire, I always make sure that my clothes are always hung correctly and Galant the tailor is a bit, er Picky.

Well, maybe next time he will remind you to pull up your zipper.

Take your seat.

Tristan your uncle is noticeably absent from these proceedings, and why is that so?

Sire, my uncle is preparing for his wedding and sent me as emissary to your table, responded the Irisman.

But isn't king Mark marrying Iseult? I thought I saw her in the inner sanctum today?

Uh, uh...Sire I escort her wherever she goes for safety sake and I think Mighty Arthur, you recall that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Tristan cleared his throat.

You know Tristan, Lancelot told me the same thing two years ago during my wedding preparations and I did not see either the bride or Lancelot for months at a time. And when I did, they were always smiling like you are right now. I am going to have a talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury about this tomorrow. I do not think I like old customs like this one. They are pagan and make a lot of us uneasy and suspicious.

Today we must address the problems associated with peace.