Le banquet de Carlion en l'Usk

General Summary

Arthur réunit sa Cour à Carlion, avant de repartir en guerre contre les rebelles de Cambrie. Il reçoit également le Roi de Là-Bas, amical souverain d'un riche pays à la fois lointain et très proche. Or, les ambassadeurs ont des messages fort dérangeants à passer, aussi bien à Arthur et à toute la Bretagne, qu'à nos chevaliers aventureux.

La Cour des Rameaux

Conversations

“I hear the ladies of King Today’s court are all going to be wearing Spanish fashions. What will you be doing with your hair?”
“It can’t be all Spanish: I heard the nobles wear Byzantine fashion. I’ll have mine in a net.”
“Do you think it’s true that even their servants wear jewels? Wouldn’t that be nice, to wear jewels?”
“Where will they be staying? Have you been moved to a new place yet?”
“Do you think it’s true that all the men are so handsome? Can it be so?”
“No, no, of course not. As far as I am concerned this is just another double workload without enough sleep. If we get some decent scraps from this feast, I will be more than happy. And let me tell you, if they really are all wearing diamonds, I will be very careful to clean up after them.”

Kay: “A great foreign king will be visiting us soon. I’m prepared. If the Emperor of Byzantium showed up I could have no better fare, nor he for us.”

Griflet: “Be on your guard. I am told these are polite, but proud warriors. Do not fight any of them for any reason unless Arthur himself gives the order. Not me, not your lord, and not your damned impetuous self, understand? This will be strictly enforced.”

Gawaine: “I got a message and expect to see my old friends from the Land Beyond the Mountains. And I heard my Aunt Morgan’s handmaiden will be with them.”

Plans de guerre

 

L'ambassade du Roi de Là-Bas

The Arrival

The great sovereign, King Today of Overthere, is obviously wealthy and powerful, with a large retinue of handsome men and beautiful women. King Today arrives at Camelot on the morning of the day before Rameaux, and departs three evenings later.

Everyone who has ever had an encounter in which they would recognize a faerie being sees that being in this retinue. Beautiful fey women last seen years ago are here, and from her place in the procession each will acknowledge the presence of the knight with a nod, smile, or sneer, as appropriate.
Enemy foes who have impacted knights are sighted here, as well. Even giants or spriggans or the like appear here as rough, burly, but well-restrained foot soldiers.
Madog, the King of Sauvage, is here as a courtier, along with his own little retinue.

The Overthere retinue occupies the entire Guest Castle. They are not released to the streets. The faeries arrive at noon, stay for three nights, and depart at dusk the last day. The time is filled with royal pleasantries and diplomatic formalities.
Stories are told of the king’s Diamond Throne and the wonder of his city, Cleopolis, upon the shores of Lake Cleona; and of the countless and marvelous adventures of his ancestors and knights.

Audience auprès de Dame Byanne

Le grand banquet

The important announcement comes at the final night’s dinner. Arthur has ordered all the knights (except the guards on duty of course) to be present to honor the visitor. During dinner, King Today looks among the knights at the tables below him. He names a few of them, and tells of their deeds with the faerie race. He is well informed, and tells a secret or two to Arthur’s court : “After he left, Sir Ambrut’s beloved had a child, and the pair of them have always wondered when the father would return.”

Then King Today turns to Arthur and says, “I know these men because they have intruded into my lands. My barons are complaining. There have been many such slayings, thefts, and kidnappings.” He takes a polite sip of wine from a golden horn. No one can speak, as if he has taken command of the hall with his drama.

“I am not unhappy with this,” King Today continues, “for it keeps my knights alert. It waters the fields with blood. And in fact, I know that this aggression is due to the high ideals of Adventure and Quest, which are ways that I myself support from the depths of my being. In our great leadership, our wisdom, and our mutual love for adventure and quest, you and I are alike.

“It is not often that two great monarchs meet face to face in peace. But here we are, you and I. So this visit is a meeting of peace. Let me be clear: that the intrusions of your knights into my realm are expected, and accepted. And by the same coin, I am here to warn you that folk from my kingdom have also been freed, by your own actions, from our centuries-old promise to stay out of Britain. We too shall be found in your lands seeking adventure.”

“We welcome that, my friend,” says King Arthur, “and I too pledge to maintain peace between us and our kingdoms, no matter what passions our great followers bring to us.” Arthur raises his golden goblet.

“To Peace,” he says, “and Adventure.”

So the challenge is laid, and the Enchantment of Britain is going to continue, accelerated.

During the feast, after elven minstrels sing a song about watching Brutus come ashore to Britain, everyone falls asleep while feasting — everyone, including lovers, doctors, monks, and guards. The next morning, King Today and all of his entourage are gone, with every trace of their belongings, as if they never had been there. Actually, that isn’t quite true. One trace remains: many broken hearts.

  La dernièrechanson des ménestrels elfes au banquet des rameaux : le conte, bien connu, de la formation de la Bretagne par Brutus, de la diaspora de Troie (et incidemment arrière petit-fils d'Aphrodite). Ca vous a tous endormis...