CHAPTER 7
The Lady Tells of the Strife and Trouble That Befell After Her Comingto the Country of the King's Son
"When we came to the King's House, my lord followed his father into thehall, where sat his mother amongst her damsels: she was a fair woman,and looked rather meek than high-hearted; my lord led me up to her, andshe embraced and kissed him and caressed him long; then she turnedabout to me and would have spoken to me, but the king, who stood behindus, scowled on her, and she forebore; but she looked me on somewhatkindly, and yet as one who is afeard.
"Thus it went for the rest of the day, and my lord had me to sit besidehim in the great hall when the banquet was holden, and I ate and drankwith him and beheld all the pageants by his side, and none meddled withme either to help or to hinder, because they feared the king. Yet manyeyes I saw that desired my beauty. And so when night came, he took meto his chamber and his bed, as if I were his bride new wedded, even asit had been with us on the grass of the wilderness and the bracken ofthe wildwood. And then, at last, he spake to me of our case, and bademe fear not, for that a band of his friends, all-armed, was keepingwatch and ward in the cloister without. And when I left the chamber onthe morrow's morn, there were they yet, all in bright armour, andamongst them the young knight who had delivered me from the felonbaron, and he looked mournfully at me, so that I was sorry for hissorrow.
"And I knew now that the king was minded to slay me, else had he biddenthrust me from my lord's side.
"So wore certain days; and on the seventh night, when we were come intoour chamber, which was a fair as any house outside of heaven, my lordspake to me in a soft voice, and bade me not do off my raiment. 'For,'said he, 'this night we must flee the town, or we shall be taken andcast into prison to-morrow; for thus hath my father determined.' Ikissed him and clung to him, and he no less was good to me. And whenit was the dead of night we escaped out of our window by a knotted ropewhich he had made ready, and beneath was the city wall; and thatcompany of knights, amongst whom was the young knight abovesaid, hadtaken a postern thereby, and were abiding us armed and with goodhorses. So we came into the open country, and rode our ways with themind to reach a hill-castle of one of those young barons, and to holdourselves there in despite of the king. But the king had been as waryas we were privy, and no less speedy than we; and he was a mighty anddeft warrior, and he himself followed us on the spur with certain ofhis best men-at-arms. And they came upon us as we rested in a woodsidenot far from our house of refuge: and the king stood by to see thebattle with his sword in his sheath, but soon was it at an end, forthough our friends fought valiantly, they were everyone slain or hurt,and but few escaped with bare life; but that young man who loved me sosorely crept up to me grievously hurt, and I did not forbear to kisshim once on the face, for I deemed I should soon die also, and hisblood stained my sleeve and my wrist, but he died not as then, butlived to be a dear friend to me for long.
"So we, my lord and I, were led back to the city, and he was held inward and I was cast into prison with chains and hunger and stripes.And the king would have had me lie there till I perished, that I mightbe forgotten utterly; but there were many of the king's knights whomurmured at this, and would not forget me; so the king beingconstrained, had me brought forth to be judged by his bishops ofsorcery for the beguiling of my lord. Long was the tale to me then,but I will not make it long for thee; as was like to be, I was broughtin guilty of sorcery, and doomed to be burned in the Great Square inthree days time.
"Nay, my friend, thou hast no need to look so troubled; for thou seestthat I was not burned. This is the selfsame body that was tied to thestake in the market place of the king's city many a year ago.
"For the friends of my lord, young men for the most part, and many whohad been fain to be my friends also, put on their armour, and took mylord out of the courteous prison wherein he was, and came to the GreatSquare whenas I stood naked in my smock bound amid the faggots; and Isaw the sheriffs' men give back, and great noise and rumour rise uparound me: and then all about me was a clear space for a moment and Iheard the tramp of the many horse-hoofs, and the space was full ofweaponed men shouting, and crying out, 'Life for our Lord's Lady!'Then a minute, and I was loose and in my lord's arms, and they broughtme a horse and I mounted, lest the worst should come and we might haveto flee. So I could see much of what went on; and I saw that all theunarmed folk and lookers-on were gone, but at our backs was a greatcrowd of folk with staves and bows who cried out, 'Life for the Lady!'But before us was naught but the sheriffs' sergeants and a company ofknights and men-at-arms, about as many as we were, and the king infront of them, fully armed, his face hidden by his helm, and a royalsurcoat over his hauberk beaten with his bearing, to wit, a silvertower on a blue sky bestarred with gold.
"And now I could see that despite the bills and bows behind us the kingwas going to fall on with his folk; and to say sooth I feared butlittle and my heart rose high within me, and I wished I had a sword inmy hand to strike once for life and love. But lo! just as the king wasraising his sword, and his trumpet was lifting the brass to his lips,came a sound of singing, and there was come the Bishop and the Abbot ofSt. Peter's and his monks with him, and cross bearers and readers andothers of the religious: and the Bishop bore in his hand the BlessedHost (as now I know it was) under a golden canopy, and he stood betweenthe two companies and faced the king, while his folk sang loud andsweet about him.
"Then the spears went up and from the rest, and swords were sheathed,and there went forth three ancient knights from out of the king's hostand came up to him and spake with him. Then he gat him away unto hisHigh House; and the three old knights came to our folk, and spake withthe chiefs; but not with my lord, and I heard not what they said. Butmy lord came to me in all loving-kindness and brought me into the houseof one of the Lineage, and into a fair chamber there, and kissed me,and made much of me; and brought me fair raiment and did it on me withhis own hands, even as his wont was to be for my tire-maiden.
"Then in a little while came those chiefs of ours and said that trucehad been hanselled them for this time, but on these terms, that my lordand I and all those who had been in arms, and whosoever would, thatfeared the king's wrath, should have leave to depart from his city sothat they went and abode no nearer than fifty miles thereof till theyshould know his further pleasure. Albeit that whosoever would go homepeaceably might abide in the city still and need not fear the king'swrath if he stirred no further: but that in any case the Sorceressshould get her gone from those walls.
"So we rode out of the gates that very day before sunset; for it wasnow midsummer again, and it was three hours before noon that I was tohave been burned; and we were a gallant company of men-at-arms andknights; yet did I be-think me of those who were slain on that otherday when we were taken, and fain had I been that they were riding withus; but at least that fair young man was in our company, though stillweak with his hurts: for the prison and the process had worn awaywellnigh two months. True it is that I rejoiced to see him, for I haddeemed him dead.
"Dear friend, I pray thy pardon if I weary thee with making so long atale of my friends of the past days; but needs must I tell theesomewhat of them, lest thou love that which is not. Since truly it ismyself that I would have thee to love, and none other.
"Many folk gathered to us as we rode our ways to a town which was mylord's own, and where all men were his friends, so that we came therewith a great host and sat down there in no fear of what the king mightdo against us. There was I duly wedded to my lord by a Bishop of HolyChurch, and made his Lady and Queen; for even so he would have it.
"And now began the sore troubles of that land, which had been once sopeaceful and happy; the tale whereof I may one day tell thee; or rathermany tales of what befell me therein; but not now; for the day weareth;and I still have certain things that I must needs tell thee.
"We waged war against each other, my lord and the king, and whiles one,and whiles the other overcame. Either side belike
deemed that onebattle or two would end the strife; but so it was not, but it enduredyear after year, till fighting became the chief business of all in theland.
"As for me, I had many tribulations. Thrice I fled from the strickenfield with my lord to hide in some stronghold of the mountains. Oncewas I taken of the foemen in the town where I abode when my lord wasaway from me, and a huge slaughter of innocent folk was made, and I wascast into prison and chains, after I had seen my son that I had borneto my lord slain before mine eyes. At last we were driven clean out ofthe Kingdom of the Tower, and abode a long while, some two years, inthe wilderness, living like outlaws and wolves' heads, and lifting thespoil for our livelihood. Forsooth of all the years that I abode aboutthe Land of Tower those were the happiest. For we robbed no poor folkand needy, but rewarded them rather, and drave the spoil from rich menand lords, and hard-hearted chapmen-folk: we ravished no maid of thetillers, we burned no cot, and taxed no husbandman's croft or acre, butdefended them from their tyrants. Nevertheless we gat an ill name wideabout through the kingdoms and cities; and were devils and witches tothe boot of thieves and robbers in the mouths of these men; for whenthe rich man is hurt his wail goeth heavens high, and none may say heheareth not.
"Now it was at this time that I first fell in with the Champions of theDry Tree; for they became our fellows and brothers in arms in thewildwood: for they had not as yet builded their stronghold of theScaur, whereas thou and I shall be in two days time. Many a wild deeddid our folk in their company, and many that had been better undone.Whiles indeed they went on journeys wherein we were not partakers, aswhen they went to the North and harried the lands of the Abbot ofHigham, and rode as far even as over the Downs to Bear Castle andfought a battle there with the Captain of Higham: whereas we went neverout of the Wood Perilous to the northward; and lifted little save inthe lands of our own proper foemen, the friends of the king.
"Now I say not of the men of the Dry Tree that they were good andpeaceable men, nor would mercy hold their hands every while that theywere hard bestead and thrust into a corner. Yet I say now and once forall that their fierceness was and is but kindness and pity when setagainst the cruelty of the Burg of the Four Friths; men who have nofriend to love, no broken foe to forgive, and can scarce be kind evento themselves: though forsooth they be wise men and cautelous and wellliving before the world, and wealthy and holy."
She stayed her speech a while, and her eyes glittered in her flushedface and she set her teeth; and she was as one beside herself tillRalph kissed her feet, and caressed her, and she went on again.
"Dear friend, when thou knowest what these men are and have been thouwilt bless thy friend Roger for leading thee forth from the Burg bynight and cloud, whatever else may happen to thee.
"Well, we abode in the wildwood, friends and good fellows from thefirst; and that young man, though he loved me ever, was somewhat healedof the fever of love, and was my faithful friend, in such wise thatneither I nor my lord had aught to find fault with in him. Meanwhilewe began to grow strong, for many joined us therein who had fled fromtheir tyrants of the good towns and the manors of the baronage, and atlast in the third year naught would please my lord but we must enterinto the Kingdom of the Tower, and raise his banner in the wealthyland, and the fair cities.
"Moreover, his father, the King of the Tower, died in his bed in thesedays, and no word of love or peace had passed between them since thatmorning when I was led out to be burned in the Great Square.
"So we came forth from the forest, we, and the Champions of the DryTree; and made the tale a short one. For the king, the mighty warriorand wise man, was dead: and his captains of war, some of them weredead, and some weary of strife; and those who had been eager in debatewere falling to ask themselves wherefore they had fought and what wasto do that they should still be fighting; and lo! when it came to belooked into, it was all a matter of the life and death of one woman, towit me myself, and why should she not live, why should she not sit uponthe throne with the man who loved her?
"Therefore when at last we came out from the twilight of the woods intothe sunny fields of the Land of the Tower, there was no man to naysayus; nay, the gates of the strong places flew open before the wind ofour banners, and the glittering of our spears drew the folk togethertoward the places of rejoicing. We entered the master City in triumph,with the houses hung with green boughs and the maidens casting flowersbefore our feet, and I sat a crowned Queen upon the throne high raisedon the very place where erst I stood awaiting the coming of the torchto the faggots which were to consume me.
"There then began the reign of the Woman of the Waste; for so it was,that my lord left to my hands the real ruling of the kingdom, though hewore the crown and set the seal to parchments. As to them of the DryTree, though some few of them abode in the kingdom, and became greatthere, the more part of them went back to the wildwood and lived theold life of the Wood, as we had found them living it aforetime. But orever they went, the leaders of them came before me, and kissed my feet,and with tears and prayers besought me, and bade me that if aught fellamiss to me there, I should come back to them and be their Lady andQueen; and whereas these wild men loved me well, and I deemed that Iowed much to their love and their helping, I promised them and swore tothem by the Water of the Well at the World's End that I would do noless than they prayed me: albeit I set no term or year for the day thatI would come to them.
"And now my lord and I, we set ourselves to heal the wounds which warhad made in the land: and hard was the work, and late the harvest; soused had men become to turmoil and trouble. Moreover, there were many,and chiefly the women who had lost husband, lover, son or brother, wholaid all their griefs on my back; though forsooth how was I guilty ofthe old king's wrath against me, which was the cause of all? Aboutthis time my lord had the Castle of Abundance built up very fairly forme and him to dwell in at whiles; and indeed we had before that dweltat a little manor house that was there, when we durst withdraw a littlefrom the strife; but now he had it done as fair as ye saw it, and hadthose arras cloths made with the story of my sojourn in the wilderness,even as ye saw them. But the days and the years wore, and wealth cameback to the mighty of the land, and fields flourished and the acresbore increase, and fair houses were builded in the towns; and the landwas called happy again.
"But for me I was not so happy: and I looked back fondly to the daysof the greenwood and the fellowship of the Dry Tree, and the daysbefore that, of my flight with my lord. And moreover with the wearingof the years those murmurs against me and the blind causeless hatredbegan to grow again, and chiefly methinks because I was the king, andmy lord the king's cloak: but therewith tales concerning me began tospring up, how that I was not only a sorceress, but even one foredoomedfrom of old and sent by the lords of hell to wreck that fair Land ofthe Tower and make it unhappy and desolate. And the tale grew andgathered form, till now, when the bloom of my beauty was gone, I heardhard and fierce words cried after me in the streets when I faredabroad, and that still chiefly by the women: for yet most men lookedon me with pleasure. Also my counsellors and lords warned me oftenthat I must be wary and of great forbearance if trouble were to be keptback.
"Now amidst these things as I was walking pensively in my garden onesummer day, it was told me that a woman desired to see me, so I badethem bring her. And when she came I looked on her, and deemed that Ihad seen her aforetime: she was not old, but of middle age, of darkred hair, and brown eyes somewhat small: not a big woman, but wellfashioned of body, and looking as if she had once been exceeding daintyand trim. She spake, and again I seemed to have heard her voicebefore: 'Hail, Queen,' she said, 'it does my heart good to see theethus in thy glorious estate.' So I took her greeting; but those talesof my being but a sending of the Devil for the ruin of that land cameinto my mind, and I sent away the folk who were thereby before I saidmore to her. Then she spake again: 'Even so I guessed it would bethat thou wouldst grow great amongst women.'
"But I said, 'What is this
? and when have I known thee before-time?'She smiled and said naught; and my mind went back to those old days,and I trembled, and the flesh crept upon my bones, lest this should bethe coming back in a new shape of my mistress whom I had slain. Butthe woman laughed, and said, as if she knew my thoughts: 'Nay, it isnot so: the dead are dead; fear not: but hast thou forgotten the Daleof Lore?'
"'Nay,' said I, 'never; and art thou then the carline that learned melore? But if the dead come not back, how do the old grow young again?for 'tis a score of years since we two sat in the Dale, and I longedfor many things.'
"Said the woman: 'The dead may not drink of the Well at the World'sEnd; yet the living may, even if they be old; and that blessed watergiveth them new might and changeth their blood, and they are as youngfolk for a long while again after they have drunken.' 'And hast thoudrunken?' said I.
"'Yea,' she said; 'but I am minded for another draught.' I said: 'Andwherefore hast thou come to me, and what shall I give to thee?' Shesaid, 'I will take no gift of thee as now, for I need it not, thoughhereafter I may ask a gift of thee. But I am to ask this of thee, ifthou wilt be my fellow-farer on the road thither?' 'Yea?' said I, 'andleave my love and my lord, and my kingship which he hath given me? forthis I will tell thee, that all that here is done, is done by me.'
"'Great is thy Kingship, Lady,' said the woman, and smiled withal.Then she sat silent a little, and said: 'When six months are worn, itwill be springtide; I will come to thee in the spring days, and knowwhat thy mind is then. But now I must depart.' Quoth I: 'Glad shall Ibe to talk with thee again; for though thou hast learned me much ofwisdom, yet much more I need; yea, as much as the folk here deem I havealready.' 'Thou shalt have no less,' said the woman. Then she kissedmy hands and went her ways, and I sat musing still for a long while:because for all my gains, and my love that I had been loved withal, andthe greatness that I had gotten, there was as it were a veil ofunhappiness wrapped round about my heart.
"So wore the months, and ere the winter had come befell an evil thing,for my lord, who had loved me so, and taken me out of the wilderness,died, and was gathered to the fathers, and there was I left alone; forthere was no fruit of my womb by him alive. My first-born had beenslain by those wretches, and a second son that I bore had died of apestilence that war and famine had brought upon the land. I will notwear thy soul with words about my grief and sorrow: but it is to betold that I sat now in a perilous place, and yet I might not step downfrom it and abide in that land, for then it was a sure thing, that someof my foes would have laid hand on me and brought me to judgment forbeing but myself, and I should have ended miserably. So I gat to meall the strength that I might, and whereas there were many who loved mestill, some for my own sake, and some for the sake of my lord that was,I endured in good hope that all my days were not done. Yet I longedfor the coming of the Teacher of Lore; for now I made up my mind that Iwould go with her, and seek to the Well at the World's End for weal andwoe.
"She came while April was yet young: and I need make no long tale ofhow we gat us away: for whereas she was wise in hidden lore, it was nohard matter for her to give me another semblance than mine own, so thatI might have walked about the streets of our city from end to end, andnone had known me. So I vanished away from my throne and my kingdom,and that name and fame of a witch-wife clove to me once and for all,and spread wide about the cities of folk and the kingdoms, and many arethe tales that have arisen concerning me, and belike some of these thouhast heard told."
Ralph reddened and said: "My soul has been vexed by some inkling ofthem; but now it is at rest from them for ever."
"May it be so!" she said: "and now my tale is wearing thin for thepresent time.
"Back again went my feet over the ways they had trodden before, thoughthe Teacher shortened the road much for us by her wisdom. Once againwhat need to tell thee of these ways when thine own eyes shall beholdthem as thou wendest them beside me? Be it enough to say that onceagain I came to that little house in the uttermost wilderness, andthere once more was the garth and the goat-house, and the trees of theforest beyond it, and the wood-lawns and the streams and all the placesand things that erst I deemed I must dwell amongst for ever."
Said Ralph: "And did the carline keep troth with thee? Was she notbut luring thee thither to be her thrall? Or did the book that I readin the Castle of Abundance but lie concerning thee?"
"She held her troth to me in all wise," said the Lady, "and I was nothrall of hers, but as a sister, or it may be even as a daughter; forever to my eyes was she the old carline who learned me lore in the Daleof the wildwood.
"But now a long while, years long, we abode in that House of theSorceress ere we durst seek further to the Well at the World's End.And yet meseems though the years wore, they wore me no older; nay, inthe first days at least I waxed stronger of body and fairer than I hadbeen in the King's Palace in the Land of the Tower, as though someforetaste of the Well was there for us in the loneliness of the desert;although forsooth the abiding there amidst the scantiness oflivelihood, and the nakedness, and the toil, and the torment of windand weather were as a penance for the days and deeds of our past lives.What more is to say concerning our lives here, saving this, that inthose days I learned yet more wisdom of the Teacher of Lore, and amidstthat wisdom was much of that which ye call sorcery: as the foreseeingof things to come, and the sending of dreams or visions, and certainother matters. And I may tell thee that the holy man who came to uslast even, I sent him the dream which came to him drowsing, and badehim come to the helping of Walter the Black: for I knew that I shouldtake thy hand and flee with thee this morning e'en as I have done: andI would fain have a good leech to Walter lest he should die, although Iowe him hatred rather than love. Now, my friend, tell me, is this anevil deed, and dost thou shrink from the Sorceress?"
He strained her to his bosom and kissed her mouth, and then he said:"Yet thou hast never sent a dream to me." She laughed and said: "What!hast thou never dreamed of me since we met at the want-way of the WoodPerilous?" "Never," said he. She stroked his cheek fondly, and said:"Young art thou, sweet friend, and sleepest well a-nights. It wasenough that thou thoughtest of me in thy waking hours." Then she wenton with her tale.
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