The next day, Comper castle was in effervescence. Avalonians from all over the world showed up, having heard the news. The event would last several days, so the fairies were busy getting lodgings ready for all the guests. Only close friends and family would sleep at the castle, so everyone else settled into charming little bungalows all around the citadel. Built especially for the occasion, thanks to magic, these cottages were invisible to humans, who would have been stupefied if they’d seen them early the next morning.
Gabriel remarked to Viviane that the church seemed too small to contain all these people, and she replied with an amused smile, “Nothing is impossible for Avalonians.”
Later that day, he saw Melora arrive with Evan at her side. He decided to leave, excusing himself by explaining he had to meet with the knights to organize the castle’s defense, in case their enemies decided to invite themselves to the party.
Melora saw him hurry off, which saddened her. Ever since Evan had arrived, Gabriel had avoided her, and never once spoken to her. She wanted to approach him about it, but an opportunity to be alone with him had never come up. And the previous evening, she had forgotten Evan again! She felt ashamed and angry with herself, realizing, with despair, that every time Gabriel was near her, she got so flustered that she forgot everything else, even the existence of her future husband. She glanced sideways at Evan, walking beside her, and her increasing remorse made her feel nauseated. Viviane had been obliged to use the obedience spell to placate him after none of her explanations about Melora’s disappearance from Paris had satisfied him. He couldn’t accept the fact that she’d run away without saying anything to him.
Melora had thought about it all night, and finally, near dawn, had admitted that keeping her engagement with him was no longer possible. She had to face the fact that she did not love him, and then, what future could she offer him? Evan had no place among her people and he never would, nor did he deserve to be manipulated like a puppet.
Just as she recalled this, Evan turned and smiled lovingly at her. With a feeling of pity, she decided to break up with him during the evening after her investiture.
Gliton came and rescued her from her torment, with a request to come upstairs – it was time to try on her dress.
When she entered the room, it was the first thing she noticed. Hanging from her canopy bed, was a fantastic dress, undoubtedly a "bliaud" dress like those worn by noble ladies in medieval times. She gazed at it, drinking in the details of its elaborate trimmings and lace, and the gold-embroidered motifs on the lower part of the skirt, the cutaway sleeves and the neckline.
At her questioning look, Gliton explained that she was to be dressed in medieval clothing and would wear this dress to honor her people. The guests would also be wearing traditional costume, she added. Amused and delighted, Melora didn’t have to be asked twice to slip into the magnificent outfit.
I just couldn’t tolerate seeing Melora with her fiancé at her side, so I decided to throw myself whole-heartedly into the castle’s defense. I found Galahad at the guard tower, along with all the knights.
Since the dissolution of the Round Table, only half remained, but those six were splendid warriors, and infinitely precious in leading Arthur’s grand army. I had been trained by Galahad, the most powerful and the most valorous of them all.
As soon as he saw me, he gestured to me to join them around a model of the citadel. They were discussing how to post the sentinels in such a way that every space occupied by Avalonians would be in view. I looked around at the knights, one by one. Bedivere, a close counselor to the king; Percival and Bors, victors in the quest for the Holy Grail; Kay and Geraint on each side of Galahad. All of them had been companions-in-arms of King Arthur, so I felt intimidated when I spoke up, and tried to make my voice sound confident.
“I’d also like to talk to you about what happened during our return from Paris. Apparently, I can invoke Arthur’s army, but I can’t command it, as Melora alone can do that.”
Then, addressing Galahad, I said, “On the other hand, I noticed that your battalion obeyed you, the one lined up behind the banner with the colors of your coat of arms.”
“Exactly,” Galahad agreed. “And I was able to lead my father’s soldiers as well. You should be able to do it, too, then. Percival, you can take your brother Lamorak’s regiment under your command. As for Gawain, Gareth, Gaheris and Tristan’s soldiers, in the absence of their captains, they’ll join the army under Melora’s command.”
After a few last details, we all went back to our posts and various occupations.
Melora would be crowned Queen of Avalon the next day, and I thought of the ceremony with uneasiness, feeling that it would create even more distance between us.
The sun had barely risen when Gliton, Mazoe and Tith entered Melora’s room. At first, she had trouble even opening her eyes, and she grumbled that they should leave her in peace, but they insisted, and she had to capitulate.
Miss Bridget had left breakfast on a tray in the corner of the room, and the smell of coffee and pastries tickled her nostrils – that helped her get out of bed. She devoured a flaky croissant, ignoring the twinges of anxiety in her stomach that threatened to cut her appetite, undoubtedly a sign of stress about the coming event.
The crowning was to take place in the castle chapel, followed by a splendid banquet in the principal courtyard. Preparations had gone on throughout the night. The fairies were excited about the event, and they bustled around Melora until felt like she was watching a movie being produced right before her eyes, except that she was the star actress, and that was hard to accept. It was all happening so fast!
At one point, a wave of anxiety nearly overpowered her, but a hot bath perfumed with rose and iris made her feel better, especially as it allowed her to escape, at least for a while, the incessant chattering of her well-meaning assistants.
When she stepped out of the tub, fresh and relaxed, they helped her dress. First, she had to put on a delicate cotton chemise and then a light under-tunic called a chainse, then she turned to the stunning white and gold dress she was to wear. The sumptuous fabric, the lace and embroidery captivated her once again, and she marveled at its beauty before putting it on. She stood in front of the mirror. She wasn’t the type of girl to admire herself, but she had to admit that this dress made her beautiful! The way it highlighted her tiny waist, then belled out around her long, slim legs to the ground, forming a short train behind; the way the gold-incrusted belt, set with rubies and knotted in front, flattered the curves of her thighs. The cutaway sleeves, which hung all the way down to the bottom of the bliaud, were gathered tightly below the elbows by wide gold bracelets, also set with precious stones. Her heavy, dark curls fell down the curve of her back, while on each side, two locks disciplined that mass of unruly hair by being pulled back to the nape of her neck and clipped together with a circlet of gold. Her pendant proudly shone above the neckline of her dress. In this regalia, Melora seemed to be of another age.
Suddenly realizing the amplitude of her commitment, she felt the air suddenly become thin, and her breath came faster and faster. In the mirror’s reflection, she noticed Gliton coming over to her. Trembling with emotion, her foster-mother put her hands on Melora’s shoulders, and she felt comforted.
“You’re absolutely magnificent,” Gliton murmured, with a knot in her throat. “Your father would have been so proud of you.”
Melora felt the tears rising, changing her eyes to the color of the lake in the summer sunshine. She would have loved to have her parents at her side on this special day. She folded herself into her adoptive mother’s arms, seeking her reassuring affection, and after a few minutes, she felt calmer, and they went downstairs.
The courtyard was deserted, silent. Everyone was waiting inside the church except for the two knights who would escort her six maids of honor – no other than the fairies. Only Tith was missing, as she was to play the organ as they entered.
Melora paused for a moment before goi
ng into the chapel. She checked to make sure the long train of her mantle was perfectly arranged, and that the maids of honor were in place. Then she took a deep breath. The organ began to play, and Melora Pendragon entered the chapel with a ceremonial step, closing her mind to all the anguish accumulated during these last few days.
Outside, a vast crowd milled around, impatient to enter the chapel and see the crowning of their queen. By the looks of the building, I was convinced that many of them wouldn’t be able to get in – it was just too small. Everyone wore traditional clothing, and I’d dressed for the occasion too, in a richly embroidered blue tunic, leggings and supple leather boots. Arm in arm with Viviane, I walked up the alley formed by the people, toward the church. My sword in its engraved silver sheath bumped against my leg with every step. I watched the children running all around us, shouting with joy. Something about that intrigued me.
“You told me the Avalonians didn’t age in this world,” I said.
Viviane merely nodded, so I persisted.
“But the kids, after so many years spent here – do they have the minds of adults in a child’s body?”
“Fortunately, no,” she said with a sigh. “They retain their pure, simple soul and their innocence. They simply don’t change. The hardest is for the parents.”
“But how do women get pregnant, then?”
“They can’t. In this world, they’re incapable of procreating. That’s why it’s so difficult for young women. They get depressed. They want to be mothers. And the mothers would like their children to grow up.”
“But my mother was from Avalon, and I was born here!”
“That’s true – you’re unique.”
That shut me up. But as we entered the chapel, a long daaamn! escaped me, amusing my grandmother. I couldn’t help it – the interior was no longer a tiny chapel; it was an immense cathedral with shining marble floors and stained-glass windows in a vivid rainbow of colors.
Of course! I should have known.
Viviane had thought of everything, even this – she’d used magic to enlarge and transform the entire place.
“The ceremony is supposed to take place in the great cathedral in Avalon palace,” she explained with a big smile. “I had to find some solution.”
I couldn’t resist teasing her. “Oh, Viviane, I don’t know if the student will ever be able to go farther than the master!”
“Don’t be silly,” she chided. “You’re far and away more powerful than I. I never had your grandfather’s aptitude.”
“Maybe, but I’m sure he trusted to you when it came to strategy.”
We took our places at the front of the church, on each side of Father Antoine, who was wearing his finest chasuble. I don’t know how long we waited for the future queen to appear, but at the first notes of the organ, a murmur in the pews indicated that she’d made her entry.
For an instant, I wondered if the vision before me was real or not. Melora stood in the doorway, looking breathtakingly beautiful. I watched her as she entered, walking slowly and gracefully, her natural modesty unable to mask her voluptuousness. The exquisitely feminine gown revealed her perfect body, and the belt looped around her hips swayed with the rhythm of her steps, accentuating the curve of her hips. As if she were long-accustomed to that ancient style of dress, the long mantle trailing heavily behind her did not seem to bother her at all.
I swallowed painfully, my mouth suddenly dry, and tried to hide the agitation that gripped me as she slowly paced up the main aisle of the cathedral. The priestesses followed her, their faces betraying their intense emotion, as did everyone’s in the church. Time seemed to stand still, and we all held our breath until she reached the altar, where the throne was set up. The priest approached her, holding a silver pot containing an unguent. He stuck two fingers in it, then traced a cross on her forehead and on the palms of her two hands as he pronounced his benediction. The warm balm made her skin glisten, and its strange but not unpleasant odor wafted over us.
With the help of two of the fairies, Melora took off her red velvet cape and gingerly sat down on her throne. She listened gravely to the priest as he enumerated her obligations and commitments, then she stood and pronounced the coronation oath, promising to govern with justice according to the laws of Avalon. The priest then placed the scepter in her hands, the emblem of royal power. In a solemn, deliberate gesture, he lifted the golden circlet off her head and delicately replaced it with the fine crown, set with the kingdom’s most beautiful jewels.
At that moment, she realized that the last person to wear it had been her father, so many years before, and for the first time, Melora felt close to him. With tears in her eyes, she stood up to receive the sword Excalibur, emblem of justice, that Viviane presented to her. She seized the finely engraved handle, and with a firm grip, proudly brandished the weapon above her head. The glad shouts of the assembly repeated over and over “Long live the Queen!”
Finally, she laid the sword back in its bed of velvet cloth and then she stood immobile, struck by the crowd’s wave of passionate emotion breaking over her.
The bells were ringing gaily as everyone filed out ahead of their new sovereign, in order to form a guard of honor for her to pass through. The knights took position at each side of the chapel entry, swords unsheathed. They held the handles at chin-level, tips pointing toward the sky until Melora passed. The queen walked up the aisle under the “hurrahs!” of the crowd and a rain of flower petals. Smiling, she saluted her people and shook their hands, and kissed the children whose parents held them out to her.
Those poor kids who never grow up, I thought sadly. It’s miraculous how they hold on to their innocent candor…
With a full heart, I watched the magnificent scene being played out before me. Melora had succeed in restoring the Avalonians’ cheerfulness and their hope of being able to return to their homes one day. Even Viviane, walking beside me, smiled with satisfaction. A group of troubadours started to play and sing, while jugglers and acrobats showed off their talents in every corner of the castle courtyard.
Banquet tables had been set up in a circle around a huge firepit, stacked with logs ready to be lit that evening. The sovereign’s table had been set up on a raised platform slightly behind the others. It was now two in the afternoon, and the doors to the kitchens, constantly swinging open and slamming shut, let out whiffs of delicious smells, announcing a banquet that would last several hours.
The musicians continued to play, and the children danced, hopping from one foot to the other, clapping their hands to the rhythm and shouting happily while their parents and the other guests filed before the queen to offer their homage before taking seats at the long tables. In the finest medieval tradition, attendants served red meats and wine, and placed immense silver platters heaped with other foods on all the tables. After a long while, poultry and fish arrived, accompanied by fresh vegetables, then came creamy, strong cheeses. By the time the valets appeared with desserts, everyone was already full to the bursting.
As the sun started to go down, and evening drew in, the coolness of the surrounding forest could be felt. The guests left their seats and began to execute complicated dance steps, singing gaily and beating time on the paving in tempo with the music.
I observed Melora from the corner of my eye. As she watched the dancers, her refined features became animated, her cheeks blushed prettily, her eyes shone with joy and her smile revealed her perfectly straight, white teeth. My heart skipped a beat and I had to clear my throat before I could address her.
“You seem far more relaxed than you were yesterday.”
She turned to me and her eyes, those greenish-gray eyes, now the color of moss on the bark of a tree, stared into mine.
It’s incredible how many colors her eyes can be!
She tried to explain: “I never imagined that I would live to see a day like today, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And it’s almost as if I always knew it would come.”
She shook
her head, chuckling softly. “You must think I’m crazy, and not just a little pretentious.”
“Not at all! I understand what you’re talking about – I knew from a young age that I wasn’t like the other kids either,” I assured her, before adding in an ironic tone, “None of the other kids in my class could talk to their pets without opening their mouths!”
She let out a delighted guffaw and said, “You must have been an unbearable boy!”
“Not at all!” I exclaimed, pretending to be outraged. “I was an angel.”
She laughed even louder. “Uh huh… You, an angel! Try to be more convincing please. I know when you’re lying.”
She looked at me with a mutinous little pout and I sat transfixed, hoping she wouldn’t see what was going on in my thoughts. I pretended to be interested in watching the crowds of people dancing in front of us. They were all more or less drunk with wine and joy, tripping and sometimes falling as their shouts and noisy laughter filled the night. A farandole had formed around the bonfire, which they had just lit, and the festivities promised to last through the night.
“What are you going to do about ‘Sleeping Beauty?’” I asked playfully.
“Don’t be insulting, please,” she answered with a scowl. “Evan doesn’t deserve it. He never abandoned me, and he was always attentive toward me.”
“You don’t think I’m attentive enough?” I demanded.
I had asked the question impulsively, and now sat staring at her. She opened her mouth then closed it again, at a loss as to what to say.
Finally, she stuttered, “It…it isn’t the same kind of attention. You’re my friend and my protector. And anyway, what I do with Evan is none of your business.”
“Fine…” I retorted bitterly.
I didn’t know what was more irritating: her response, or my anger at the jealousy starting to fill me.
“I must be leaving you, my Queen,” I announced with exaggerated deference. “I have to meet Galahad about security at the castle.”
Heirs of Avalon: The passage Page 15
