Guinevere's Tale

by Nicole Evelina

  Arthur and I inspected his hand.

  “He is telling the truth,” I said. “His wounds are too recent to have been received on Beltane.”

  “He could have reinjured himself!” Caitlin’s father yelled.

  “Silence, all of you! I’ve heard enough. Does anyone else have anything else to add?” Arthur asked.

  The room became eerily silent.

  “My wife and I will discuss this in private and return with our judgment. Lancelot, guard Mordred. Kay, Bedivere, Bors, make sure the crowd remains peaceful.”

  He and I went to a small antechamber reserved for this and other private matters.

  Arthur leaned heavily against the closed door. “You were trained as a judge. What do you think?” Even though we were alone, his voice was barely a whisper.

  “I don’t know. I want to believe Mordred, but because he cannot remember, either one of them could be telling the truth. It’s clear she was abused and probably even raped, but the question is was Mordred the perpetrator? Her family could just be accusing him to try to extort money from us.”

  “On the other hand, even if he is innocent, if we let him go without punishment, it will appear the law does not apply to him because he is my son.”

  “Arthur, we cannot punish an innocent man.”

  “I know, Guinevere. I know.” He banged his fist against the wall. “Three decades on the throne, and this is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make.”

  When we returned to the great hall, the crowd was growing restless. All eyes were on us as we took our seats. Arthur spoke. “We cannot determine whether or not a crime has been committed by the man accused. However, since it is possible, Mordred, you will pay this family the full body price and honor price as prescribed by law.”

  “This is outrageous!” Caitlin’s father roared. “The crown is simply going to pay away his offenses? I demand stronger punishment.”

  “Lord Ceredig, we have ruled. You cannot bring suit again,” I reminded him. I chose not to remind him there were now other legal ways for him to exact revenge.

  “However, given the shame this charge has brought upon the throne, I hereby strip Lord Mordred of his membership in the Combrogi, and all the rights and privileges that accompany it, for a year and a day. At that time, we will consider reinstatement,” Arthur added.

  “What?” Mordred attempted to surge toward us, but Lancelot held him fast. “This is ridiculous! You are practically disowning me over a crime I did not commit.” He pointed at both of us. “You will pay for this! Mark my words.”

  “Lancelot, Kay, lock him up until he regains his senses.” Arthur addressed the crowd now. “This pleading day has ended. If you have concerns that have not been addressed, please take them up with your local lord or return next month.”

  Mordred didn’t speak to any of us unless he had to, which was to be expected. What I hadn’t anticipated was Morgan’s added hostility toward us. If it had only been me, I wouldn’t have been as surprised, but her anger at Arthur was unprecedented. Granted, Mordred was her son, but what else could we have done?

  After Mordred’s threats, Lancelot and I decided it was best we end our relationship. Though we had reconciled after my return from Avalon, things were never the same between us again. Couple that with the possibility of Elaine, unstable ever since she had been publicly humiliated by Lancelot, finding out, and there was no sense in continuing.

  In Lancelot’s mind, that meant leaving Camelot. A few weeks after Mordred’s censure, he was packed and prepared to be away. We met at the edge of a swampy clearing leading away from Camelot. It was nearly midnight—Lancelot wished to leave under cover of darkness to avoid questions from the Combrogi, whom he was abandoning.

  “Where will you go?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe back to Brittany, perhaps to the Goddodin. I still have some lands there.”

  I vaguely remembered Malegant or Diarmad making reference to that. “So this is good-bye then.”

  He smiled in the way that broke hearts every time he neared a woman. “Not yet. We still have a few moments more.” He leaned toward me.

  I put up a hand. “Lancelot, you know my position on that—”

  “That’s not what I’m suggesting.” He put his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. “I simply want to hold you one last time.”

  I sank into his warmth, my head on his chest, and listened to his heartbeat. Around us, the forest continued its chirps and clicks, oblivious to our presence. We hugged each other closer, loathe to part. But finally the moment came.

  Lancelot was the first to pull back. “You know I have loved you from the moment I saw you at the tournament, and I will always love you, simply from afar.”

  Tears welled in my eyes. “I love you too. It may have taken me longer to realize it, but I do. I do not know how I would have survived these years with Morgan were it not for you. You will be in my heart always.”

  I rose onto my tiptoes and kissed him, long and deep.

  That was when I heard a crack in the trees. I started to step away but was too slow. We were still in each other’s arms when Mordred and Aggrivane leapt into view, weapons drawn. Instinctively, Lancelot pushed me behind him and drew his own blade.

  Elaine emerged from behind Mordred and Aggrivane, clapping slowly. “Isn’t that touching? You’re still defending the trollop after all these years. And those declarations of love? Almost as good as a bard’s song.” She pretended to wipe her eyes.

  “Elaine, what are you talking about? Did you follow us?” I squinted at her in the moonlight.

  “Oh, yes. He’s been following you for some time now.” She indicated Aggrivane and circled us as she spoke. “You know, I’ve suspected for years that my husband—do not bother to protest, Lancelot—was unfaithful to me. Then Mordred mentioned he thought Guinevere to be unfaithful as well. I couldn’t imagine the two of you together, but it was worth investigating. Turns out I was right.”

  I turned my attention to Aggrivane. “And what are you doing here?”

  “Having my worst nightmare confirmed. Not that I haven’t known for years what was going on.” The dejection in his voice and disappointment in his eyes tore my heart in two. They asked the question, “Why him instead of me?”

  I had no answer.

  Mordred cleared his throat. “We are not here for a reunion. Let’s get on with it.” He leveled his sword at us. “In the name of High King Arthur, you are both under arrest on suspicion of adultery and treason.”

  As Mordred approached me, Lancelot slashed at him, tearing into his arm. Three guards appeared from the trees. I had no weapon nor any will to resist, so I allowed one to bind my hands while the others assisted in capturing Lancelot. He laid one low before Aggrivane finally disarmed him. Lancelot continued to struggle as he was bound.

  Aggrivane’s expression was full of disdain. “Believe me, I take much pleasure in doing this.” He brought the butt of his sword down on Lancelot’s head, knocking him out. “Carry him,” he ordered the two Combrogi who remained unharmed.

  They each grabbed him under an armpit and dragged him forward, feet scraping the ground, head lolling to one side.

  “Elaine, take care of our injured friend,” Mordred called as he led the way into the woods.

  “Where are you taking us?” I demanded, finally terrified.

  Mordred looked back over his shoulder. “He is going to the prison. You are going to face the king.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  A week later, Kay led me, bound in iron shackles, before Arthur in his council chambers. I had been in here countless times over the years, but this was the first time I’d ever felt threatened in this room.

  Around the table stood my friends, the Combrogi. But today their faces were anything but welcoming. Bors, Accolon, and Gawain regarded me with disgust, while Be
divere, Sobian, and Lot gave me looks of pity and concern. Even the statues of Arthur’s ancestors seemed to scowl at me from their stone perches. With a start, I noticed someone had covered my statue with a black cloth. That was the true measure of the trouble I was in.

  A special area had been set up at the head of the table. Arthur sat in his usual place, with Marius on his left and Morgan on his right. The empty chair on the other side was presumably reserved for Kay. Three additional chairs off to the left were occupied by my accusers: Elaine, Mordred, and Aggrivane. I looked around, searching for my place, but there was none. I was to stand then, as one already condemned.

  “Where is Lancelot?” I asked Kay in a whisper.

  “He is being held in a safe place.”

  I barely had time to comprehend his words before the court scribe read out the charges against me.

  “Guinevere, Queen of Camelot, you stand accused of treason by way of an adulterous affair with your champion, Lancelot du Lac. What say you?”

  I looked at them each in turn, amazed that people I knew so well could so quickly become strangers.

  “I am guilty of no crime,” I said in a loud, clear voice so the entire assembly would be sure to hear.

  “How can you say such a thing when we have witnesses who have already attested to seeing you in his embrace?” Marius asked, his voice as full of disgust as the day he condemned me before my father.

  “So the witnesses have already spoken? Am I not to be part of my own trial? Is this how Camelot is governed now?”

  “You were there,” Marius spit. “You know what they have told us.”

  “Do I? For all I know, they may have told you they caught me fornicating with the devil himself. Would you like to hear my side, or have you already sent the headsman to sharpen his axe?”

  “Guinevere, that is enough.” Arthur addressed me for the first time. “Tell me what happened. And if anyone interrupts”—his cold stare threw daggers at Marius—“I will have him or her removed from this room.”

  I swallowed, fighting to control the panic and nerves at war within me. “Badon changed me, as I’m sure it changed many of you.” I looked into each face in turn, seeing a few nods, a few expressions of agreement. “Before then, I was able to live with Morgan being my husband’s second wife. When he abandoned me for her after the war, I had no one. So I sought out companionship.” I fixed Marius in a cold stare. “But not in the way you would imply. A few days ago, when we were ‘discovered,’ as you say, we were saying our farewells, queen to champion. Nothing improper took place.”

  “Maybe not that night,” Mordred interjected. “But it had on plenty of previous occasions.”

  “What proof have you of this?” Arthur asked.

  Aggrivane spoke up. “I saw the two of you once, many years ago, in the stairwell outside Elaine’s chambers. Lancelot had just given charge of his students to her. You were kissing, your hands all over one another. When I realized you were not aware of my presence, I followed you. I did not stay long, but I saw enough to know you had carnal knowledge of one another up against the wall.”

  I tried hard not to react, at least not visibly, but my whole body began to shake. I heard my heartbeat drumming in my ears. I remembered that day well. It was our most reckless moment, and now it was being used to condemn us. I stared at Aggrivane, wanting to ask why he had kept it a secret for so long. But I dared not.

  “Do you still claim innocence?” Marius asked.

  I forced myself to hold my head high and remain defiant in the face of this farce. “I never claimed innocence, only that I am guilty of no crime, and that I maintain.”

  Marius rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepled his hands at his lips. “How do you reason that?”

  “The law allows a man to take more than one wife—this we know. It used to allow a woman the privilege, too.”

  “But that no longer applies due to questions of paternity.”

  “Exactly. Given that I cannot bear children, that law does not pertain to me.”

  “You are saying you should be allowed to have an affair simply because no issue can come from it?” Marius scoffed.

  “In these circumstances, yes.” I turned to Arthur. “You put me away mentally and emotionally long ago, just as the nobles had advised you to do when it became clear I was barren. But I stayed with you. I prayed. I begged the gods to prove them wrong. But they did not hear my prayers. Then when I came back from being held by Malegant, I found you had indeed replaced me. You forced me to learn to live with Morgan as my near equal and constant competitor for your affection. Even this I did in fidelity until you abandoned me in my darkest hours after the war. Only then did I waver.”

  “So you are blaming your sin on him?” Marius laughed. “You are even more a fool than I anticipated.”

  I ignored him, focusing all of my attention on making Arthur understand my plight. “What else was I to do but love the man who offered me everything you denied me? I have not the resolve or the fear of the gods to keep me pure like your Christian nuns. You must have suspected something. By your silence, you gave your permission, Arthur Pendragon, but now in my hour of need, you remove it. Merciful and just ruler indeed!”

  Arthur’s eyes flashed dangerously, but there was a softness in his expression that told me my words had done their work. “I will not deny I am partially to blame for the situation we find ourselves in today. But I will not allow your offense to go unpunished either. You are a judge. You know the fines your kin must pay for this offense. I also banish you from Camelot. You are hereby stripped of your title of queen and sent back to Northgallis to live out the remainder of your days.”

  My stomach seized at his pronouncement, and I feared I would vomit in front of the whole court. My head swam as the Combrogi erupted into deafening argument around me, shouting at Arthur, Marius, and me. I fought to steady myself, having nothing to brace my body against.

  Kay started to rise to escort me out, but Marius stopped him by placing himself between Kay and Arthur.

  “High King of Camelot,” he said in his best sermon voice so it would carry over the uproar.

  Arthur rose to meet Marius’s challenge.

  “You have addressed the charge of adultery, but what of treason? By betraying you, she betrayed the crown. Surely you will not let that go unpunished? In order to keep your Combrogi together”—with a sweep of his hand, Marius took in the entire room—“you must show you govern the land by one law, not a separate rule for yourself and another for your people, just as you showed them with your son. They need to know that the supreme law which governs your heart is the law of Christ, which forbids adultery—here the method of her treason— under pain of death.”

  The Combrogi erupted again, several rising from their seats.

  “Sit down and be silent, or I will throw you out!” Arthur bellowed.

  “Think of her eternal soul, Arthur,” Marius continued, unaffected by the outburst. “She is already in the depths of sin by her pagan profession. Would you damn her soul to eternal fire by letting her treachery go unpunished as well?”

  “This is ridiculous,” Aggrivane shouted. “No one wishes for her death.”

  “He goes too far,” Mordred said at the same time.

  The clamor started up again, with Combrogi lining up to take sides with either Marius or me. As ludicrous as the whole situation was, it was oddly comforting to know most of the knights stood behind me, even those who were party to bringing me here.

  Arthur huffed, weighing his options.

  “There are alternatives, my lord,” Kay reminded him. “She could be tested by fire or water.”

  Morgan snorted. “She’s a priestess. She could cheat that even with the king’s blood fresh on her hands.” She sneered at me, clearly enjoying the opportunity to be rid of me once and for all.

  “A better opti
on would be judicial combat,” Aggrivane offered. “It is used only as a last resort, and I would say we are there.”

  “She is a battle queen,” Constantine reminded him. “She will win that as well. It does nothing to serve justice.”

  “Are you trying to kill me?” I cried, fighting through the ringing in my head. I tried to remain stoic but was rapidly losing control. “Bishop Marius, you claim that in your faith, adultery is punishable by death, but did your Christ not stay the hand that would have stoned the Magdalene? Why do you not show me the same mercy?”

  All eyes turned to Marius, awaiting his response.

  “The Magdalene was a repentant prostitute. I see no signs of repentance in you.” A sly smile split his face. “If, however, you are willing to publicly confess your sins—all of them—convert to Christianity, and live out your days in a convent, I think you could be allowed to live.”

  So that was it then. Just as in my father’s court, it came down to my faith. Marius hated the Avalonian priestesshood so much he was willing to make my life the price of his agenda.

  I took a deep breath. “I made vows many years ago that I have no intention of breaking”—I looked at Morgan—“unlike some. I do not see what my faith and the charge of treason have to do with one another, but under no circumstances will I break the oaths I’ve made to my gods.”

  “They relate,” Marius sneered back, “because your king, whom you offend with your treason, is a Christian man. By adopting his religion, you show faith in him and make slight recompense for your offenses. I will give you one more chance to change your mind.”

  I stood still and silent, willing the power of priestesshood to flow through me.

  “Very well then. Arthur, her fate is in your hands. How would you treat any other traitor to your crown?”

  “I need time to think this through. Kay, take her to the prison and be sure she is well guarded. I will rule at dawn.”

  Lot rushed forward to kneel before Arthur. “Once, you spared my life when I was far more deserving of your vengeance than she. I venture to say you’ve never once regretted it. Please, show her the same mercy. If you must have some outlet for your wrath, take my life instead. It is yours to do with as you please.”