United States or Indonesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Gareth shook his head. "No, mother. I do not want a wife until I have proved myself to be a worthy and brave knight. I wish to follow Arthur, my good king and uncle." "Perhaps he is not the true king and your uncle," Bellicent said. "At least wait a little till he has shown himself to be the greatest king in the world. Stay with me." "Nay, mother," he said. "I must go."
Still King Leodogran could not make up his mind. He bade the three lords remain with him for a few days. Meanwhile the beautiful Queen Bellicent came to the Court, and Leodogran asked her advice. "Do you think Arthur is a great king?" he asked. "Will he always be great?" "He is very great," said the queen. "And all his people love him.
Here is an heir for Uther! This, King Leodogran, is the story Bleys told me before he died." King Leodogran wondered very much. Then he said: "But did you not question Merlin about this?" "Yes," answered Queen Bellicent. "I asked him if this story of Bleys was true. He would only answer me with a riddle."
Among the knights at King Arthur's court were his nephews, the sons of his sister, Queen Bellicent, and of that King Lot of Orkney, who had joined the league against Arthur in the first years of his reign. Of each, many tales are told; of Sir Gawain and Sir Gareth to their great renown, but of Sir Mordred to his shame.
Then Bellicent wept, and she said: "Oh, my son, do not leave me. You love me more than Gawain and Modred. You are all I have left in the world." But Gareth replied: "Mother, I waste my strength here." "No, no," she said. "You shall hunt; you shall follow the deer and the fox, and so grow strong. Then I will find you a beautiful wife, and we shall all live together till I die."
"Moreover," went on Queen Bellicent, "Arthur has powerful friends: Merlin, the magician, and the Lady of the Lake, who gave him his sword Excalibur, and the three fair queens, who will help him when he needs help most." "Yes, yes," said King Leodogran, "if all this is true, Arthur must prevail over his enemies. But is he the son of King Uther and Queen Yguerne?
You shall wash the pots and pans for a whole year and tell no one that you are the son of a queen." Queen Bellicent was sure that Gareth would not wish to make such a promise. He was silent a long, long time. At last he said: "I may be a kitchen boy and still be noble in heart and mind. Besides, I can look on at the tournaments. I shall see King Arthur and Sir Lancelot and Sir Kay.
So the three hastily returned to King Arthur, who was overjoyed with their message. In the month of May he sent Sir Lancelot, the son of King Ban, for Guinevere. When she came, the Archbishop of Canterbury married them. The beautiful Queen Bellicent had many sons, all of whom had gone out in the world except the youngest. His name was Gareth.
"And down the wave and in the flame was borne A naked babe, and rode to Merlin's feet, Who stoopt and caught the babe, and cried 'The King! Here is an heir for Uther!" But Merlin, when asked by Bellicent to corroborate the statement of Bleys, merely "Answer'd in riddling triplets of old time." Finally, Leodogran's faith is confirmed by a vision.
Thus Arthur was made King, but he had to fight for his own; for eleven great kings drew together and refused to acknowledge him as their lord, and chief amongst the rebels was King Lot of Orknev who had married Arthur's sister, Bellicent. By Merlin's advice, Arthur sent for help overseas, to Ban and Bors, the two great Kings who ruled in Gaul.
Word Of The Day