United States or Montserrat ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Then King Leodogran laughed a little and said: "My friend, your words have not helped me much. If Arthur had not helped me in my time of need more than you have helped me now, I should have been lost indeed. Go and call Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere." So the old man brought in the three knights, and Leodogran said to them: "I hear strange tales of your king's birth.
As King Leodogran was still silent, she said: "Do not fear to give your daughter to Arthur, for he will be the greatest king the world has ever seen." Leodogran felt less doubtful. While he was thinking, he fell asleep and had a dream. He saw in his dream a field covered with mist and smoke, and a phantom king standing in the cloud.
But Arthur saw her bending over the wall. She was slender and graceful; her black hair fell in two long heavy braids over each shoulder; her eyes were large and black. And Arthur felt a warm love spring from his heart for her, and said to himself: "If I win this battle for Leodogran, I shall ask him to give me the princess Guinevere for wife."
And to the whole country Arthur's Court was famous as a place where unkindness was never done, and where truth, justice, and love reigned. After Arthur had been established in his Court for some time, his neighbor, Leodogran, the king of Cameliard, asked him for help in a battle. To this Arthur cheerfully consented, and gathered his warrior men about him.
It chanced, as he and his men were marching past the castle of Leodogran to meet the enemy, the king's daughter, Guinevere, who was the most beautiful lady in all that land, stood on the castle wall to watch her father's allies pass. Now she did not know, of all the knights who rode by, which was Arthur. Many wore gold and jewels on their armor, while the king's armor was plain.
"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?
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.
Some say that he is indeed the son of the late King Uther, but others say that he is the son of Sir Hector. Do you believe that he is Uther's son?" They said "Yes," and then told King Leodogran that Sir Hector had brought up King Arthur as his son, for fear that those who wanted the throne would kill the child; and that Arthur was undoubtedly Uther's son.
He heard a voice which said, "This is not our king; this is not the son of Uther." But suddenly the mist disappeared and the king stood out in heaven, crowned. King Leodogran took this dream for a good sign. He called the three knights, Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere, and said to them: "Say to your king that I will give him Guinevere for his wife."
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."
Word Of The Day