By: Liz Muth
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Author's note: I wrote this story based
loosely on a couple excerpts from "Le Morte d'Arthur". I say
loosely because the text itself is hard to read and I could not find
much on Guinevere's marriage to King Arthur. However I felt that
Guinevere's marriage should be the next story in my storybook. This one
does not have the dramatic appeal of the many poems written about
Guinevere, but I wanted to use it because of Merlin's warning to Arthur
that Guinevere would not be a faithful wife to him. The foreshadowing
is perfect to set up my next story about Guinevere and Lancelot and
also fits with my first story about Guinevere's shame. I
definitely elaborated on just about every part of this story. The
names, however,do come from the original and Guinevere's wedding feast
did take place in Saint Stephen's Church.
Now I want to go back and tell
you
how
it came to be that King Arthur of Camelot became my husband. I found
out that the King
had decided to take a wife but I hardly ever imagined that I was what
his heart desired. King Arthur came to my father, Leodegrance of
Cameliard, and said that he wished to marry me. Apparently Arthur
had spoken with his trusted adviser Merlin about wanting to take a
wife. Merlin asked my future husband if there was anyone that he
wanted to marry. According to my father, Arthur said that I was
the most beautiful girl in all of Camelot and I was the only one he
wanted to be with. Merlin at first advised against a union between
Arthur and myself.(Later, I would also learn
that Merlin warned Arthur that I would not be a loyal wife to him.
Merlin foresaw my love affair with Lancelot before I even knew Lancelot
existed. ) Hearing this definitely startled me, but I
still wasn't sure that I wanted to marry Arthur. In my head I went over
my options. I could stay with my father and possibly never marry and be
able to do whatever I wanted, or I could accept Arthur's proposal of
marriage and become Queen of Camelot.
So Arthur went to my father and announced his desire for me to become his wife. My father was, of course, instantly pleased by this news because his daughter becoming a Queen meant very good things for him. I must also admit that being a Queen sounded intriguing to me as well. I could just imagine riding into Camelot in a beautiful carriage and having everyone stare at me in awe as I was swept away inside the palace to meet my future husband the King.
It was only a few days later when I actually was brought into Camelot in the most extravagant carriage I had ever seen, drawn by four impeccably white horses. Peering out from my window, I saw the people of Camelot looking at me with curiosity in their eyes and smiles on their faces. At that moment I felt that I had made the right decision to come here and wed someone I didn't even know. I was awestruck by the beauty of Camelot and I couldn't imagine anything bad happening to me in such a magical place. Once the carriage arrived at the front door, I was escorted out and into the palace. I had been told a feast had been prepared for my wedding at Saint Stephen's Church. During the feast I was hardly spoken to. I merely sat and observed the splendor of the church and listened to the solemn conversation around me. I recognized Merlin, Sir Gawaine and Arthur, but felt too shy to initiate conversation with any of them. At the time, I was so overcome with the magnificence and grandeur of it all that I could hardly think of anything else. But later on that night, as I tried to sleep, I thought about the ceremony that was to take place tomorrow. Could I really marry and love a man I barely knew? A man who was far older than me and appreciated my beauty but knew nothing about who I was? These thoughts weighed on me as I tried to sleep that night. Tomorrow I would be a married woman and a queen. If I had known what would be in store for me next, would I have gone through with the wedding?
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Image: Guinevere
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Story Source: Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, 1485
Book III Chapters I and V
Taken from: Sacred Texts
So Arthur went to my father and announced his desire for me to become his wife. My father was, of course, instantly pleased by this news because his daughter becoming a Queen meant very good things for him. I must also admit that being a Queen sounded intriguing to me as well. I could just imagine riding into Camelot in a beautiful carriage and having everyone stare at me in awe as I was swept away inside the palace to meet my future husband the King.
It was only a few days later when I actually was brought into Camelot in the most extravagant carriage I had ever seen, drawn by four impeccably white horses. Peering out from my window, I saw the people of Camelot looking at me with curiosity in their eyes and smiles on their faces. At that moment I felt that I had made the right decision to come here and wed someone I didn't even know. I was awestruck by the beauty of Camelot and I couldn't imagine anything bad happening to me in such a magical place. Once the carriage arrived at the front door, I was escorted out and into the palace. I had been told a feast had been prepared for my wedding at Saint Stephen's Church. During the feast I was hardly spoken to. I merely sat and observed the splendor of the church and listened to the solemn conversation around me. I recognized Merlin, Sir Gawaine and Arthur, but felt too shy to initiate conversation with any of them. At the time, I was so overcome with the magnificence and grandeur of it all that I could hardly think of anything else. But later on that night, as I tried to sleep, I thought about the ceremony that was to take place tomorrow. Could I really marry and love a man I barely knew? A man who was far older than me and appreciated my beauty but knew nothing about who I was? These thoughts weighed on me as I tried to sleep that night. Tomorrow I would be a married woman and a queen. If I had known what would be in store for me next, would I have gone through with the wedding?
Back to my coverpage
Continue to the next story
Image: Guinevere
Weblink
Story Source: Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, 1485
Book III Chapters I and V
Taken from: Sacred Texts