[jp] caught in the act
Dec. 8th, 2009 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emptyofanthems “Miss Lake! Miss Lake! Could we have a story? Please?”
“Yes, please? I want to hear one about Merlin!”
“No, we heard Merlin last time! Can we have one about Guinevere and her baby?”
“No, King Arthur!”
Nimue giggled, finally clapping her hands to bring the group of children to attention. “There there, loves, we can have a story, but it must be quick! You’re all due home before dark, that I know. Come on, then, let’s cross the street like grown ups…”
With a little effort, the gaggle of seven year olds was herded safely across the street to the sweet shoppe that operated there. After purchasing a treat for each of the ten children and a tea for herself, she sat them all at tables outside, surrounding her so she could begin her story.
“You all know that heroes have very simple, very humble beginnings, hmm? Well, this story is no different, for our hero comes from the simplest and most humble beginnings imaginable: he was born, a baby boy that, while very pretty to look at and healthy, was no different from any other human child. Now this child was special only in that his oldest ancestor was a great hero. He was a knight of the realm and much loved by all who knew him, including King Arthur Pendragon himself! Sadly, though, he sinned against his king. To make amends, he swore on his deathbed that his sons would dedicate their lives to ensuring that the Round Table would forever live on, for as long as a knight stood to uphold its sacred trust, it would never fail.
“So the baby was born…and though his parents loved him very much, they kept to the word of their ancestors and gave the little boy into the care of the great ones in the kingdom of Avalon. Now this is something very few people know, but Avalon is not a place to be found on any map, and no compass can point the way. It lies at the misty center of a great lake so cold and so vast no mortal man can even cross it, much less navigate the eternal fog to seek out its riches. The Lady of the Lake herself brought the baby to live in a little village that sat right on the banks of the great lake…does anybody know the name of that village?”
“LAKESHIRE!!!”
The resounding cry made Nimue smile and laugh as she nodded. “Very good! The baby came to Lakeshire, the same place where all of you live. He grew up just as you all have! He played in the moors, ate sweets outside this shoppe, and went to church at St. Michael’s. However, he only did these things after his instruction. The baby grew into a boy, and the boy grew into a warrior, you see. Each day he would ride the great alabaster boat to the blessed isle, where he would be taught at the great Lady’s castle. Great fighters taught him combat, the great wizard Merlin taught him magic to defend himself and the weak he would protect. The Lady herself taught him history, imparting all the knowledge of Camelot and Arthur’s court to his young mind. She shared with him, also, the secrets of Avalon and all its power. Year by year, he learned and grew in strength, beauty, and kindness. By the time he saw his fifteenth summer…what do you think happened?”
“He became a knight!” a sandy haired little boy declared through a mouthful of chocolate.
“No, not just yet.” Nimue replied, her face softening with something like nostalgia as she continued. “But he did become a warrior. He would become a knight only when he went to court and stood before the Lady and her counselors, ready to pledge himself to Avalon.
“And pledge he did…in his battle garb, the young boy knelt before his Lady, where he swore his loyalty and honor to her and to Avalon. He was touched by her sword, and only then did the boy become a knight.”
“But something happened, didn’t it?”
“Yes, it did! Before he could rise, the Lady stopped him and commanded his gaze.
‘Your trial is not yet done, Sir Knight.’ She told him. ‘Avalon has ever had but one ally: the kingdom of Camelot and the kings who rule there. It was in Camelot that your ancestor sinned against his king.’
‘This I know as well as my own name, my lady.’ The Knight replied, respectful even though he was greatly confused.
‘Then you must pay penance,’ the Lady commanded, ‘by swearing fealty-’”
“What’s ‘feely,’ Miss Lake?” one girl asked.
“Loyalty, pet.” She explained. “The Lady wanted his loyalty and service.
‘You must pay penance by swearing fealty not just to Avalon, but the fallen court of Camelot.’ She commanded. ‘Do you swear, Sir Knight, to restore your ancestral honor by pledging your honor, your loyalty, and your blood to the memory of Camelot herself?’
“The Knight hesitated only for a moment, a breath needed to think before he bowed his head.
‘I will so swear, my lady.’ He pledged.
‘Do you swear to defend the honor of Arthur Pendragon, and all his kin?’ she asked.
‘I will so swear.’ He pledged.
‘Do you, Sir Knight, vow to uphold the sacred spirit of the Round Table and all it represents, even unto your very death?’ she asked.
The Knight, still just a boy, hesitated again. He hesitated so long the Lady feared he would not answer.”
“Did he?” a delicate blonde girl asked eagerly, eyes wide and breath baited in anticipation of the tale she already knew as well as her schoolmates.
Nimue opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when she spied a figure just past the group, lounging against a nearby lamppost. Broad-shouldered and tall, his hair was still too long and tied back from his face, sunglasses hiding his eyes from her.
“The Knight lifted his head,” she finally continued, “looked proudly into the eyes of his Lady, and declared…”
She trailed off, waiting as the man grinned and pushed off the lamppost. Walking over, he threaded through the cluster of seated children and knelt gracefully before Nimue’s chair, taking her hand in his.
“I will not swear, my Lady. I will shout my pledge from the roofs to England herself, so that the joy this promise brings me will be known to one and all.”
Nimue nodded, clasping his hand between hers. “So the Knight became Sir Lance Dulac, Lord of the house of du Lac, guardian of the Round Table, defender of Avalon and emissary of Arthur Pendragon’s great court. And with that pledge, the Lady took the Knight to his room, helped him pack his things, and called his mother to bring him home…”
“Where he lived happily ever after.” the children singsonged, breaking into a cheer as Nimue embraced Lance, laughing as she was swept off her feet by the loving arms of her cherished adopted son.
Muse: Nimue Lake {The Lady of the Lake}
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,179
“Yes, please? I want to hear one about Merlin!”
“No, we heard Merlin last time! Can we have one about Guinevere and her baby?”
“No, King Arthur!”
Nimue giggled, finally clapping her hands to bring the group of children to attention. “There there, loves, we can have a story, but it must be quick! You’re all due home before dark, that I know. Come on, then, let’s cross the street like grown ups…”
With a little effort, the gaggle of seven year olds was herded safely across the street to the sweet shoppe that operated there. After purchasing a treat for each of the ten children and a tea for herself, she sat them all at tables outside, surrounding her so she could begin her story.
“You all know that heroes have very simple, very humble beginnings, hmm? Well, this story is no different, for our hero comes from the simplest and most humble beginnings imaginable: he was born, a baby boy that, while very pretty to look at and healthy, was no different from any other human child. Now this child was special only in that his oldest ancestor was a great hero. He was a knight of the realm and much loved by all who knew him, including King Arthur Pendragon himself! Sadly, though, he sinned against his king. To make amends, he swore on his deathbed that his sons would dedicate their lives to ensuring that the Round Table would forever live on, for as long as a knight stood to uphold its sacred trust, it would never fail.
“So the baby was born…and though his parents loved him very much, they kept to the word of their ancestors and gave the little boy into the care of the great ones in the kingdom of Avalon. Now this is something very few people know, but Avalon is not a place to be found on any map, and no compass can point the way. It lies at the misty center of a great lake so cold and so vast no mortal man can even cross it, much less navigate the eternal fog to seek out its riches. The Lady of the Lake herself brought the baby to live in a little village that sat right on the banks of the great lake…does anybody know the name of that village?”
“LAKESHIRE!!!”
The resounding cry made Nimue smile and laugh as she nodded. “Very good! The baby came to Lakeshire, the same place where all of you live. He grew up just as you all have! He played in the moors, ate sweets outside this shoppe, and went to church at St. Michael’s. However, he only did these things after his instruction. The baby grew into a boy, and the boy grew into a warrior, you see. Each day he would ride the great alabaster boat to the blessed isle, where he would be taught at the great Lady’s castle. Great fighters taught him combat, the great wizard Merlin taught him magic to defend himself and the weak he would protect. The Lady herself taught him history, imparting all the knowledge of Camelot and Arthur’s court to his young mind. She shared with him, also, the secrets of Avalon and all its power. Year by year, he learned and grew in strength, beauty, and kindness. By the time he saw his fifteenth summer…what do you think happened?”
“He became a knight!” a sandy haired little boy declared through a mouthful of chocolate.
“No, not just yet.” Nimue replied, her face softening with something like nostalgia as she continued. “But he did become a warrior. He would become a knight only when he went to court and stood before the Lady and her counselors, ready to pledge himself to Avalon.
“And pledge he did…in his battle garb, the young boy knelt before his Lady, where he swore his loyalty and honor to her and to Avalon. He was touched by her sword, and only then did the boy become a knight.”
“But something happened, didn’t it?”
“Yes, it did! Before he could rise, the Lady stopped him and commanded his gaze.
‘Your trial is not yet done, Sir Knight.’ She told him. ‘Avalon has ever had but one ally: the kingdom of Camelot and the kings who rule there. It was in Camelot that your ancestor sinned against his king.’
‘This I know as well as my own name, my lady.’ The Knight replied, respectful even though he was greatly confused.
‘Then you must pay penance,’ the Lady commanded, ‘by swearing fealty-’”
“What’s ‘feely,’ Miss Lake?” one girl asked.
“Loyalty, pet.” She explained. “The Lady wanted his loyalty and service.
‘You must pay penance by swearing fealty not just to Avalon, but the fallen court of Camelot.’ She commanded. ‘Do you swear, Sir Knight, to restore your ancestral honor by pledging your honor, your loyalty, and your blood to the memory of Camelot herself?’
“The Knight hesitated only for a moment, a breath needed to think before he bowed his head.
‘I will so swear, my lady.’ He pledged.
‘Do you swear to defend the honor of Arthur Pendragon, and all his kin?’ she asked.
‘I will so swear.’ He pledged.
‘Do you, Sir Knight, vow to uphold the sacred spirit of the Round Table and all it represents, even unto your very death?’ she asked.
The Knight, still just a boy, hesitated again. He hesitated so long the Lady feared he would not answer.”
“Did he?” a delicate blonde girl asked eagerly, eyes wide and breath baited in anticipation of the tale she already knew as well as her schoolmates.
Nimue opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when she spied a figure just past the group, lounging against a nearby lamppost. Broad-shouldered and tall, his hair was still too long and tied back from his face, sunglasses hiding his eyes from her.
“The Knight lifted his head,” she finally continued, “looked proudly into the eyes of his Lady, and declared…”
She trailed off, waiting as the man grinned and pushed off the lamppost. Walking over, he threaded through the cluster of seated children and knelt gracefully before Nimue’s chair, taking her hand in his.
“I will not swear, my Lady. I will shout my pledge from the roofs to England herself, so that the joy this promise brings me will be known to one and all.”
Nimue nodded, clasping his hand between hers. “So the Knight became Sir Lance Dulac, Lord of the house of du Lac, guardian of the Round Table, defender of Avalon and emissary of Arthur Pendragon’s great court. And with that pledge, the Lady took the Knight to his room, helped him pack his things, and called his mother to bring him home…”
“Where he lived happily ever after.” the children singsonged, breaking into a cheer as Nimue embraced Lance, laughing as she was swept off her feet by the loving arms of her cherished adopted son.
Muse: Nimue Lake {The Lady of the Lake}
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,179
