Chapter 3.1 - Spring Tournament (516 AD)
At length the afternoon wears on and the final evening feast begins. There is a lot of talk about the arena events, be it the cool precision with which Sir Dalan handled the panther, or with which the bear was dispatched, or the rather tragic defeat of Sir Lamorak and the knight who was badly mauled by the bear, or the more back-and-forth between Sir Perin and the lion and the lion's eventual defeat.
Earl Robert beckons everyone to silence as he congratulates the day's winners, including the absent Sir Dalan, and mourns the death of Sir Lamorak, for whom he requests a moment of silence.
When he is done, the Queen rises and addresses the assembled knights, lords, and ladies. "A year ago I announced the creation of the Court of Love. All true knights should endeavor to find and nourish the values of Courtly love wherever they may be found across our great kingdom. The Court of Love and the Round Table are two sides of the same coin," she announces. "Completing a Quest for Love is as high an honor as any other Martial or Chivalrous Quest."
After this announcement, the servers begin to bring out the first course as the tables erupt into conversation. Popular topics include the day's events in the arena, the implications of the Queen's speech on filling the empty seat on the Round Table, and of course the match between Sir Perin and Countess Fiona.
After the first course, which was loach in cold green sauce, the waiters bring out some poached cod. Both are quite good and there is plenty of wine and ale with which to wash it down.
As the servers come to clear the first couple of courses, the entertainers circulate and people begin to move around a bit.
What would people like to do? There is plenty of gossip and speculation going on. If you have already received a check in something (like dancing) it may be worth trying out some other skills.
Ariette and Fiona are currently chatting together. Galeria is talking to a couple of ladies from Silchester.
Sir Garym: Ellowyn, who is here by herself, is willing to watch over Arianwen if you would like to bring her along.