Lancelot,
as we all know, is a rather peculiar fellow of the Round Table. His incredible ability
at jousting and uncanny strength is matched only by his unparalleled swordsmanship.
I myself abstain from any combat with him, for my feeble body in his capable
hands is a spectacle unfit for Arthur’s court. Yet for all his skills, Lancelot
is constantly out of touch with reality due to his intoxicating love for his
mistress Guinevere. Where most people, both knights and damsels of the court,
gaud over his great strength and skill, I remain more skeptical, as I had seen first-hand
the follies that his insatiable love brought on him. The way in which I had
such close encounter with him, I will explain presently.
As we were
feasting on Ascension Day, some weeks before Arthur’s birthday, that serpentine
devil Meleagant provoked us with his challenge, for which we would pay with the
safety of Lady Guinevere. I, of course, was more willing to challenge this
fiend directly, but Arthur instead complied to send out his queen along with
myself and Kay. As we were heading out, I naturally rode on ahead to scout out
the area, for which such impulsive foolishness I would regret later. It was
here that I met the knight Lancelot, in need of a new horse after his was dead
from exhaustion. I complied out of courtesy, but without even having time to
drop his name the knight ran off into the forest with my spare horse.
Suspicious, I returned to the party straight-away, only to find Kay and the
others knocked unconscious, their horses slain, and Guinevere gone. Astonished,
and without a moment’s hesitation, I galloped off in pursuit of the nameless
knight, convinced that it was he who had stolen the queen.
Sometime
later, I chanced upon a vile dwarf pulling a cart fit for prisoners. And who
should
be locked in this cart, but that very knight who I was pursuing!
Naturally, I enquired from the short one if he knew of where the queen was
being held, now that the prime suspect had been captured. The dwarf attempted to
goad me into coming in the cart myself, but I made sure I would not be so
foolish as the previous caller, and insisted on riding beside. Nonetheless,
this dwarf’s nefarious scheme had brought us to castle further on, where we would
be made prisoners in the same villages as the queen.
It took
quite a long discussion in that castle, along with a few honorable battles, before
I was convinced that Lancelot was not the villain who had taken the queen, but
was in pursuit of the same goal. Still, I have made sure that his blind complacency
to enter that cart he will never live down, at least in my mind. This entire
encounter between us, as well as the booby-traps in my bedroom which we fought
together, was omitted from the account of my servant de Troys for the sake of
brevity. At any rate, it was at this moment that we caught site of the queen
led away from that castle towards the Meleagant’s abode, while we were still in
the Tower. Now, having already experienced Lancelot’s unbridled passion for
Guinevere, I already knew to steady the Knight of the Cart before he would so
foolishly plunge himself out the window.
We
nonetheless pursued the queen into the forest as speedily as we could, until we
met the damsel who directed us to Meleagant’s kingdom, across the treacherous
paths of the Water and Sword Bridges. Now, as I know myself to be so much
weaker than Lancelot, I volunteered to take on the Water Bridge first, thereby leaving
the Knight of the Cart to chance the more perilous Sword Bridge. There were, of
course, several obstacles that distracted me en route: slaying a few giants,
rescuing a few damsels, outwitting a few magicians, but in the end I had
managed to at last reach the Water Bridge. Crossing over it was no mean feat, I
must admit, for even in nothing but my hauberk I continuously submerged and pushed
back up to the surface for air, until a great crowd of witnesses waited to help
me at the other end.
From these people, I learned that
Lancelot had already fought with Meleagant, forced him to agree to a second
challenge at Camelot, but has since vanished. If he is not found soon,
Meleagant will win by default. Naturally I straight-away returned to Arthur to
convey this information, and offer any assistance to track down the Knight of
the Cart. It pained my heart to see the court in misery on such a day as this,
especially Arthur. But just when it seemed we may lose all hope, a letter
arrived affixed with Lancelot’s seal, saying that he is alive and will be make
it to the tournament in time. Arthur and I were thus filled with joy, and I with
Kay were sent immediately to escort the queen back to the city. As soon as I
had entered Camelot, accompanied with the queen and all the prisoners of
Meleagant, the people began wrongfully shouting my praises. Embarrassed as I
was, I quickly corrected their statement, saying that all these wonderful deeds
were accomplished by Lancelot.
But as the great day approached to
meet Meleagant’s challenge, Lancelot was still not to be found. But knowing
full well the knight’s undying love for Guinevere, I knew confidently that
Lancelot had neither given up on the quest, nor could he be delayed for long.
For true love, as has been demonstrated innumerable times, cannot be obstructed
by mere time and space. And so, if there ever needed to be prolonged distraction
of a villain, you can always count on me. I delayed Meleagant with stories of
mine and Lancelot’s journey, a pleasant game of dice and other gambling’s, and
other distractions. Until at last, I was forced to volunteer myself to joust
Meleagant myself, in the place of Lancelot. Surely, I thought, am I the most unworthy
knight to replace this great man. But fortunately, no sooner had I taken up the
saddle that Lancelot approached over the hill, ready to take on the evil
Meleagant.
Ever since that moment, Lancelot
had been the envy of everyone at court, except for myself of course, to whom
the Knight of the Cart was indebted to for our first encounter.
Merlin being the amazing Wizard he is, not only helped my father gain land and respect, but he also helped him pretty much steal my mother from the Duke of Tintegel. Love can work in very mysterious ways, and my father definitely proved that. Many people would argue that what my father and Merlin did was wrong, but I believe they did it for all the right reasons. 
