By the winter fire 511[edit]

The new [[King]] and his ideals is making huge impact on the new royal court. Impressed nobles, ladies and eager young knights are flocking to the court in an attempt to gain favour. At winter court, a strange knight asks for hospitality. His old Norman-style armor is all brown, though not with rust, and his [[sword]] and [[spear]] both gleam. His [[shield]] is also Norman style, but instead of a normal coat-of-arms he has an oak branch attached to its face. He has only one squire. The stranger introduces himself as the [[Brown Knight]] of the Wilds (le Chevalier Brun des Terres Sauvages). He says, “I have heard your ideas of honor among men, and I have come to see if this is a court where such things are only spoken about, or if they are acted upon.” [[Arthur]] greets him warmly and invites him to sup at his board for the winter. The Knight of the Wilds accepts. Roman ambassadors. Early in the spring, twelve ambassadors arrive from Rome. Senators, praetors, and centurions, they tramp solemnly into court. They demand that [[King]] [[Arthur]] submit to the emperor and pay tribute, “for [[Britain]] is and always has been part of the Roman Empire.” [[King]] [[Arthur]] refuses, saying that perhaps the [[Romans]] should submit to [[Britain]] since all the best emperors came from this island. He then sends them packing back to Rome, saying that the only tribute that the Britons will send are sharp [[swords]] and [[spears]]. The ambassadors do not try to linger, but leave angrily.

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“Hervis de Revel is certainly a wonderful knight, isn’t he? That raid against the Saxons was bold and well executed, despite some losses. (We should expect that among fighting men, after all.) He is a fine example to prove that a knight does not have to be a great landholder to shine famously among us.”

“Those Romans are certainly arrogant, aren’t they? I am glad the king treated them as he did. I
hope that those stodgy Romans in the cities don’t forget where their loyalty lies!”

“Mmm, and Margawse was certainly a charmer, wasn’t she? Everyone says that, of all the 
 laughters, she got most of her mother’s looks.”

“Well, if Ygraine was half as beautiful as Margawse, I can understand Uther’s legendary lust for her!”

“And Margawse certainly cozied up to the young king, didn’t she? Do you think they…? Well, what do you suppose Lot will say?!”

“Oh, I don’t think he minds. They are pagans, after all — you know how they feel about such things. But I have heard that she is pregnant now. Even you can count the months backward… and where was King Lot then?”