Quote-Tastic #50 Kings, Queens, and Love

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One of my favorite series and one that's overdue for a re-read is Mary Stewart's Arthurian saga. It was a different re-telling for it's time though it contains classic elements and elements that went on to become classics. Stewart took a different approach to Mordred. While he still ends up in the role of the villain, he's a good man who makes choies that put him at odds with his friend King Arthur. This scene shows Mordred's feelings for Queen Guinevere and hint at his feelings for Arthur and what's to come.

Behind him the girl called softly. He looked round. She was leaning from the bedchamber window, the warm lamplight falling on the long golden hair and on one bared shoulder and breast. He smiled and said, "Presently." but he hardly saw her. In his mind's eye, against the darkness, he saw only the Queen.

Guinevere. The lady of the golden hair, still lovely, of the great grey-blue eyes, of the pretty voice and the ready smile, and with it all the gentle wit and gaiety that lighted her presence-chamber with pleasure. Guinevere, who so patently loved her lord, but who understood fear and loneliness and who, out of that knowledge, had befriended an insecure and lonely boy, had helped to lift him out of the murk of his childhood memories, and shown him how to love with a light heart. Whose hands, touching his in friendship, had blown to blaze a flame that Morgause's corrupt mouth could not even kindle.

He loved her. Not in the same way, in the same breath even, as he had loved other women.There had been many in his life, from the girl in the islands, whom at fourteen he had bedded in a hollow of the heather, to the woman who waited for him now. But his thoughts of Guinevere were to even in this context. He only knew that he loved her, and if the tale were true, then by Hecate, he would like to see Bedwyr brought down! The King would not harm her, he was sure of that, but he might, he just might, for his honour's sake, put her aside.