Session One: The Knight's Tale

While the rest of the company make preparations, Renee relaxes and chats with Frieda, who takes out a scribe’s kit and begins writing something in Reikspiel. Renee finds Frieda friendly enough, if a touch jumpy and nervous. The two share some of the Surcoat’s wine as they wait for the others.

In the meantime, a young woman arrives at the Surcoat, seats herself at a nearby table and arranges for a glass of wine. After surveying Renee and Frieda for a few moments, the young woman rises, goes to their table, and asks if she might sit with them. Renee nods at an empty chair.

The woman accepts graciously and introduces herself as Marie. After a moment of awkward silence, Marie explains that she hopes to ask advice, and potentially a favor, of the two women. She goes on to say that two men have become inexplicably smitten with her over the last two days. She has attempted to gently reject both suitors, but this has not stopped them from continuing to woo her. She asks Renee and Frieda if they have any advice.

Renee notices that Marie is holding something back, but does not press the issue for now. She suggests that Marie, who seems to be a woman of some breeding, pick her nose while meeting with the suitors, in an attempt to put them off. Marie, though amused by this suggestion, says that her suitors’ ardor is such that she doesn’t think that this will put them off.

Marie

Sir Jean-Marc’s Plan

At about this time, the rest of the company arrives. Several of the new arrivals are astute enough to note that Marie is dressed quite finely, which denotes that she is a lady of means and quality. Sabina remarks to the others that it is possible that Marie is but a servant, who has dressed up in her mistress’ attire and gotten into trouble. Garnier is also suspicious. Magnus reminds the group that their patron is rapidly leaving them in the dust, and that they need to ignore Marie and keep going with their plans.

It should here be noted that Squire Henri, upon seeing Marie, is instantly smitten with her as well. He realizes that she is far too august a personage for him to sue for her. He also realizes that, by rights, that honor should go to Sir Jean-Marc.

Sir Jean-Marc does indeed woo the young woman, after a fashion. After listening to her predicament, he asks if there is anyone that she does wish to wed. Marie, seemingly embarrassed, says that there is no one. This prompts Garnier to interject that she should defer to her father’s opinion, as is right and proper, only for Marie to baffle him by saying that her father is permitting her to, “marry the one she loves.”

Hearing this, Jean-Marc suggests that he pretend to be Marie’s betrothed, and be introduced to the two suitors to show that they are striving for her hand in vain. He tells Marie that he is going off on pilgrimage very soon, where he will conveniently “die,” leaving Marie too grief-stricken to even think of wedding another for a long, long while.

Most of the rest of the group is displeased at being dragged into what, to them, looks like a den of vipers, but Sir Jean-Marc is resolute. Marie, seeing the rest of the company’s ambivalence, offers to reward them with a crown each for their time. This gets everyone’s interest except for Magnus, who states that he is refusing to waste time with this nonsense. He eventually accompanies the others after Garnier promises him the group’s donkey if they should all die horribly.

Garnier insists on spitting into his hand and shaking Marie’s hand to seal the contract. Marie does this reluctantly, only to wipe her hand with a cast-off bar rag a few moments later. Garnier is concerned to discover that Marie’s hands are heavily calloused, which is unusual for a courtly lady.

The First Suitor

The company processes through Brionne. Magnus hangs in the rear, ready to flee with his donkey when things turn sour. Sabina and Frieda bond over the ridiculousness of Sir Jean-Marc’s quest. The rest proceed behind Marie rather nervously.

She leads them, by turns, to a courtyard of a stately, if badly overgrown, manor house. No sooner do they arrive than they hear the tortured sound of a lute being played very badly. As they watch, a large, hirsute man in fine clothing descends a staircase into the courtyard, all the while playing the lute and singing what can only be described as an improvisational love song to Marie. Marie blanches at the attention.

Squire Henri, ever the diplomat, compliments the man on his playing and singing and manages to win him over. The man, then introduces himself as Sir Gerlaine du Cote, and claps Henri on the back to show his fondness for the young man. The blow nearly knocks Henri over.

Sir Gerlaine du Cote, in a Rare Moment of Somber Reflection

The company is dismayed to learn that one of Marie’s suitors is a knight, which makes the situation even more tenuous and unpleasant than it was originally. Things only worsen when they learn, from the lips of Sir Gerlaine himself, that Marie is actually Dame Marie du Azalais—herself a knight—thereby putting them in a social dispute far above their stations.

Undeterred, Sir Jean-Marc calmly explains to Sir Gerlaine that he is, in fact, affianced to Marie. Sir Gerlaine does not take the news very well at all, nearly twisting his lute apart in a rage. Sir Jean-Marc and Marie are resolute in the face of his wrath, and Squire Henri does his best to mollify the angry suitor.

The company notes that there is a moment when Sir Gerlaine’s anger seems to break, and a softness comes over his face. This lasts only for a moment, however. Fortunately for the company, the self-professed “best swordsman in the city,” turns and stomps angrily back into his house, leaving them alone in the courtyard.

The company takes this moment to depart. Marie and Squire Henri commiserate on how awful Sir Gerlaine’s lute playing actually is. Magnus mentions that, no, in sooth, they are squandering a very lucrative business opportunity by involving themselves in this nonsense.

Other members of the company ask if Marie’s other suitor is also a knight. Looking askance, she replies that he is.

Pierre remarks that there is more to this situation than meets they eye, and he is concerned that things are even more grave and dangerous than they appear. The rest of the company is not pleased to hear this.

The Second Suitor

The company follows Marie, increasingly reluctantly, to the manor house of Sir Charles du Theobard, knight of the city and Marie’s second suitor. They arrive to see the house in good repair and bustling with activity. Sir Jean-Marc pays one of the busy pages an entire crown to officially announce the company to the household.

The page dutifully agrees and pockets the money. He races to the center of the courtyard and announces the group, including a sentence that Jean-Marc specifically requested, in which the knight errant is announced as Dame Marie’s paramour.

The announcements summon Sir Charles and his sister, Celene du Theobard, to the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Sir Charles is enraged by the announcement. His sister, conversely, looks stricken. Both Garnier and Maurice note that Marie is as ashamed and horrified by the false wedding announcement as Celene is, and deduce that the two women must be pining for one another. Realizing that they have a chance to, perhaps, set all things aright, they confer with one another and decide to approach Celene.

Sir Charles du Theobard, in a Rare Moment of Good Cheer

This opportunity swiftly presents itself. Sir Charles is much less convivial than Sir Gerlaine, and all but accuses Sir Jean-Marc of being a charlatan and a false knight. This prompts Magnus to pick up “his” donkey and back away toward the street entrance. The others, though less obvious about it, also prepare for the inevitable confrontation that is to come. Squire Henri, however, continues to bravely soldier on, and attempts to soothe Sir Charles with flattery and calming words. This does not work terribly well.

While the household is distracted, Garnier and Maurice ascend to the balcony, only to discover that Celene, in tears, has retreated into the house. They follow after her and find her sobbing in a hallway. Maurice tries to make himself inconspicuous behind a potted plant, while Garnier speaks to Celene. He confirms his suspicions that Celene is wildly in love with Marie, but has never professed her feelings. She now worries that she is too late. Garnier calmly explains that Sir Jean-Marc’s plan is a ruse, that Marie has no interest in either him or her two actual suitors, and suggests that Celene make her feelings known.

While this is occurring, Maurice is spotted by a servant, who asks him to step out from behind the plant. He also, rather kindly, offers Maurice a glass of breakfast wine, which Maurice accepts.

A Declaration of Love

Celine du Theobard

Squire Henri has, by now, interposed himself between Sir Charles and Sir Jean-Marc, though he suspects that he will offer his knight very little in the way of protection when Sir Charles inevitably attacks. However, he is spared becoming a human shield by Celene, who strides out onto the balcony with Garnier and a quietly sipping Maurice.

Celene declares her love for Marie who responds enthusiastically in kind. The two women rush to the middle of the courtyard, where they embrace. Sir Charles regards this confession with a suddenly soft expression, and all seems well...until.

Sir Charles’ face immediately darkens. Rounding on the company, he calls them all out as uncouth ruffians and charlatans. He tells them that their “jape” is not at all funny, and he demands to know the truth. When he is told that Marie and Celene’s love does, in fact, appear to be true, he demands that Celene return at once to the house or he will cast her out into the streets to live as a peasant.

There is a brief standoff, which Sir Jean-Marc breaks by telling Marie that she is, in fact, a knight, and has just as much right to make declarations as Sir Charles does. Marie, heartened by this, tells Celene that she need not live in her brother’s shadow anymore, and that she may come with her to live in her father’s house. This is all the prompting Celene needs to leave her brother’s side. Apoplectic, Sir Charles calls for his horse and armor as the company, Marie, and Celene retreat out of the House du Theobard and back into the street proper.

The company makes its way back to the Surcoat Inn, content and relieved that True Love has won and that no blood was spilled. Magnus, still holding the donkey, is very pleased that he will get to live and go off searching for Gascon, his wealthy employer.