[D1, EE, EVENT] The Coronation Feast--Main Thread

[William de Mandeville]

The Earl of Essex's effort was well played. He knew his station, selected his line, read it at the right spot, but read it in a dry monotone, after just a half-breath's pause from the end of l'Ecrivain's line, rather ruining the effect.

"Of Brutus that man bold of hand,"

Success, Success, Crit Fail!

[Richard de Clare]

Much like his brother Earl, Richard de Clare flubbed his line. Unlike de Mandeville, he was not so much dull as tipsy, lisping an important word and so marring his performance.

"The firsht Conquerour of Angle-land;"

Critical Success, Success, Fail.

[Llywelyn mab Iorwerth]

In spite of the confusion over the language in reading, the song is a familiar one. Llwelyn, while uncertain, keeps repeating his verse. He is pleasantly surprised when he receives a gentle nudge from...was the the Queen Mother of all people?

Why in Heaven's name would she offer to help me? I must offer my thanks later.

With the proper prompt, Llwelyn channels the family tradition, the celtic burr in his voice a pleasant chime as he speaks.

"Of King Arthur that was so Rich"

Orate=7

[Isabel of Gloucester]

Isabella of Gloucester then blurted out:

"Also Gawain, Cai and others several" in perfect meter in the perfectly wrong place.

Eleanor did not help her. Not one bit.

Success, FAIL, Success

[Cearnach]

Next to speak was a Knight of Norfolk. Eleanor didn't know him from Adam, and wasn't particularly interested in stroking Bigod's ego today, so it was no surprise that he botched the approach. Badly.

"Of wondrous things that his knights befell..."


FAILURE.

[Cearnach]

The next was a rather perplexed Knight of Arundel, who was entirely unsure what to do now that everything had been so badly messed up. So he cleared his throat and spoke what ought to have been the right line some lines ago, the force of it prompting the others to shamefacedly repeat theirs in the proper order:

Arundel: "As none in his time was like"
Norfolk: "Of wondrous things that his knights befell"
Isabel of Gloucester: "Also Gawain, Cai and others several"

Only...Isabel was still wrong. *Sad Sackbut*

3 successes

[Cearnach]

The next is a Knight of Oxford, who does his best not to sigh at Isabel of Gloucester. I mean, far be it from him to shame Prince John's wife just because she hasn't got a head for poetry. I mean, who would do that?

He looked over at Eleanor of Aquitaine's expression. Oh, yeah. Her.

Anyway, he gets off his poem without a hitch, and feels pretty good about himself.



Successes!

[Cearnach]

Finally, at long last, we come to the end of the poem. And though much embarrassment was had, it seems Fortuna smiled on Sir Amalric de Sciete, the Knight of Chester who stood up to read the last line. For though he had been a jerk and picked before William de Mandeville, it seemed the Earl of Essex could afford to be forgiving. And anyway, de Sciete had a good head for the written word and a voice that was scratchy but effective, so here it is:

"For to sit 'round the Round Table."

Fail, Success, Success



Final Glory Award Calculations

Isabel de Warenne: 15 Glory
Geoffrey of Tournemine: 15 Glory
William of Brunswick: 0 Glory, Annoyed Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine: 15 Glory
Giles de Braose: 0 Glory
Andre l'Ecrivain: 0 Glory
William de Mandeville: 0 Glory
Richard de Clare: 0 Glory
Llywelyn mab Iorwerth: 15 Glory
Isabella of Gloucester: 10 Glory.
Knight of Norfolk (Bigod): 0 Glory, Annoyed Richard de Clare
Knight of Arundel (d'Aubigny): 15 Glory
Knight of Oxford (de Vere): 15 Glory
Knight of Chester (de Blondeville): 15 Glory

[King Richard Lionheart]

With the Round Table and her knights now demolished, the trumpets sound a final time and the Lionheart rises. He clears his throat and roars in Northern French, albeit with a slight accent:

"People of England..." Richard falls silent for a slow moment, turning thoughts over in his mind. "...it is our hope that you are well contented with the food and entertainment tonight."

Silence reigns for two full breaths before he roars the third time.

"It is the last we shall have for a time. For well you know that I, Richard, am bound by solemn oath to defend the faith, and to put in order what has been disorder, and I mean to do so. I shall not feast until I feast in the Kingdom of Heaven, in a new and restored Jerusalem, with her King and the King of France, and the Emperor beside me."

Silence falls again as the Lionheart glares around the room. "Some of you have already taken the cross with me. I commend you, as brave Christians and true knights. Others will follow your example. I look forward to sharing that feast with you and with them, my true brothers."

His voice drops in pitch, rumbling suddenly with great danger. "But disorder does not reign only in Outremer, for in my father's dotage several men took liberties with this Kingdom. Men my father trusted; whom I myself trusted, but who have, in some cases, proven themselves of questionable character."

His volume rises "I have no time," he bashes his fist against the table, causing the plates to rattle with the force, "my lords, to separate wheat from chaff this day. No, for poisoned trees have deep roots, and we have much to do and a short time ere we set sail for France. So what is to be done? How are we to tear out these weeds from our garden?"

He falls silent again for the space of four breaths. "Simple. My lords, we shall have a test of character." His pitch rises as Eleanor hands him a rolled scroll. "With this decree, I hereby expel the Officers of the State from their positions." He holds up a forestalling hand. "Some of you may be loyal servants of the Crown. These men I request listen carefully. All men will be judged, and their commitment to the Crusade which is the foremost endeavor of their King and his People will be judged as a sign of their morals and of their character, for he who demonstrates his morality and his loyalty to Our works is worthy of office, and he who shirks, or who is base and low of character, will be punished."

There is a short pause to allow Archbishop Baldwin to bang his fist on the table in agreement, followed, a little later, by Prince John.
In the interval, Eleanor presses a second document in his hand.

"As a sign of my commitment to defending the innocent, caring for widows and orphans, and punishing the wicked, I have one further bit of business. I deputize William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke and Robert Marmion, my Champion, to arrest Ranulf de Glanville, who was Justiciar for my Father, and convey him to the Tower of London on the charge of wrongfully imprisoning Queen Eleanor."

There is an audible gasp in the chamber, while Eleanor stares down at Ranulf, who has risen resignedly from his seat, with an exultant expression. Marmion looks as though he has been slapped, but shakes himself from his torpor and follows the Marshal down to lay hands on de Glanville and lead him silently away.

"You have seen the King's Justice today, ladies and gentlemen. Those who prove their commitment to righteousness will receive much favor, but the wicked I will see brought low. Here will I set the realm aright, and in fourteen days at Pipewell I shall do the same for the Church. Then I shall win a kingdom for Christ. All this I promised you, and see, I have made a beginning already. You may go in peace, now, for the feast is ended."

And with that, he turns and strides out of the Hall by way of a side door followed by Eleanor. The other nobles begin to drift, concluding discussions before departing for the night. It seems the feast is well and truly ended.

[Llywelyn mab Iorwerth]

Llwelyn could not help but be impressed at the display. Richard was a man who knew what he wanted and had no fear in pursuing it. He was straightforward in what he wanted, and with the costs of denying him...but also with the potential rewards.

I can work with this.

[Andre l'Ecrivain]

Andre, of course, stands when the King does--one does not remain seated in such circumstances. And when the King thunders out, he glances around.

Did the Earl know this was coming? he thinks.

[Geoffrey of Tournemine]

Geoffrey, who had been sitting with the chief justiciar, had no qualms stepping out of the way when the came for Ranulf. He was able to schmooze with anyone at a party, but he also felt a certain level of satisfaction at seeing his cousin's justice done.

Bye... he thinks to himself as the man is taken away.

The feast may be over now but the night was still young.

Let's walk off this wine.

[Giles de Braose]

Even GIles, wallowing in the misery of his own failures, noticed Ranulf getting hauled away from his table. He shared a glance with Geoffrey and let out a sigh.

Well, brother did say there would be opportunities to be seized, I wonder just how much he knew...