CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Erec sat at the table of honor in the large banquet hall, filled with hundreds of guests of the Duke. He had not expected his arrival here to cause such fanfare, and was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention. He knew he was an important person in the kingdom, especially because of his relationship with the King, but he had not anticipated the extent to which the Duke would roll out the red carpet for him. It was their second day of feasting in celebration of Erec's arrival and in anticipation of the tournament to come. Erec was stuffed with good food and wine. He knew that if he didn't compete soon, his skills might not be as sharp.
As Erec leaned back on the deep cushions and looked around, he observed knights from all corners of the Ring, all dressed in different-colored attire, speaking with different accents, using different mannerisms. They all looked like formidable warriors, and while the Duke was confident Erec would beat them all, Erec took nothing for granted. It was part of his training. While the servants re-filled his goblet with wine, he only sipped at it. The tournament was tomorrow, and he wanted to be in a good space. After all, he felt that his actions, and his performance, reflected on the King. And that was something he took very seriously.
Whether he would find a bride here was a different matter entirely. He smiled to himself at the thought of it. The last two days, it seemed that every fine woman in the kingdom had been introduced to him. Indeed, as he looked about the room, he saw dozens of beautiful women seated throughout, and could not help but notice that most of them looked his way. He seemed to also draw the jealousy of the other men in the room, who competed for their attention. But Erec himself did not feel jealous or competitive. He had been introduced to all of them, and had been impressed by them all, each more beautiful, more fine mannered, dressed more elaborately, than the next. He felt honored to have met them all, but he had decided long ago to choose his bride based on his gut instinct. And for whatever mysterious reason, he had not felt that certain feeling when meeting any of them. He did not mean to be picky. He felt certain that these women would all be great for someone; he just did not feel that they were right for him.
"Erec of the Southern Island Province of the Ring, may I introduce to you Dessbar, of the Second Province of the Lowlands," the Duke said to Erec, as he turned to meet yet another fair maiden. The parade of introductions seemed to never end. This one was beautiful, too, dressed in white silk from head to toe, and she curtsied and smiled a gracious smile.
"It is a pleasure, my Lord. "
"The pleasure is mine," Erec said, standing out of courtesy and kissing her fingertips.
"Dessbar comes from Emerald Plains, and from a noble family of the East. Her mother is third cousin to the Queen. She is of noble blood. She would make a fine match," the Duke said.
Erec nodded graciously, not wanting to offend her, or the Duke.
"I can tell that she is of a fine lineage," Erec said with a short bow. "It is a great privilege to meet you. "
With that, he kissed her hand again, and seated himself. She looked somewhat disappointed, as if she wanted to talk to him more; the Duke did, too.
But Erec did not feel whatever it was he was supposed to feel when he met this woman. And he wanted to approach finding his wife with the same discipline he did battle - with a single-minded focus and intensity.
The feast went on, deep into the night, and Erec was glad to at least be in the company of his old friend, Brandt, seated on his right. They'd been sharing battle stories for half the night, and as the fires grew long and people filtered from the hall, they were still recounting stories.
"Remember that hill?" Brandt asked. "When it was just the four of us, on patrol? Up against the entire company of McClouds?"
Erec nodded. "Too well. "
"I swear, if it wasn't for you, I would be dead. "
Erec shook his head. "I got lucky. "
"You never get lucky," Brandt said. "You're the finest knight in the kingdom. "
"It is true," the Duke echoed, seated on his other side. "I fear for any knight who comes against you tomorrow. "
"I'm not so sure," Erec said, humbly. "You seem to have a vast array of warriors gathered here. "
"That's true, there are," the Duke said. "They've descended on us from all corners of the Ring. It seems that every man wants the same thing in this world: a fine woman. God knows why. Once we get one, we can't wait to get rid of her!"
The men all laughed.
"Tomorrow will certainly be a site," the Duke added. "But I have no doubt in you. "
"The only problem is," Brandt chimed in, "is that the winner chooses a bride. Knowing you, you may choose no one - and offend every woman here!"
Erec shook his head.
"I mean no offense," he said. "I suppose. . . I suppose I just have not found her yet. "
"Are you telling me that not a single woman here suits you?" the Duke asked, surprised. "You have met some of the finest women this court has to offer. Any man here would die for some of them - and tomorrow, some of them just might. "
"I mean no offense, my lord," Erec said. "I do not consider myself more worthy than any of them. On the contrary, surely they are all more worthy than I. It is just that. . . well, I feel that I will know her when I see her. I don't want to be hasty. "
"Hasty!" Brandt yelled. "You've had twenty five years! How much more time do you want!?"
They all laughed.
"Just make a choice," Brandt added, "and be weighed down with a bride and join the rest of our miserable lot. After all, misery loves company! And our kingdom must populate!"
The group laughed again, and as Erec looked away, somewhat embarrassed by all the talk, his eyes froze. He happened to see, across the room, a serving girl, perhaps eighteen, with long, blonde hair, and large, almond green eyes. She wore a simple servant's attire, hardly better than rags, as she went down the tables, person to person, filling vessels with wine. She kept her head down, never making eye contact, and was more humble than anyone Erec had ever seen. She was huddled with the other serving girls, and they worked hard. No one paid them any attention. They were of the servant class, and here, in court, class distinctions were treated very seriously: servants were treated as if they did not exist. Her clothes were soiled, and her hair looked as if it had not been washed in days. She looked dejected.
And yet the second Erec saw her, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. Erec sensed something exuding from her which was special. She had a proud, even a regal, quality. Something told him that she was different than the others.
As she came closer, filling each goblet, he caught a good look at her face as she turned, and his breath stopped. He had never felt this way before, not upon meeting anyone, not even any royalty. It was the feeling he had been hoping to feel his entire life. The feeling he did not know if he was ever capable of feeling.
She was magnificent. He could hardly speak. He had to know who she was.
"Who is that woman?" Erec asked the Duke, nodding.
The Duke and several others turned excitedly to follow his gaze.
"Which do you mean? Esmeralda? With the blue gown?"
"No," Erec said, pointing. "Her. "
They all followed his glance in silence and confusion.
"Do you mean the servant girl?" ___ asked.
Erec nodded.
The Duke shrugged.
"Who knows? Just another servant," he said dismissively. "Why do you ask? Do you know her?"
"No," Erec answered, his voice catching in his throat. "But I wish to. "
The girl came closer, and reached their group, and bent down to fill Erec's goblet. He was so mesmerized, he forgot to raise it.
Finally, she looked up at him. As she did, so close, as her eyes met his, he felt his whole world melt away.
"My Lord?" she asked, staring back at him. Her eyes froze in his, and seemed to widen, too. She, too, seemed captivated by him. It was as if they
were meeting again.
"My Lord?" she repeated, after several seconds. "Shall I fill your goblet?"
Erec stared at her, forgetting his manners, too dumbfounded to speak. After several seconds of staring back at him, finally, she moved on. She turned and checked back over her shoulder a few times as she went, looking at him.
Then finally, she set down the pitcher, turned, and ran from the hall.
Erec stood, watching her.
"I must know her," Erec said to the Duke.
"Her?" the Duke asked, in shock.
"But she's a servant girl. Why would you want to know her?" Brandt asked.
Erec stood, electrified, knowing for the first time exactly what he wanted.
"She is the one I want. She is the one I will fight for. "
"Her!?" Brandt asked, stunned, standing beside him.
The Duke stood, too.
"You could choose any woman in the kingdom, on both sides of the Ring. You could choose a princess. A lord's daughter. A woman with a dowry as wide as the kingdom. And you would choose her? A servant girl?"
But their words hardly phased Erec. He watched, mesmerized, as she fled from the hall, out a side room.
"Where is she going?" he demanded. "I must know. "
"Erec, are you sure about this?" Brandt asked.
"You are making a grave mistake," the Duke added. "And you would snub all the women here, all of high royalty. "
Erec turned to him, earnest.
"I aim to snub no one," he answered. "But that is the woman I am going to marry. Will you help me find her?"
The Duke nodded to his attendant, who ran off, on the mission.
He raised a hand and clasped Erec's shoulder, and broke into a hearty smile.
"It is true what they say about you, my friend. You do not defer to what others think. And that is, I think, what I love about you best. "
The Duke sighed.
"We will find you this servant girl. And we will make a match!"
A cheer rose up around Erec, as others clasped him on his back. But he paid attention to none of it. His mind was only on one thing: that girl. He felt, without a doubt, that he had found the love of his life.