King Arthur, Sir Gawain & the Lady Ragnell

ONE DAY, KING ARTHUR WAS HUNTING in Inglewood Forest with his men.  All of a sudden in the distance, a deer stepped into view. "Hold still, everyone!" said the King, "I'll stalk this deer myself." Holding his bow in one hand and his last arrow slung over his shoulder, the King crept upon the deer.  He slayed the deer with one shot and as the animal fell, a tall figure stepped from the shadows.

"How lucky for me that we meet this way, with your last arrow released from your hand," boomed the voice of a strong and mighty knight. "King Arthur, for many a year you have done me wrong! Now it is time for me to quiet you."

"Sir Gromer!" said King Arthur.  What poor luck to meet his old enemy in the woods with no weapon to defend himself!  "Where are my men?" he fumed. The King thought quickly.  "To slay me here, armed as you are and I dressed only in my greens," said he, "would bring you no honor. All the knights will refuse to sit by you, and shame will follow you evermore. Sir Gromer, I grant you anything - name it - land or gold, to spare my life."

"There is no land or gold that I desire," said the tall knight. "However, I will get what I seek in an honorable way. I'll give you a chance to solve a riddle. One year and a day from now, you must appear before me, here in the woods as you are, without friends to come with you and with no weapon. If at that time you are unable to solve this riddle, no man will object that I will take your life. But if you answer the riddle correctly, there will be no battle. You must swear on your honor that you will return in one year and a day, as I have said."

"Lo, I agree," said the King. "What is the riddle?"

"You must tell me what it is that women desire most, above all else."

"I assure you," said King Arthur, "as I am the true king, that I will come again in one year and a day and bring you the answer that you seek."

And so Sir Gromer left. The King blew his bugle and his hunting companions found him with the slain deer at his feet. Yet instead than finding their ruler in good spirits as they would expect, his companions saw heaviness in their King's face. They realized some trouble must have come about.  But when they asked him what could be the matter, he would not say.

Only to his nephew, the gentle knight, Sir Gawain, did King Arthur share what had really taken place.

"Sir, be of good cheer," said the youthful knight, after he heard full through the curious demand of Sir Gromer. "Let's ready your horse. Together we will ride through country after country. Wherever we go, we will ask every man and woman for the correct answer.  We are bound to find it before long."

So the King and his nephew Sir Gawain rode away. Everywhere, they inquired what it is that women desire above all else. All the people who answered were certain their answer was correct, yet the answers varied quite a bit. Some stated that women loved best to be well adorned.  Others said it was to have a husband handsome and strong.  Others said to be free of a family forever finding them wrong. And so King Arthur and Sir Gawain collected many an answer, yet none that seemed right. They returned home to sort it all out, since only a month remained.

King Arthur decided to return to Ingleswood Forest, and perhaps he could make sense of it there.  While riding his royal horse along a forest trail, as foul a lady as King Arthur ever saw rode up to him.  She was covered with gold cloth decorated with many a precious stone, but that could not cover her red wrinkled face, runny nose, mouth that was entirely too wide, teeth yellow and hanging.  Her eyes were bleary, her neck too long, and she was shaped like a barrel.

"Good day, King Arthur," said she. "Think of me what you will, but your life is in my hands."

"How do you mean?" said the King. 

"Of all the answers you have been told," said the loathsome lady, "none of them will help you. Only I know the correct answer. Grant me but one thing, Sir King, and I shall tell it to you.  But if not, you will face Sir Gromer and no doubt, you shall lose your head."

"You know Sir Gromer?" said King Arthur.

"He is known," said the vile lady.  "And he has bragged to many that he has you all but conquered.  What Sir Gromer does not know, however, is that I, and only I, have the answer that you seek."

"Tell me the one thing you seek from me," said the King. "If I can grant it, I will."

"Very well," said she.  "There is a certain knight I wish to wed. His name is Sir Gawain. Either I marry the knight Sir Gawain, or you must lose your head."

"Alas!" the king thought to himself, "woe is me, that I should cause Gawain, my own dear nephew, to be forced to marry like this!"  He said aloud, "Then we must part, lady. That I will not do.  But tell me, before I go, what is your name?"

"Sir King, I am the Lady Ragnell."

And so they parted. The King returned to his castle where he found his nephew, Sir Gawain. The King told him everything except the demand of the loathsome lady to marry Sir Gawain. Instead, King Arthur said that the Lady Ragnell would share the secret for the promise of a husband.

"Is that all?" said Sir Gawain. "Then I will marry her. For you are my King and my liege. To save your life, my lord, I will do whatever I can or I would be false and a great coward."

With the promise of his nephew, and since the next day was the very day the King was to meet Sir Gromer in the woods, the King rode with haste to Ingelwood Forest, to the spot where he had met the Lady Ragnell before. But, he worried, what if she wasn't there?  Then the horrible lady rode up to him.  The King told her that her request would be granted and she could marry the Knight Sir Gawain. "Therefore tell me now, and quickly my lady, the answer to the riddle."

"Sir," said Lady Ragnell, "now you will know what it is that women desire above all else. Some men say we desire to be beautiful, or that we desire attention from many men, or that we desire to be married well. Thus, these men do not know the truth. What women desire most is what men already have and already consider their right.  That is, to have sovereignty, to rule our lives as we see fit, to not be beholden to another. Go forth with the answer, Sir King, for now your life is assured."

The King rode as fast as he could to the spot where he had met Sir Gromer. He started by giving one of the answers he had been given earlier. Then another, and another, and yet another. To each one, Sir Gromer shook his head with glee.

"Nay, nay," said Sir Gromer, "you are as good as a dead man. Prepare to bleed."

"Abide, Sir Gromer," King Arthur said. "I have one answer left."

"Very well then," said Sir Gromer, "or else so help me, your death will be upon you."

"Here it is," said the King. "Above all else, women desire sovereignty, to rule their lives as they see fit."

"And who was it that told you this?" roared Sir Gromer. "No doubt it was my sister, the Lady Ragnell!  May she burn on a fire!  Yet I have not choice but to release you.  So go, now!"

"Farewell," said King Arthur.  He quickly turned around his horse and sped to the Lady Ragnell.  He must bring her back to his castle for the wedding. Yet so unpleasant was the prospect of holding a public wedding with such a bride that he told her the ceremony would take place in the morning, knowing that meant there would be few guests or even none to attend, and his nephew Sir Gawain would not have to suffer the public embarrassment of marrying such a loathsome lady. But this the Lady Ragnell would not allow.

"Nay, Sir King!" said she, firmly. "Openly I must be wed, with a full wedding feast for dinner, and guests aplenty in attendance."

After the marriage ceremony, when all were gathered for the wedding feast, the Lady Ragnell carefully watched her groom. Was he disgusted by her? Would he turn his back and ignore her? Strangely, he did not do this. The knight behaved as if he cherished his hideous bride.

Later that night in their wedding chambers, the Lady Ragnell said, "Sir Gawain, now that we have wed, give me a kiss. If I were young and beautiful looking, you know very well you would not delay. I urge you to do this right now."

Sir Gawain said, "I will at once, that and more!" As he sped around to kiss his bride, he saw before him not the beastly lady he had married, but a young lady in the bloom of youth.

"Aye!" he cried out. "What magic is this? Are you a witch?!"

"I am your wife," said she, "that and securely."

"Ah lady, then I must not be in my right mind," said the confused Sir Gawain. "Just a moment ago you were a woman long in her years, stooped-over and white-haired.  Now it seems none is more fortunate than I to have you as my bride!" And he rushed into her arms, giving her many kisses.

"Sir," said she, pulling away for a moment, "There is more you must know. Several years ago I was deformed by enchantment by my brother, the terrible Sir Gromer. The way you see me now, this appearance cannot stay. You have a choice.  You need to choose whether you will have me in my natural form as you see me now, by night, and hideous as you have seen me before, by day.  Or have me in my natural form by day, and hideous at night. With the enchantment, it cannot be both. What do you choose?"

"Alas!" said Gawain, "the choice is hard. To be with you as you are now at night, but not in the day, would grieve my heart sore. But if you appeared as you are now by day, but not at night, that would be hard, and how. So I must put the choice in your own hands. Whatever you choose, as your husband that choice will be mine as well."

"Mercy, courteous knight! Of all earthly knights I am truly lucky you are the one who ended up as my husband, for now the evil enchantment is released completely! I can stay in my natural form both day and night. For the only thing that could release me from Gromer's spell was if a husband granted me, of his own free will, sovereignty to choose what I wish for myself. And now, Sir Knight, courteous Gawain, you have done just that. You have granted me sovereignty, that which every woman wants above all else. Kiss me, Sir Knight!"

"Aye!" said Sir Gawain, "That I am glad to do!"

And so the Lady Ragnell could stay in her natural form both day and night, and she and Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, lived happily ever after.