Boyzilla (Chapter 20): Agravain is necessary for obvious reasons as explained in chapter 20. But the Moon Cell Automaton sent Taliesin because he noticed an anomaly in the Leys Lines supplying the... "baby" Moon Cell that floats over the New Palace of Marienburg.
Oh, I assure you, I'm thinking a lot about the relationship between Agravain and our lovely little Master. In fact, I have already imagined a discussion between Agravain and Kay that could change the way Agravain perceives Hakuno...
For pronoun errors... it gives you a vague idea of the text obtained by the automatic translator. Fortunately, I rewrite everything... except when I forget a passage (whistle while looking at the ceiling).
In addition, Artoria presents a particular problem. In the French draft text, I often call her "Roi Arthur" (King Arthur) but I still say "elle" (she)... this disturbs the automatic translator a lot (more or less like Kiritsugu in Fate/zero).
Boyzilla (Chapter 21): After all, this is the world of Warhammer... there is nothing particularly surprising about poor Hakuno being attacked from all sides. And in Fate/Extra, Hakuno had a clear goal and she knew she had only to hold out until the final. That's not the case here. The Old World is at war for 8 millennia with little hope that things will improve. Ah, Hakuno is really furious to have been sent to this world!
Author's note: this chapter required a lot of research on tournaments and jousts. Fortunately, I have the "Dictionnaire du Moyen-Âge" by Eugène Violet-le-Duc.
Pars Sanguis
(Feast of Blood)
Les dames sor le mur montoient
(The ladies stood by the wall)
Qui les jus agarder voloient,
(Because they wanted to watch the games)
Qui ami avoit en la place
(Those who had a friend who participated)
Tost li montre l'oeil et la face
(Wanted to see him and show their face)
Li Romans de Brut (The 13 century Wace's Roman de Brut, in medieval French)
The sun was only half visible above Saint-Goar. The sunset had put the Reikr valley on fire, embellishing it with a rich color palette. It seemed as if a fire had spread to heaven and earth, not even sparing the waters.
The wide lazy meanders were covered with scarlet mixed with golden reflections. The clouds were pink. The sky wavered between the darkest purple and an indefinable blue. Far from being frozen in its colors and its brilliance, the painting changed as the sun declined. The hues moved, faded or darkened, splashing the hills with vermilion and ochre.
Such a light would have embellished any place. But the area between Marienburg and Eilhart hardly needed it. On more than sixteen leagues, the Reikr offered itself in its most beautiful adornment. The river had cut its way through the rock, and natural walls were all around it. To the majestic hills crowned with forest, the man had added his signature in the form of castles of all eras, often ruined... castles born, alas, of rivalries that opposed all along the immense river avenue.
Because the Reikr was before all this, a road to trade, navigable from one end to the other, the river connected the two major trading poles of the Sigmar's Empire. To the north, the Imperial Merchant's Guild and its counters extended to the distant Kislev. To the south, the Great Market of Nuln on the course of the higher Reikr.
The prosperity of the Vasteland owed much to this manna.
Many cities had relied on trade and especially on the shipping industry. All along the Reikr, river transport was divided into segments which were the monopoly of one trading city or another. Some had even enacted strange customs laws. Thus, they forced their customers to unload their goods in their city and therefore to rent warehouses and docks' workers.
Notwithstanding the jealousy that engendered grudges that would die only of old age, the trading cities defended common interests. All wanted to keep customs duties pretty low so as not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. These scruples were not shared by the local lords. Thanks to the castles erected on the cliffs, many of them had been able to force merchant ships to pay a toll in exchange for their "protection". At this game, it happened that the goods had their price multiplied by ten during their journey.
The excesses of the robbers barons had led to multiple wars, leaving behind these ruined castles that gave the region its romantic aspect.
The Reikr, in this place, was difficult to navigate, especially in the ascent of its course. Indeed, the castle of Katz stood near a large cliff topped by trees. In this place, the river was filled with furious eddies that had caused the loss of many ships. The legend saw in it the malice of a mermaid.
The stronghold of the Pfalz was only a mile and a half away from the Katz, not far from Kaub. It was a fort erected on an island that depended on the castle of Gutenfels. The castle had an archaic appearance with its high square keep and its upright and high walls. It contrasted sharply with its dependence, more modern, a true forest of peppers-pots turrets. This castle was used to guard the entrance of the Vasteland, the river coming from the Grays Mountains formed the border with the Reikland to the East.
Near the stairs leading to the Pfalz harrow, Hakuno Kishinami was dressed in a beautiful golden yellow dress, very tight at the waist, puffy at the shoulders, and surrounded by a high lace collar. Her hair was in a bun with a golden tiara and she had a necklace of several rows of pearls.
To tell the truth, the dress was heavy, uncomfortable and Hakuno was literally cooking under the multiple layers of fabric.
Such were the demands of diplomacy!
Surrounded by Artoria Pendragon who wore her usual dress-armor, Sir Kay, Sir Gawain and a multitude of halberds, servants, and minors noble Hakuno waited for the arrival of Karl-Franz, the Sigmarite Empire's Emperor.
Hakuno's eyes followed the ships that took the waterway, looking for the ship that brought the emperor. The smaller ones, simple canoes, were rustic boats used by the fishermen who lived on the shore of the wave. The biggest ones were real monsters of more than twenty yards long for a width of four in the belly. These merchant ships shipped loads of the order of several hundred tons. Between them and the smaller fishing vessels, there were three distinct classes of hulls, which indicated the existence of very diverse needs.
Some of these ships traveled alone. Others were convoys of dozens of ships. Their meeting made it possible to transport as many goods as a land caravan of a thousand wagons. The descent of the river required only a little caution when the wind was trying to get in the way. The ascent was much more difficult. The smaller hulls traveled by rowing or sailing. However, the tonnage increased at the same time as the distance to be traveled. The galleys sacrificed too much space to be profitable and the wind was too random on a long journey. So we had to resort to towing. For this purpose, oxen and horses were used, but above all... men. These poor people, dressed in herds, how miserable they look. The foremen who guided their efforts treated them no better than their colleagues who had resorted to animal power.
So many riches were in such misery!
Trade represented immense power and its control could provoke wars. This interview was pivotal!
Hakuno took a deep breath when she saw a river galley past the Katz. Even at a distance, she recognized the lion and the griffin holding in their paws the Warhammer... the emblem of the Empire.
The galley maneuvered smoothly and landed at the landing.
Surrounded by lancers in armor and wearing broad berets adorned with feathers, Emperor Karl-Franz Holswig Schliestein descended from the galley.
He was a young, beardless man, wearing a brightly colored outfit sewn with gold thread, a long white cape that twirled behind him. A red sash crossed his chest and he had a gold cross around his neck. His forehead was adorned with a gold laurel wreath.
When he approached, Hakuno bowed with nervousness before she gave the welcome speech that Sir Kay had made her repeat until she was right with one word. When she straightened her hands, clenched on the expensive cloth of her dress, she saw the emperor smiling at her with a wide smile more amused than ceremonial. It is true that she had uttered her speech in a little voice, embarrassed and blushing... It was evident that she had never done this before, and her discomfort changed from the honey-laden wooers of the courtesans who lived at the expense of the Emperor.
He replied with a speech that was just as convoluted but much more mastered. The two delegations presented themselves to each other, and Hakuno soon had her head filled with the names of dukes, duchesses, princes-electors, and other chancellors of the imperial court.
The two groups, now mixed together, climbed the stairs leading to the interior of the bastion. For the occasion, Emperor Karl-Franz offered courteously his arm to Hakuno, like a perfect gentleman.
This help was not superfluous. Hakuno was not used to wearing dresses of this kind.
This first interview was limited to a welcome feast and to listening to all the speeches - hypocrites- of the Marienburgers and the Imperials proclaiming "the friendship between the Empire and Marienburg". He was commonly known, however, that the relations between the two states were strained at best, Karl-Frantz considering the Vasteland as a province of his empire... a "momentarily" lost province but which he intended to recover.
Fortunately, the emperor was courteous... friendly even. Sitting next to him, Hakuno was the object of many attentions on his part all along of the feast. And she had the impression that her awkwardness and her lack of preparation to conduct an official dinner amused him deeply. Her blunders amused Kay much less - sitting to her left - who spent a good part of the meal in classic "facepalm" posture or massaging his forehead with a desperate look on the face.
Only the humor and goodwill of Emperor Karl-Franz prevented the party from ending in diplomatic disaster.
Finally, the meal ended and Hakuno took refuge in the room that had been prepared for her. She fell into a chair and looked at her trembling hands...
The Sovereign of the Moon holds a desire to shout: "Why me?"
She was the quiet type, Hakuno didn't like to talk or to stand out because she had been created by the Moon Cell Automaton as a simple background character. For her, this kind of official party was a real ordeal.
Artoria bowed to her with one hand over her heart:
"Master, get some rest. You did well."
That was nice, but Hakuno sighed... Saber was diplomatic. But Kay was nothing like her. As soon as she was alone with Berserker, he would shout his displeasure. But it was not her fault... she shook her head with despondency... damned Moon Cell!
Marienburg was a crossroads where the goods of the whole Old World converged, especially food and wine. The city also boasted a large grain fair. In addition to the grains, pieces of coarse cloth and the most precious fabrics were available. Annually, the great Marienburg trade fair saw the purchase and sale of the finest and rarest commodities. It was one of the main trading places of Araby's spices, Cathay's silk, china, and tea as well printed books.
Once a year, also, the city of Marienburg hosted the biggest tournament of the Reikr cities. It was traditionally the occasion for the Knights of the Empire to meet there.
Squires were armed knights, engagements were arranged. Teenagers were sent to friendly families to serve as a squire to a confirmed knight.
It was an important social event.
But this year, the importance was greater than ever.
King Louen Leoncoeur had just won a battle against the Norses and was still in town with the elite of the Grail Knights. And Emperor Karl-Franz had just arrived with his own elites' knights.
On the sidelines of the tournament, important negotiations would determine the future of Marienburg.
The enormous wall of the Vlœdmuur encircled Marienburg completely, and there was hardly any free space inside the enclosure. Outside the city, in normal times, apart from a handful of scattered houses, one could see only fields and pastures in the shade of sparse groves. However, the grasslands were now home to a sea of tents. Banners were slamming in the evening wind and valets were circulating in the aisles. Some drove horses by the flange, others carried messages. Beautiful ladies and rich lords discussed under the awning of their pavilions. Latecomers were busy setting up their camps.
The city of canvas was the seat of a feverish activity that was draped in an apparent nonchalance. The pride of the powerful was displayed in various forms. From one tent to another, everything was a pretext for the exhibition of their wealth. They had spent a lot of money to carve their tents out of the rarest and most expensive fabrics. The cladding of the support poles did not escape competition. Hakuno even saw a sumptuous tent where the posts had been gilded with gold leaf. Almost all exhibited their weapons and armor at the entrance. Even the neediest knights had gone into debt to obtain qualities plates' armors. Most of this equipment appeared to be from renowned armorers of the Empire or from Tilea. Many were in fact copies, works of craftsmen attracted in Bretonnia by the endemic state of war that reigned there. The most prestigious lords wore in tournament plates so finely chiseled and adorned that their value exceeded the wealth accumulated by many bourgeois during a lifetime of hard work.
The tournament camp was not, however, the exclusive domain of knights, ladies, and squires. On the way, Hakuno and her Servants passed by an open-air temple. At the crossing of the aisles, they also discovered several farriers and many armor drummers who boasted their know-how. When they reached the limits of the camp, they witnessed the arrival of a seigneur with a complicated coat of arms. Preceded by two heralds with silver tubes, he was acclaimed by those who massaged themselves on his way. Then, content with its effect, he chooses a free place so that the long column of trolleys and mules that followed him can unload his goods.
Outside the canvas city, several fenced perimeters were used for training. Knights charged against pivot mannequins. When a horseman struck the shield of a simulacrum, it turned on itself, returning the force of impact in a movement of the ball and chain hanging from the arm of the mannequin opposite the one who had a shield. Further on, two lines of knights on feet were scraping to the rhythm of the clapping of hands of a master-at-arms.
"That's really impressive," Hakuno whispered.
Troubled, she turned her head in all directions, eager to see everything, to hear everything.
The tournaments were mock battles between two groups of knights (1). Over the centuries, the bloody delights of the harsh lords of the past had transformed into stunning displays of pomp and power. Initially, simple substitutes for the war, the feasts of arms had been realistic reenactments – and thus with real weapons- intended to allow the knights to show their skill.
Condemned by the high priests of (almost) all the gods and many kings, jousts, and tournaments were however too prized by the lords for their prohibition to be truly respected. With time, accommodation was found for the appearance of "courteous" parties. That is, the replacement of weapons of war with spears without points and swords without sharp edges.
The tournament quickly became the place where you show up, where you make yourself known. The lords organized them to show their wealth and the value of their vassals. The young knights without land demonstrated their valor, hoping to obtain in return the protection of a suzerain, fiefs, or even the hand of a real catch.
Originally, the knights had been mere elite warriors rich enough to fight on horseback. However, the appearance of a rich bourgeoisie and the replacement of the coat of mail with the plate armor had put an end to this. The price of a "Harnois plain" (full polished iron armor) was too high for most small lords. Moreover, in order to prevent the access of the bourgeois to the tournaments, they were quickly forbidden to non-nobles. Chivalry thus became the privilege of the high nobility.
For these wealthy, there was no expense too high, no refinement too difficult to obtain. Thus, the organization of a tournament ends up weighing almost as heavy as the constitution of an army. To save money, the princes fired the troops maintained by their vassals, preferring them professionals paid for the task. In the Empire, then, the war was the business of the mercenaries. Little by little, the armies of soldiers were replaced by hordes of pedestrians grouped in phalanxes. In this rapidly changing society, weapons of strokes and pikers supplanted the heavy knight in the name of efficiency.
However, in Bretonnia the crossbow was forbidden because this weapon of «cowards» allowed a commoner to kill at a distance a knight much better born than him. And the battles continued to be fought by knights in heavy armor.
In the Empire, the crossbow was only the first of these weapons of a new kind. What the crossbow bolt was able to do, the harquebus bullet and the cannon ball did even more easily. The glory could no longer be won on the battlefield, except posthumously, a substitute was needed. In the Empire, the feasts of arms became the last refuge of the chivalrous spirit.
Even as the rider in heavy armor was about to be relegated to the rank of anachronism, the tournament crystallized all the fantasies of the ancient epics. The preludes of the past could not have imagined the pageantry of their declining caste.
The result is an indigestible – but visually superb – mix of chivalrous, superstitious, and aristocratic self-celebration novels, a superficial and frozen image, preserved in the glory, yet faded, of what had been the pinnacle of the art of war after the High Elves returned to Ulthuan. But this anachronism enjoyed such vitality that it was difficult to believe it at the edge of the tomb.
The party opened in the afternoon. Ringers had spread throughout the city to announce the banquet that would take place that very evening:
"Hear! Hear! Hear! All princes, lords, barons, knights, and squires of the regions of the Reik, of the Empire, of Bretonnia, etc. and of all others are made to sit on whatever steps are of these kingdoms and of all other kingdoms free from the contamination of the Ruin if they are not banished or enemies of the good city of Marienburg, that today in the good city of Marienburg begins a great pardon of arms and very noble tournaments struck with maces of measure and well-worn swords, in tournament clean armor for this purpose, in helm, arms and horse covers armored with the arms of the noblemen of the tournaments, as well as of all antiquity and custom."
Less than an hour later, the first knights appeared in the arms of their noble ladies. All wore their best clothes. It was to the one who wore the outermost doubled with the rarest fur, the lapel of the most ornate gold cloth, the most raised foals, and the widest chaperone. Bretonnia's women were the most richly dressed. Hennins, splendid buildings of silk and lace, reached unthinkable heights. Not to mention the cotardies (medieval dresses) that multiplied the superlatives in terms of the length of the sleeves and the trains, the depth of the necklines, or the richness of the fabrics.
Begun at about seventeen, the banquet lasted until one o'clock in the morning. Four appetizers, then a first side dish preceded the two main dishes, a second side dish, desserts, oublies (2), and to finish the hippocras. Between each service, there was a display of jugglers, bear-bearers, and other minstrels.
But it was only the beginning of the night. Once the tables were dismantled, we went to a big ball. We still ate there, we drank there and above all – the most important – the women looked for a champion who would wear his colors during the tournament. The helms of the participants had all gathered in a room. Thus, the ladies only had to touch this or that to select the one that would wear its colors. This lasted, at least for the more enduring, until the first light of dawn.
Of course, Hakuno Kishinami was the first lady to choose a champion. After all, she was the organizer. Moreover, no damsel had attracted more attention. Wasn't she the most eligible damsel of this tournament? Young, pretty, and suitor to the ducal crown of the Vasteland, Hakuno controlled Marienburg the richest city of the Old World.
Throughout the evening, dashing young men, powerful lords had not ceased to want to court her. Hakuno was mostly embarrassed and responded... with a head tilt, because she didn't even understand what they wanted. That said, her unlucky pretenders left very troubled by this encounter and a large number of (bad) poems and (pitiful) chivalry romance featuring an inapproachable princess curiously resembling Hakuno were written after this tournament.
But Hakuno had long chosen her knight in shining armor.
Arriving in front of the helms lined up on tables along a wall, the Last Master touched a helm surmounted by a blue lion.
At once, a knight dressed in a black doublet cut himself off from the other knights and set foot on the ground to take her hand:
"I humbly agree to fight for your honor, Lady Hakuno."
Hakuno had a shy smile and lowered her eyes to the beautiful narrow porcelain-like face of the knight, her eyes like emeralds and hair gathered in a mat wrapped around the back of her skull:
"Thank you, King Arthur."
This choice was greeted with many sighs, however, some of the murmurings were not hostile so a Bretonnia lord leaned over the beautiful lady he held by his arm:
"My dear, bet there will be no knight who will fight for his lady who will attract more attention than Arthur!"
"And no knight was more beautiful" answering the lady.
The next morning, at about eleven o'clock, ladies and lords reached the platform which dominated the place transformed in lice. All the houses around the vast rectangle had been adorned with flags hanging from the windows. Banners snapped in the wind at the top of large masts. Others, smaller, supported the kite shield of the numerous knights participating in the tournament.
Dressed in a beautiful green and black robe, Hakuno took place under the canopy with the arms of Marienburg and Bretonnia. On the other side of the square, another dais with the arms of the Empire faced them. And the emperor Karl-Franz sits there, with his courtesans.
The spectacle that followed stunned Hakuno. Some three hundred lords had come to participate in the feast of arms. The arrival of each was preceded by a repetitive ceremonial. Trumpets were sounded, and then a herald of arms wearing a tabard with the coat of arms of his lord made his entrance. Immobilized in the middle of the square, he began to declare the titles, ranks, prerogatives, and family trees of his lord, and then - as if that were not enough - continued with the account of the exploits of the ancestors. Of course, the poor man did it from memory.
Then the tournament's knight made its entrance in full plate armor. After a round of the square where the crowd could cheer or insult him, he stopped before the lady of his heart to swear to defend her colors. He then had the possibility of coming to hurt with his spear the kite shield of a participant. If he did, his herald and the herald of the adversary he had chosen stated the terms of the coming confrontation.
The young knights often adopted the joust, that is to say, the confrontation to one against one. They could challenge themselves to the spear, sword, axe, or another weapon they wanted to use, on foot or on horseback. It was a great way to get noticed.
On the contrary, the powerful lords preferred the melee, that is to say, the tournament itself. After forming around them a party (or «battle») they faced the faithful of their opponent in the reconstitution of a cavalry charge.
Each game or tournament was severely framed. Four judges and a king-at-arms – one referee – were responsible for enforcing order and appointing the winner. In addition, the tournaments saw the ladies designate a knight known for his sense of honor. The latter was in charge of protecting the tournaments wounded or cornered by several opponents.
When Artoria arrived on the lice, she struck the shield of Louis de Luxembourg, Comte de Saint-Pol. This noble paladin of the Grail had had some contemptuous words about the women who ruled countries... if the insult had been directed at her, Saber would have treated these words with contempt... but the man was talking about Hakuno and the famous King Arthur was not going to let her Master be insulted in public.
Then Hakuno got up and wrapped her scarf around the lance that her champion held out. The herald of the lord of Richebourg presented himself and accepted the challenge.
At the end of this long ceremony, it was already time for the banquet. Like the day before, they spent the night eating and dancing.
And this is how the following days passed.
The morning saw a series of games on foot and on horseback. Around noon, valets distributed some food to the guests of honor in the stands then the tournament of the day was contested. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to another series of jousts.
As night approached, we were gathering for a new banquet. The victors of the day took the opportunity to meet with the vanquished and set their ransom. As the tournament was a battle reenactment, the loser was considered a prisoner of war and therefore had to pay a large sum to be released.
Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere being in the stands near their Master to protect her - neither of them loved tournaments- and Sir Agravain taking care of controlling his network of spies in the plot nest that had become the city during the festivities.
As for Caster, he had not left the New Palace. Taliesin had turned a suite of rooms into a laboratory and filled a gigantic copper cauldron with herbs and liquids, settling around books and murmuring incantations.
Only Artoria and Gawain participated in the tournament itself.
Of course, they covered themselves with glory even though - as a Saber-class Servant- they were not very good at handling the cavalry lance.
A week passed between parties and the roar of arms. Only the Festag, the day of the gods, saw the lice being deserted in favor of the temples of the city.
On the other side of the barriers erected to contain the crowd, they pushed each other to see well. The lucky ones, residents of the houses that overlooked the square, crowded with windows adorned for the occasion. In the stands, the tension was no less.
At the first trumpet bell, King Arthur's "battle" came to the north side of the square. Most of the knights were from Bretonnia. They were dressed and armed beautifully. Their coats of arms and the capers of their horses were covered with coats of arms, motto, and emblems. However, it was mainly by their helmet that they were noticed because they adopted fantastic shapes. Their crests were decorated with horns, heads of animals, or branches. The whole was surmounted by multi-colored plumes.
Artoria, in the front row, wore fairly simple armor. It was a white Harnois that reflected light. It differed from battle protection only in its left side reinforced with various pieces of equipment such as a large shoulder pad, or an oversized gauntlet. Her helmet was a simple salad surrounded by a tortil above the visor. This fabric bulge was made of two twists, one white and one blue. Her crest represented a lion standing and was not adorned with any egrets. The bard of her horse was not coordinated with the adornment of its owner. In black leather, without decoration, it completely covered the sides of the animal. The head was protected by a steel headrest painted in black and braided with gold designs.
At the second trumpet bell came the «battle» of the lord of Richebourg. It was also made of Bretonnians. Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, wore the finest armor present this day on the tournament field. Heavier than that of Saber, it was distinguished above all from the latter by a helmet in three articulated parts. The stamp of its head protection was surmounted by a silver unicorn as well as a black and purple feather. A rich golden sash draped around his neck, descending to the sides of his horse. His mount was no less splendid. its bard was black and purple velvet, embroidered with leaf patterns, half white, half gold. There were also tassels in fine gold embroidery marked with his motto. The bottom of the case also wore silver bells the size of a pear, fringed with gold threads and black silk. The muzzle was similar to the helmet of the rider and wore black and purple feathers.
A new trumpet bell announced the king of arms. Rising from his high chair under a canopy, he stretched out the golden staff of his office above the field of tournaments:
"Oyez, Oyez, gentes dames et damoiselles, beaux damoiseaux! There is now a tournament and a matter of honor between two great lords who have come here to finish their argument."
After repeating his speech in imperial, he paused before resuming: "To my left, Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol. This nobleman would have mocked the abilities of Hakuno Kishinami, the sovereign of the Moon Cell."
There was a murmur of anger when the king of arms mentioned the name of Hakuno.
"To my right is Artoria Pendragon, known as King Arthur, a knight in the service of the damsel KIshinami."
And there were jeers from the crown. And the king of arms brought forth Hakuno, and set it before the multitude. Then he gave him a white sash. This time he turned to the combatants who were groaning with impatience and said:
"The tournament will start as soon as the scarf dropped by Damsel Kishinami hits the ground."
Standing, leaning against the barrier separating the tribune from the knights, Hakuno felt that all eyes were converging on her. Trying to conceal her anguish, she reached out and dropped the long piece of immaculate cloth. Like all the spectators, she followed its slow and graceful fall. The moment it touched the ground, there was a formidable cry from nearly fifty gorges. Each knight had just screamed his motto by stealing both. Struck by the spurs that bit their flanks, their mounts leaped forward.
Only one of Artoria's party tournaments remained on the spot, his horse raging furiously while his master vomited endless insults. All the other riders had shaken into a formidable cavalcade. There was something beautiful and primitive in the vision of these two metal walls that ran towards each other. But the distance between the two groups was so short that this thought barely evoked ceased to be topical.
The striking of the two iron waves was brutal. The joust spears — without spikes and made of pine — struck the shields that the tournaments wore to the left arm. The fragile, courteous weapons broke under the violence. Barely slowed down by the shock, the knights ran into each other in a terrible jolt.
The swords came out of the sheath and in an instant the melee became total. The noise was formidable, like a forge with hundreds of blacksmiths. The iron struck the iron relentlessly. People shouted to celebrate a triumph, pain, or frustration. The crowd cheered or supported one or the other.
Anxiously, Hakuno was tearing her neck to follow the fight. Her uninitiated eye no longer saw men in armor. She had the impression of contemplating the combat of two steel beasts buttressed to each other. They scratched and bit each other using multiple pins that reflected the sun. Each one was trying to push back its rival, to push its back into its lair.
At Hakuno side, the king of arms nodded approvingly:
"King Arthur was winning!"
Hakuno looked and understood that the king of arms was right, the "battle" of the Count of Saint-Pol retreated.
Out of the crowd of men and horses, Gawain - the knight of honor- escorted a slumped knight on his horse. Two men rushed to the wounded man and brought him down from his steed. A barber-surgeon joined them quickly and insisted that the tournament rider be evacuated.
Long motionless in the middle of the square, the mass of man slowly retreated to the left. The movement at first insensitive was accelerating. Suddenly, the group of Saint-Pol had a second defection as one of its tournaments' knights emptied its stirrups. All the close combatants stopped to avoid trampling the unfortunate. Once again, Gawain devoted himself to getting the wounded out of the melee.
Under the rules of the tournament, it was forbidden to form a league of several against one. Also, the opponents of the wounded had to withdraw. Nevertheless, they were far from out of the game. When a knight of Saber's party was pulled aside, half unconscious, one of them replaced him. As he had had time to rest, he showed renewed ardor in the struggle. Around Saber, the retreat of Saint-Pol's men increased and the cavalry line began to disintegrate.
The trumpets sounded, suspending the clash. When each group reached its side of the square, three Knights of Artoria were now without a partner. New spears were distributed to the tournaments' knights, which were put back in the saddle on fresh mounts. The second charge was less violent than the first because the men began to tire. Five emptied their saddles, three on the side of Artoria and two at Saint-Pol. One of Saber's replacements took the place of a fallen man and the fight resumed.
Fatigue was now felt acutely in the knights of both sides and the blows were no longer dealt with the same force. More and more people were hurt. Wanting to avoid a fierce fight, the judges again blew the trumpets. The tournaments' knights returned to their starting positions. New spears were distributed to them to lead the third charge.
It was devastating! Nearly half of the knights rolled to the ground. One of them fell forward and tipped over the neckline of the mount. Further, a horse collapsed on its knees.
The trumpets sounded their voices for the third time. The judges talked for long minutes as a page came to tell them that one of the fallen knights had broken his neck.
It was agreed that the fight would stop here, if Artoria and Saint-Pol wanted to continue fighting, they would do it during a joust this afternoon.
As if by irony, a gale of wind caused the banners to snap, attracting the eyes towards the lice. Hakuno felt her heart speed up as her fingers twisted the handkerchief in her hands with uncontrolled nervousness.
The jugglers who entertained the crowd did their last trick. As they went out, the valets of Saint-Pol and Artoria presented themselves, each one at one end of the line. It had been mounted in the center of the jousting field during the noon break. In Bretonnia's fashion, its role was to separate the players so they would not collide head-on. To the north and south of the square, two masts had been erected. Ironically, the coat of arms of the jousters both represented a crawling lion (3). But there could be only one ruler of the animal world.
The trumpets sounded and the heralds of arms advanced until they stopped under the tribune. The king-at-arms rose from his throne to welcome them and to recall the quarrel that led the two lords to confront each other in a closed field and asked if the lords felt they should continue. The messenger of Artoria challenged Saint-Pol's one before finishing his tour of honor by waving the banner of his lord.
Then there was a break. While the jousters rejoined the two ends of the lice to finish preparing, servants passed through the stands. They distributed to anyone who asked, hippocras, claret, juleps, and violet syrup.
On a sign of the heralds of arms, the king of arms asked for silence:
"Noble people, good people of Marienburg, to my right is Louis de Luxembourg Count of Brienne, Conversano and Count of Saint-Pol, Ligny and Guise, Marle and Soisson."
Saint-Pol replied with a movement of his spear. The joust armor he wore was heavier armor than the one he had worn in the morning. In addition, it was completely asymmetrical. The side of the shield, confronted with the direct impact of the lance, supported massive armory pieces. And the straps - the main weakness of armor- were all on the right side, the least exposed. The "frog face" helmet was a metal cage made of two riveted parts. The head was incapable of any movement and vision reduced to a thin slit. As for breathing it could only be done through a small opening on the side. One did not wear such armor; one was immobilized within it, held by a high and enveloping saddle.
"To my left, see Artoria Pendragon known as King Arthur of the unknown kingdom of England, a noble knight recognized and protected by the Lady of the Lake herself."
Like her adversary, Saber saluted with the weapon of jousting that she held in her gauntlet. Her armor was less ornate but rather similar in appearance. The joust shield was not held in hand. It was in fact a targe attached to the armor.
The two gamers draped themselves with a coat of cloth stamped on their arms. Louis de Luxembourg's coat was decorated with a crowned red lion. Artoria had a white outfit, with a blue lion. These coats of arms were also reproduced on the dress of their steeds.
"Gentlemen, please go to the end of the line, which is adorned with your colors."
At the same time, the king of arms held out a long white scarf to Hakuno. Like the first time, since she was the insulted damsel, it was up to her to start hostilities. Dropping the piece of cloth, she followed it until it hit the ground and triggered a trumpet sound.
The steeds of the two jousters shook. The poor beasts, overloaded with armor, only slowly gained speed. However, they were almost at a gallop when they crossed halfway. The spears struck diagonally and took themselves in the grid in relief of the targes. Fragile, they broke with violence, raising shouts of enthusiasm in the crowd (4).
The mounts, shaken by the impact, continued on their way a few meters while the judges spoke against each other. The knights turned around. The squires rushed to replace the broken spears.
A new trumpet was sounded.
The second charge resembled the first... except that the straps of the saddle of Saint-Pol broke!
The noble lord rolled to the ground!
(1) Do not confuse tournaments and jousts. Jousts are battles between two knights. It is above all the jousts that have benefited from the plethora of production of (almost) historical films vomited by the Hollywood industry. In particular, the joust where a knight charges against another spear in the hand... but a sword-foot fight between two knights is also a joust.
(2) Kind of dried cakes, quite similar to butter rolls.
(3) In heraldry, a lion is called "crawling" when it is erected on its hind legs to scratch... yes, I know, it is not logical. A lion on these four legs is said to be "looking".
(4) This was a perfect double hit. The two spears hit the targes broke from the force of the impact, and no knight was thrown on the ground.