Queen+Guinevere





=__**Queen Guinevere**__ = //__**By: Jessica H. and Katelyn Keefer**__ //

__**Chapter 1: The Life of a Young Queen**__
My mother is dead and my father is king. Ugh. What a life for me, Guinevere. I walk along the long corridor to the room I've visited so many times before, but my seven year old eyes yearn to see the room once more. I walk into the room and I gaze up at the high ceiling. The rafters are graying ever so lightly. It makes me feel content and save. I walk over to the large round table in the middle of the room. I see my own reflection and I do not hear the foot steps coming up behind me. My father raps his big ruff hands around my shoulders and whispers to me, "Beautiful is it not? I promised Merlin to look after it until the rightful king comes back and claims his rightful place on the throne." The oldest servant woman walked steadily into the room and looked at me reflection in the table's old, polished wood and said, "You are meant to grow up and become a very important figure in history. You are going to grow up and marry the greatest king of all England!" "What are you babbling about you old hag?!" yelled my father enraged by the old woman's presence. Was it just me or did she actually say that I would marry the greatest king of all England. Oh, Bah! That can never happen... Could it? Why would it be me? This excuse of a princess with this brown bird's nest of hair? This princess with the eyes of the color of grassy green after a hard rain? Who could marry a girl like this? Was I actually hoping to marry this king? I do not know what punishment father had put to this old, senile woman because I had rushed out of the room, my face flushed like a deep red of a rose. I hate this day.

**__Chapter 2: Hunting Trouble__**
I am now fifteen and I oh so wish to be able to explore the Magic Forest, but father won't allow it. I oh so hate to be held up like this! I want to hunt! I want to feel a rush of cold air! I hate to sew and do everything that is boring! I wish to go out and see the world! I look around myself to see if anyone is near. No one is. I look directly at my mothers old hunting arrows with their bright peacock feathers at the top. Oh, how I long to shoot some wild beast with them. Then, father will see that I am not a child any more. Just as I was about to go tell my father I was going out I saw an old servant's dress lying out and I had a marvelous idea.... I undressed and put the servants dress on. A little snug, but I could make do. I thrusted the arrows upon my back and they fit my figure. Oh, how lucky am I.

I rushed out the castle back door and I ran into the forest. I looked back and no one had noticed I vanished. I walked further into the forest until I got to a stream and I noticed my dress was trailing in the mud. I made a quick adjustment and I was on my way to the stream with my skirt up my knees. I knelt down to the stream and I splashed some of the cold water on my face. I stood up and walked about twenty steps and I saw a unicorn. I raised my bow, but then I knew magical beings should not be harmed. I walked onward and it was getting darker my bow was raised and I was ready. I was walking along a narrow path when I saw a wolf eating a fat bird and it was as surprised as me. I lifted my bow and I shot! I had hit the wolf's hind leg and it screeched and ran away. I kept walking until I saw a poor boy in the nude with my arrow in his leg. I then remembered that people could sometimes turn into wolves. I knelt down before the boy and I tore some of my skirt off and plucked out the arrow. Once I rapped the cloth around his leg I heard, "Guinevere! Guinevere where you!!" Then the boy ran off. I wanted to run after him, but the search party found me before I could run off. My father told me to keep away from the forest, but I did not listen. Once when I was walking along the enchanted shore by the mystic river the beast with a serpent's head, loin's hindquarters, a hare's feet, and a horse's torso, saw me and I ran.

__**Chapter 3: Trouble in Camelard**__
As I was coming back from the mystic forest one day I noticed the entire castle was in a panic. I rushed to the round table room and saw my father talking war strategy. "Father, are we at war?" I asked concerned. "Yes, my darling, King Ryon is attacking and if we don't have any help soon this war will be over quickly," He said wiping his brow. "Please Father, let me get help! I know the forest better than anyone and I could get back here in double the time!" I pleaded. It took some time to get him to agree. Once he did I grabbed my bow and arrows and rushed to the stables. I hopped on my favorite horse and road off into the distant forest. I neared the mystic river and the wolf I helped was there. I think he offered his assistance and we went across the river. The beast had spotted me and was going to attack when the wolf bit it's leg. The beat's head reared up and I shot one of my arrows. I missed! The wolf was running around the beast in circles and it was confusing it. I shot again and I grazed the beast. It then remembered I was there and it was going to bite me when I thrusted my bow into its mouth. My partner and I rushed out into the dry world full of dust until we knew the beast was not there. There my partner and I separated paths and I went onto King Arthur. I reached him on my third day of riding. "My King," I said, " Cameliard needs your help." He obliged and we rode out. We reached Cameliard in one day's time. I ran around the back and entered the castle. My father was overjoyed to see me and I was glad that Cameliard still stood. We went up to the top of the castle and we watched King Arthur's men fight. When they finally won the rebel kings swore their Loyalty to their king. All was well and I was beginning to fall in love with this new king. Was this to much for me?

**__Chapter 4: Love and Marriage__**
Once the war was over King Arthur took residence in our castle for a few days. I went and offered to wash his face for him which was very lady like. I had to wait a bit but finally he said yes. I took the towel and I lightly dabbed away the grime and mud of the war and I wish I could have taken the great melancholy that washed over Arthur. While I was washing I could feel his eyes on me. "Excuse me sir, I need to get more clean water," I said as an excuse to leave that stare. As I returned I waited to enter the room because I heard Arthur and Merlin talking of me. I heard Merlin say that I would be Arthur's greatest greif and I was dreadfully scared about what would happen. I then heard Arthur say that he had fallen in love with me. What a day! I dropped the bowl and ran from the vicinity until I heard the clang of the pot die down. I looked back and no one was there. I went to my chambers until I had to go to the great feast of victory. I sat on my father's right while Arthur on his left. I wore my favorite dress. It was yellow and it had lace arms. The hems of the dress were decorated with a complex design. Oh, how I loved my dress! All that evening I felt Arthur's gaze on me. Not to mention the icy stare of the wizard Merlin. His gaze made shivers run up and down my spine. After the feast I went straight to my bed chambers. The next day Arthur left and I was glad to have the stares, but I did feel a little... loveless. The days dragged on and then Merlin came back with forty men. "Guinevere, Arthur has asked for your hand in marriage," Merlin said. "I accept," I agreed quickly. The net few days were on the road and when we reached the castle a grand wedding was held. I felt like I was home. What else should a new Queen feel?

__**Chapter 5: Love and Death**__
For years I was happily wed to Arthur. It was like a dream. I felt so wonderful when I was with him. I helped with the round table my father had given Arthur. I always tried to cheer him up after he was so sullen. I always did. Then came Lancelot. Oh, what a knight. He was very nice and kind. He was brave too. I have to say he was handsome too. I often caught him gazing at me. I felt strange around him. He always caught my attention the most. One day he came up to me and said,"Guinevere, you are the most beautiful woman I ever saw," I was flattered of course. I then replied, "Thank you, Lancelot. But as you know I am a married woman." "I know. But I can't help myself anymore. I love you," he said. He took me into a dark room. You get the picture. After that I never spoke of it to Arthur, but he found out. Arthur was furious at Lancelot and Lancelot fled the city. I was punished for treason and Arthur was oh so heart broken and sullen he never seemed happy anymore. I was then given my punishment. I was to be burned to a crisp. But before I was burned Lancelot saved me. He took me to a secret place and two days later Arthur was killed in battle. I was released from my punishment and I went to Camesbury to become a nun. I succeeded that goal and when I did I felt like I had repaid my terrible debt to Arthur.

__//**The End**//__
After Guinevere became a nun she soon died. Some variations think she was buried with Arthur.

**THE TRAGIC AND MAGNIFICENT LIFE OF QUEEN GUINEVERE** //**by Hannah, Jessica & Mireille** //

 Queen Guinevere had a great, tragic, and interesting life. When she was young, an old fortune teller prophesied that she was destined to be King Arthur's wife, Ruler of Camelot. And so it happened: As a young woman, she loved hunting with her deceased mother's bow and arrow, but she was careful not to harm the mystical animals, like the unicorn. Even though she was forbidden to leave the castle grounds, she sneaked out. Her father found out, and tried to put a stop to her dangerous foolishness. However, daring Princess Guinevere fled to the woods to practice the sport she loved most. But on a day of fatefulness, war erupted on the kingdom. King Rion wanted to overthrow King Arthur and take the crown. He was fighting Guinevere's father, King Leodegrance, because King Rion wanted him to join in his invasion of Camelot. But since Leodegrance refused, he declared war on the Kingdom of Cameliard. Since Guinevere had been in the forest many times before, she begged her father to let her travel to Camelot on her horse to bring the message to Arthur. After much imploring, he finally granted permission for her to travel to Arthur's kingdom. She rode on horseback to him, and told the news of the battle. He went to Cameliard at once and with the help of his knights, vanquished Rion and his loyal army. King Arthur stayed overnight at Cameliard, and fell in love with Guinevere's beauty. He told Merlin of his admiration of Guinevere, but Merlin told him that if he married her he would one day be betrayed by her and someone he deeply trusts. Arthur's love for Guinevere was so strong that he took her as his wife in spite of this. They wed at once and were happily married, and Leodegrance gave him the round table as a gift. But everything fell apart when she betrayed him.

 For many years, Arthur and Guinevere were merrily wed. But soon, Lancelot, Arthur's most favored knight, was infatuated with her elegance. They had an affair that Arthur was unaware of for some time. In different stories the cause varies of how King Arthur that Arthur found out about the affair, but when he did he was distraught that the two people in his life had betrayed him beyond belief. Lancelot had fled the Kingdom, and Guinevere was charged with treason and sentenced to execution by being burned at the stake. Right before the flames caught and burned her to death, Lancelot rode on horseback, swept Guinevere off her feet, and saved her from her fate. King Arthur died in battle and the Golden Ages faced a tragic end.

 After Arthur's Death, Guinevere became a nun at Camesbury. It is said in some variations that when she died, Guinevere was buried with Arthur in his grave.

 **//The End//**