there is scratching in the woods. they tell you it is the questing beast. you’ve never seen the questing beast. you don’t even know what it is.
a knight introduces himself. he is a cousin of gawain. you have never heard of him, but no one thinks anything of it.
there is something wrong with the lake. everyone whispers that there is something wrong with the lake. no one will say what.
everyone keeps telling you the queen is the beautiful woman in the world, but you can’t get past her eyes. they are dead.
there are footsteps in the hall. there are always footsteps in the hall. there are not always people.
you have never seen the king. some say he is the man in velvet. some say he is a war hero. some say he is a sad old man. he is a roman, someone tells you. another one insists angrily that he is a knight. a third says he is gone.
no one sits in one of the chairs at the round table. you ask if you can sit down. a knight crosses himself.
you are on a horse. you can’t remember how long you’ve been riding. “where are we going?” you ask. “on a quest.” it is always a quest.
the queen is no longer the most beautiful woman in the world. there is another girl, under the pavilion in the forest. her eyes are black.
the red coat of arms on the back of a chair has been removed. there is a different coat of arms, now, and a new knight sits. no one remembers the old one.
castle carbonek is beautiful, they tell you, but be careful. you see a door cracked open. the light that streams through blinds you.
you are speaking with a woman who insists she is elaine, but you know better. elaine was a different woman yesterday. all the women are elaine.
you see a telescope in the castle. you are confused. you have never seen anything like it, but they insist it has been here since the time of the romans.
one of the knights is missing. you ask what has happened, but all anyone will tell you is that it was a fit of madness. he is back the next day.
there is blood on the rose bushes outside the queen’s window. they are trampled.
everyone wears black in may. you ask why everyone is wearing black. no one answers.
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