Prologue: The banquet after the tourney.

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The game started almost from the point we left off last time. The evening of the banquet. Everybody had some things to do before the party itself, so, let’s start. Lady Veronica went to see her mother on behalf of her sister. She discussed the Black Knight and his family’s reputed loose morals and asked her mother to assign a chaperone to young Vanessa. She found out that her cousin Nicholas Mountbatten would be Vanessa’s date and protect her virtue from the lecherous Black Knight. Veronica also found out that her parents intended Vanessa and Nicholas to become engaged in the future as well as their despair concerning her own marriage prospects.

Sir Aran spent time with his liege, discussing the tourney and his lord’s loss to the Black Knight. Then moved to join the banquet as a part of his lord’s entourage.

Sir Richard attempted o mend the bridge with his uncle Eustace with the aid of the ever-loyal Duckworh. He decided to give his uncle an old encyclopaedia as a gift in addition to the ransom money he intended to give for his lost armour. Richard’s gift was met with a positive reacyion as is his payment. Uncle Eustace responds to Richard’s olive branch by inviting him to enter he banquet with his uncl as part of his entourage, which Richard gracefully accepts. All seems to be on the mend between uncle and nephew.

Veronica follows her cousin’s example and goes to pay her ransom to cousin Nicholas who unhorsed her in the tourney. Nicholas is surprised but accepts the ransom and then asks what is Vanessa’s favourite flower, thus making it clear that marriage between them is in the works.

Then everyone moves to the banquet hall to enjoy a delicious meal, society and some dancing. There are many honorary guests from the Church as well as the Guild and House Hawkwood. Young Vanessa is the Queen of the tourney and is safely in the company of cousin Nicholas. The Black Knight, aka sir Henry Lowell, is seated opposite lady Veronica and is doing his very best, or worst to get into her panties. His less than subtle innuendo only gets more vulgar as the night progresses. Young Vanessa gives longing looks in the Black Knight’s direction and Veronica and Richard both notice this.

Sir Richard catches up with his family, since he has been away with Veronica for the last year. Sir Aran and his liege enjoy the offerings of the banquet table when he celebrations are abruptly interrupted by the grand entrance of Princess Carolandra and her entourage. Carolandra and Udoro have a short and uncomfortable exchange, at the end of which Carolandra and her entourage are given an extension at the banquet table. As the smarmy Black Knight goes to fetch some wine for Veronica, she and Richard go to pay their respects to the Princess.

Carolandra’s entourage included: a hooded confessor, three knights; sir Joaquin, dame Diana and dame Perla as well as baronet James Justinian and Carolandra’s loyal young squire Anna.

While they do this the slippery Knight has gotten young Vanessa into a dance and Veronica is alarmed. Carolandra reveals that the knight has spiked her wineglass with booze. While Veronica flounders Richard flies into action and cuts in on young Vanessa and the Black Knight, thus ending their dance. The Knight comes back to the table to toast with Veronica, who has switched the two wineglasses so that the Black Knight had the spiked one. Veronica and Richard proceed to get the Black Knight drunk and they succeed.

When the Black Knight is suitably hammered, Richard arranges for him to be sent to his tent to sleep it off. Meanwhile Veronica is whisked away to the dance floor by sir Brendan Adams, the Phienix Knight, who was unhorsed in the first round of the tourney. Toward the end of the evening veronica attempts to protect Vanessa’s virtue from sir Nicholas, but he assures her that his intentions are honourable and Veronica leaves her protests at that.

Richard tells his father Reginald about his epic cockblocking and they discuss the Black Knight’s victory as well as Richard’s future marriage prospects. Reginald suggests that Richard consider his date for the evening dame Steinfurst, would be exellent marriage material because she is a virtual battleaxe of a woman. Richard spends some time getting to know dame Steinfurst a bit better and he and the good dame decide that it would be a good idea if she practices with the good Black Knight early the following morning, so that his skills do not become rusty.

A man enters the banquethall and both the servants and Richard are unsure whether he is a vagabond or an Escatonist as he appears to be. It turns out that he is brother Godmund who is looking for his protégé sister Meori. Richard proceeds to take him to her and the game ends with a small cliffhanger, as we are yet to find out what brother Godmund has to tell.

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