She had eyes the colour of onyx
her skin was milky white
With hair like the legend Rapunzel,
its shade the black of night ~
Her beauty and her spirit
like a filly no one had tamed
The Lady, in her loveliness
Guinevere was her name.
She had come betrothed to Arthur
King of this fair land
"Camelot" was his kingdom
which he powerfully ran ~
With nothing much to offer him
except the love within her heart
She promised him forever,
a gift she did impart.
She knew only one way to love a man
Guinevere told the King
And with her body, heart and soul
she would give herself to him ~
A promise she had meant to keep
deep within her soul
For the gift of her true love
would be one that made her whole.
One day a man who was a wanderer
came to Camelot
He carried no riches with him
though a peasant he was not ~
His sword was his one possession
but he was not a knight;
Then he saw the Lady Guinevere
with her skin of milky white.
For days he watched this beauty
in all her loveliness
Dressed in her royal robes
with style and finesse ~
Knowing from this moment that
she's the one who haunts his dreams,
The woman he would die for
whether she was or not, a queen.
Then one day a plan had been set
by an evil mastermind
To kidnap the Lady of Camelot
so a treaty could be signed ~
Giving him control of the lands
so he could then be king,
All-powerful and abundant,
and they'd all bow down to him.
But this man saw what happened
so he set out after them
To save the Lady Guinevere
and the future of the Kingdom ~
Armed with only his sword and honour
as his duty to the King
He fought with strength and courage,
they could not defeat him.
Then with the swiftest movement
he rescued Guinevere
Disappearing into the forest
he got her out of there ~
Shaken from her ordeal
he had felt no fear
As he took her in his arms
and kissed away her tears.
She looked into his eyes
and felt something from within
Stir deep inside her
as he touched her milky skin ~
Embraced within the passion
as a sigh escaped her lips
Forgetting everything around her
she surrendered to his kiss.
Regaining her composure
she asked "Who are you?"
"I am your humble servant
and you are my love so true ~
I am smitten by your beauty,
my name is Lancelot,
But you are betrothed to another,
King Arthur of Camelot."
She felt an ache within her heart
as she nodded "It is true,
I am to marry the King
on a midsummer's afternoon" ~
And as Lancelot embraced her,
he said "My Lady Guinevere,
Tell me what your heart desires
as we lay together here."
She looked into his eyes, and said
"What has happened here
Can never happen ever again"
as she silently shed a tear ~
"I'm sorry, my dear Lancelot,
but soon I shall be wed,
And I cannot take your love with me
unto the King's bed."
"Tell me, Lady Guinevere,
that you don't love me,
Tell me what you would do
if you were truly free?"
"I am free to choose who I love
and I chose to love the King!
I chose to marry him for love,
and not for any other thing!"
"My apologies if I offended you,
I'm sorry," said Lancelot
"I will take you back to the King,
back home to Camelot" ~
And as they rode in silence
Guinevere felt in her heart
That her marriage to the King
would one day fall apart.
The King was relieved to see her
God had answered his faithful prayer
And brought her safely back to him,
his lovely Guinevere ~
And Lancelot was rewarded
for his brave efforts that night
He was invited to the Round Table
and there he was made a Knight.
But Guinevere, she was shattered,
she didn't want him there
For every time she was alone
he was always there ~
She pleaded with him to leave her
and said that she didn't love him
But he still continued to "haunt" her
long after she married the King.
"Lancelot, you are one of the King's knights
and I am now his Queen,
Please forget that day in the forest,
it's a long-forgotten dream" ~
But Lancelot looked at her with sadness
as he gently took her hand
"Guinevere, I truly love you,
I wish you'd understand."
She put her hand to his face
and said "I know you do,
But please, you must forget me
or it will destroy you" ~
He closed his eyes and kissed her hand
then said, "My darling Guinevere,
Today I am leaving Camelot,
for I cannot remain here."
Her eyes slowly filled with tears
as she touched his face
Succuming once more to his kiss
in the warmth of his embrace ~
When the door of her chambers opens
and there stood the King
With a look of sheer devastation
he turned and walked out again.
The King who had trusted nobody
had trusted his Guinevere
And now she had betrayed him
as he shed his silent tears ~
They will be tried for treason
under Camelot's law,
For this betrayal of trust to him
he could not ignore.
But as they were gathered in the Courtyard
the trial about to begin
The man with evil intentions
demanded the King bow down to him ~
As Arthur stood to his feet
and looked at his Guinevere
He knew the end was about to come
but still he felt no fear.
With a look a surprise
he felt a pain within his chest
And as he closed his tear-filled eyes
with the memory of her kiss ~
Guinevere, his lovely Guinevere
with a spirit in her eyes
He'll never forget her love for him
as he then gave up his life.
Guinevere mourned for her husband
she thought she would surely die
Her punishment for loving
the man who had saved her life ~
And now to pay for her crimes
the Queen of Camelot
Turned away from her heart
and her love for Lancelot.
She had eyes the colour of onyx
and skin of milky white
And so the legend tells it
she had loved a knight ~
She was the fairest of all maidens
whose story brings a tear
And so with body, heart and soul
died the love of Guinevere.
© Christina
20th January, 2003
