Pendragon's Heir (62 page)
Authors: Suzannah Rowntree
†
Gareth
: The third son of Orkney, husband of Lynet.
Lynet
: Wife of Gareth and sister of Lyonesse.
†
Agravain
: The fourth son of Orkney.
T
HE
H
OUSE OF
G
ORE
King Uriens of Gore
: The King of Gore and husband of Morgan.
Morgan
, commonly surnamed le Fay: Half-sister of Arthur. Estranged wife of Uriens, to whom she bore two sons. Queen of Gore.
†
Ywain
: The elder son of Gore.
†
Mordred
: The younger son of Gore.
T
HE
H
OUSE OF
B
RITTANY
King Ban of Brittany
: Father of Bors and Ector de Maris. Uncle of Lancelot, Blamor, and Bleoberis.
†
Lancelot of the Lake
: Foster son of Nimue. Champion of Guinevere. Father of Galahad.
†
Galahad
: Son of Lancelot and Elaine of Carbonek.
†
Bors
: Cousin of Lancelot.
†
Lionel, Blamor, Bleoberis, Ector de Maris
: Cousins of Lancelot.
Author's Note
Dr George Grant has said of
The Song of Roland
that it is both entirely fictional, and more truthful than most history books filled with carefully verified facts. “Indeed, its true lies tell us much about ourselves, our world, and the shaping of Western Civilization that we might not otherwise know.”
One might say the same of the body of legends known today as the Arthurian legendarium, or the Matter of Britain. Today scholars continue to debate the actual existence of the man whose adventures have come down to us in this form. Was there a real Arthur? Was he Roman in origin, or Celtic, or something else? What exactly did he do—unify feuding chieftains, build an army of warriors, or defeat Saxon invaders? About the only thing we
can
know for certain about the historical Arthur, if there was one, is that all the most well-known stories about him are certainly fictional. He cannot, in the fifth or sixth century, have known anything of the knightly code of chivalry, the technology, or the courtly love tradition that flourished from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, during which most of the great medieval Arthurian romances were penned.
My aim in
Pendragon’s Heir
is not so much to use the Arthurian legends to construct something new, or to provide a faithful picture of any particular historical time, as it is to go back to the original Middle-English ballads and romances to demonstrate for my generation something of the purpose those original tales might have had for theirs. Accordingly, I have done precious little research into historical or any other kind of fact, for which I can give only a half-hearted apology. My focus has not been on fact and history, but on fiction, philosophy, and ideals; not on what the medievals
did
, but on what they
thought
, what they believed, and above anything else what they hoped to leave as a legacy to future generations. I hope that this story, however imperfect, has helped you to understand some of those dreams and ideals, partly because of their beauty, and partly because, to the medievals, those dreams and ideals were more important and more solid than anything else in the world.
In the ten years during which I tweaked, refined, and occasionally wrote
Pendragon’s Heir
, I received a great deal of help from a great many people. Thanks to Lorraine Black for lending me the story that started it all. Thanks to Rebekah White for critiquing Draft 1, to Alina White, Kate Saunders Britton, and Rosemary Williams for critiquing Drafts 2 and 3, to Schuyler McConkey and Christina Baehr for critiquing Draft 4, and to Elisabeth Grace Foley, David Noor, and Joshua Grubb for critiquing Draft 5. Thanks to my line editor, Sophia Field, and to my illustrator, Isaac Botkin, who also designed the drop caps, tweaked the cover design, and provided encouraging feedback. It has been a privilege to work with all of you.
I’m greatly indebted to Dr George Grant for the
Christendom
lecture series, Josephine Tey for
The Daughter of Time
, Roger Lancelyn Green for
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
, Charles Williams for
All Hallows’ Eve
and the
Arthurian Torso
, Christine de Pisan for
The Treasury of the City of Ladies
, Sir Thomas Malory for
Le Morte D’Arthur
, Saint Augustine for
The City of God
, and GK Chesterton for everything.
Dad and Mum and all my brothers and sisters, my debt to you is too great to be expressed on the back page of a sensational novel.
To all of you who gave me encouragement, friendship, help, and reproof over the years, I thank you. By investing in this author, you have invested in this book.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Suzannah Rowntree
February, 2015
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Books by Suzannah Rowntree
The Rakshasa’s Bride
Preeti Kamla has the evil eye. It’s the only explanation for the tragedy and disgrace besetting her once wealthy family. But when a handsome stranger in the village square tells her he has broken her curse, Preeti almost believes him. Until a twist of fate whisks her away from everything she knows, and the gruesome Demon Rajah claims her as his bride. A rich and romantic retelling of
Beauty and the Beast
in the style of a Bollywood epic. Novella, approximately 18,000 words.
The Prince of Fishes
In Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, poverty-stricken Michael the Fisherman and his wife Eudokia dream of a better life for their family. When Michael catches a fish that is able to grant wishes, he and Eudokia finally get their chance to taste the wealth and power of their wildest dreams. But will their ambition destroy the city and cost them everything they hold dear? An epic clockpunk retelling of the Grimms’ fairytale
The Fisherman and His Wife
, set against the theological turmoil and imperial grandeur of 700s Byzantium. Novella, approximately 33,000 words.
The Bells of Paradise
Only a madman would go into Faerie of his own accord.
The one thing John the blacksmith loves more than his peaceful, hardworking life in Middleton Dale is the tailor’s free-spirited daughter Janet. But unlike John, Janet dreams of adventure beyond the Dale. And when her dreams lead her into Faerie to be captured by a dangerous witch, John realises he must dare the perilous realm of the Lordly Folk to free his bride. A poignant and profound retelling of the Grimms’ fairytale Jorinda and Joringel, set in the fantastical realms of Elizabethan folklore. Novella, approximately 25,000 words.
Non-Fiction
The Epic of Reformation: A Guide to the Faerie Queene
War Games: Classic Fiction for the Christian Life
About the Author
When Suzannah Rowntree isn’t travelling the world to help out friends in need, she lives in a big house in rural Australia with her awesome parents and siblings, trying to beat her previous number-of-books-read-in-a-year record. She blogs the results at
Vintage Novels
and is the author of both fiction and non-fiction.
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