The Queen of Air and Darkness

Chapter 1
Vocabulary: Piseog, nigromancer
Brief Summary
Four boys telling the story of Uther and Igrain. They think Merlyn is evil, Queen Morgause practices minor magic (boils black cat). Her 4 sons hate all Pendragon’s including Arthur.

Chapter 2
Brief Summary
Merlyn and Arthur talk about the battle and Merlyn makes Arthur realize how messed up some parts of chivalry are. “Might is Right”, Arthur realizes is not a good way of thinking.

Chapter 3
Brief Summary
Kay is very interested in learning more about Queen Morgause and her life and asks Merlyn several questions about her, Arthur instead asks Merlyn about races and Merlyn explains the differences between races and why some of them hate each other, because of the Normans conquered the “old ones” they are going to rebel.

Chapter 4
Brief Summary
Merlyn, Kay, and Arthur are debating when it is right or wrong to start a war and who the aggressor is in different situations. Arthur asks Merlyn to tell him all about King Lot of Orkney. Merlyn talks about how some noblemen fight for fun while others fight for real reasons such as race.

Chapter 5
Brief Summary
The four boys are at Mother Morlan’s house hearing a story from St. Toirdealbhach. The boys like fighting and wars and stuff of that sort. St. Toirdealbhach does not so he kicks the boys out. The boys find two donkeys and beat them on the purpose of hurting them which they do not achieve and then they see a magical barge with three knights in it. The knights were King Pellinore, Sir Grummore, and Sir Palomides. When the knights arrive all the townspeople of Orkney gather around them and stare at them.

Chapter 6
Brief Summary
Everything is being prepared for battle; Arthur summons Merlyn, Kay and Sir Ector to talk about changing chivalry. Arthur is determined to change the common belief that “Might is Right” and channel all the might to DO right.

Chapter 7
Brief Summary
King Pellinore is in love with the princess of Flanders, Queen Morgause sends the knights to hunt a unicorn and she volunteers to be the virgin bait. The boys decide to also hunt a unicorn so they use a kitchen maid as their bait but it was against her will. They decide to not kill the unicorn, just to lead it back home to their mother but when the unicorn arrives they are all stunned by its beauty and elegance and Agravaine kills it. The only one of the boys who cries is Gareth. After attempting to butcher the unicorn, the boys decide to cut off its head to take to their mother. Since they are too small to carry it they end up dragging it and ruining it. When they reach home they try to show her but she doesn’t pay attention to them and when she finally does notice she has them whipped because she had spent all day trying to catch one and was unsuccessful.

Chapter 8
Brief Summary
Description of the tents in which the knights stay during times of war. Arthur, Kay, Merlyn and Sir Ector discuss having a round table for their new chivalry knights. Merlyn reveals to Arthur that he is going to marry Guenever, daughter of King Leodragance. Kay and Arthur plan an annual feast for their future Knights of the Round Table, and Kay and Merlyn fight about whether or not it is ok to start a war even if it’s for a good reason.

Chapter 9
Vocabulary: Joculator, ogham
Brief Summary
Sir Grummore and Sir Palomides decide to dress up as the Questing Beast to cheer up King Pellinore. The Queen decides to hate the knights and love her boys which she did not pay attention to before. Description of the old ones castle.

Chapter 10
Brief Summary
Merlyn has something to tell Arthur but he does not remember what it is, he tells Arthur a story about how you cannot run away from destiny and also tells him that in the future they will be back and what will be written on Arthur’s tombstone.

Chapter 11
Brief Summary
King Pellinore goes for a walk and finds Sir Grummore and Sir Palomides on a cliff with the Questing Beast behind them. They tell King Pellinore that the beast has fallen in love with them. Sir Grummore and Sir Palomides want King Pellinore to go up there and finally kill the Questing Beast but King Pellinore refuses. King Pellinore holds onto the Questing Beasts tail and Sir Grummore and Sir Palomides make a run for it, the Questing Beast bites King Pellinore because she wants to go after her love and she gets away from him, she follows them to the castle but the drawbridge is risen before she can get in. King Pellinore is then found by his love, Piggy and they decide to get married as soon as they get back home, St. Toirdealbhach and Mother Morlan are going to also get married. Finally after their long stay in Orkney, the three knights are finally accepted.

Chapter 12
Brief Summary
The battle is to begin; Arthur takes it seriously unlike King Lot who is just doing it to get ransoms from captured knights and for the fun of killing serfs. Arthur thinks about how he should attack and decides that since he is clearly out numbered 3 to 1, that he should attack at night when no one is expecting it, also he is concentrating on getting the leaders instead of just the serfs and knights. King Lot thinks he can out smart Arthur and he tries to split the army so one half can rest while the other fights but what he does not realize is that Arthur had the French Kings Ban and Bors in the forest waiting for King Lot. King Lot is ambushed. Arthur wins.

Chapter 13
Brief Summary
King Pellinore is going back home to marry Piggy, the Questing Beast is still besieging the castle when Merlyn appears and sees what is happening, Sir Grummore and Sir Palomides tell Merlyn what is happening and Merlyn tells them to talk to the Questing Beast and tell her of the mistake, that does not work so Merlyn suggests that they psycho-analyze her, they do their best and she understands, she stops besieging the castle and falls in love with Sir Palomides. Merlyn continues on his Northern Walking Tour. Queen Morgause is going to go to Carlion with her boys to King Pellinore and Piggy’s wedding but the only reason that she wants to go is so she can see Arthur and make him fall in love with her by magic.

Chapter 14
Brief Summary
Sir Grummore, Sir Palomides, Queen Morgause, her sons, King Pellinore, Piggy, St. Toirdealbhach, Mother Morlan, the Questing Beast and several others are going to Carlion for the double wedding (King Pellinore and Piggy, St. Toirdealbhach and Mother Morlan), all of the old ones wave to them goodbye as they leave Orkney. Description of Carlion and the wedding, Merlyn remembers that what he wanted to tell Arthur was the name of his mother, Igraine. Queen Morgause and Arthur are half brothers but do not know it. Queen Morgause casts a spell on Arthur causing him to fall in love with her and they have a baby boy named Mordred.

~*~ Thoughts ~*~
1. In the beginning Morgause does not pay attention to her sons whatsoever but later on she changes her mind and starts loving her sons.
2. Arthur’s vision for the Round Table Knights is based on how he wants to change chivalry so that is actually helps people instead of empowering knights. These Knights of the Round Table are to be more humane and kind than the knights that base their thoughts on ‘Might is Right’.
3.King Pellinore is now in love and to be married to Piggy which causes him to hand over the Questing Beast to Sir Palomides, whom the Questing Beast is in love with.
4.I have noticed that Gareth is more sensitive than the others, Agravaine is a smart mouth and very attached to his mother, Gawaine is very proud of his family, and Gaheris is not mentioned very much so I cannot decipher his character.
5. The Spancel, in my opinion, is acquired in a very disturbing way although as a tool it is very useful for Queen Morgause’s plans.