The Queen agreed. She felt that women had little power or say in relationships, and sought to establish a new paradigm of behaviour. Marriage was so often for land, or for money, or for power. Women should have some say in who they married, and ideally some love should even be involved! Knights loved going on quests. Perhaps a lady ought to announce a quest to marry her, and then only someone who met the criteria that the lady had set would achieve matrimony. Sir Amren, the leader of the Queen's Knights, agreed, and helped them plot as well, for he was dedicated to the service of True Love.
Elspeth, Guinevere and Amren devised a quest of three goals. Elspeth valued intelligence over martial ability, and so she decided that her quest should consist of three challenges. To win, her suitors would first have to riddle out what the challenges meant. The challenges were these:
- To show something that had never before been seen in court.
- To disdain Elspeth's enemy before the court.
- In honour of Sir Fflergant, to perform an act of 'noble brigandry'.
There were many who showed up for the challenge. After all, the lady was getting on in years, but she was still passing fair and possessed of lands. More to the point, however, she was friends with the High Queen, and the winner would surely enjoy royal patronage. But many were confused by the nature of the quests. Some tried to invent new dances or new songs for her. Some declared their intention to raid the Saxons, declaring them her enemy. One even went to hassle Svenhildr, believing her Elspeth's rival (and was immediately disqualified!) One poor knight declared that his act of Noble Brigandry was that he had stolen Elspeth's heart, sending her into a fit of laughter.
The front runner was Sir Thomas, a minor knight. He performed a new song before court, disparaged the Saxons who were still holding out against the Crown, and presented jewelry won from a haunted barrow to Lady Elspeth. This fulfilled all of her tasks, although she was not wildly impressed by any of his answers. Sir Donna, Elspeth's older sister, didn't trust the man - she felt that he simply wanted to get closer to Guinevere. However, he was the only knight who had succeeded at all three quests. Reluctantly, Lady Elspeth knew that she would have to declare him the victor and marry him.
Then there was an announcement! A pageant would be performed: "The Court of Faerie." Well, it would take her mind off the failure of the quest. However, the pageant turned out to be something amazing. It was a play, more like the ancient Greek comedies than the modern religious mystery plays. Elspeth's young daughters Ella and Bette were featured in it as fairies. The Court of Faerie was a very clever satire of Arthur's court, featuring hilarious but not unkind parodies of the King and Queen, and many of the top knights. However, it completely skewered Sir Thomas, revealing him as a two-faced, deceitful fop, who was toying with Elspeth's affections, and who had lied about his quest.
Sir Thomas was humiliated before the court. He tried to sabotage the play, and was knocked out by Sir Donna, who was waiting backstage for him. King Arthur requested that the author of this pageant be brought forward: a young and landless man, nobly born but of no wealth or fame. His name was Dagonet, and he sought Elspeth's hand for her sake. He had fulfilled the quest admirably: he had delivered a new type of theatre, destroyed the reputation of the lying Sir Thomas, and stolen Elspeth's children to help with the play. Sir Donna revealed also that young Dagonet had approached her for help: alone of the questers, Dagonet had done the research. King Arthur knighted Dagonet on the spot, and declared him his Chief Jester, in charge of the entertainments henceforth. Elspeth acknowledged that he had won the quest, and Guinevere promised them a grand wedding in Spring!
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