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And so the word went out across the land that in these troubled times with the King crusading in far off lands, the queen desired a champion. As bedraggled and maligned a knight as I am, I rode off to join the swelling ranks of challengers for the title. For what else had I remaining in my town struck by plague and I the only survivor? I the first laid low, the sworn protector of this town who lay in delirium while those around me died of that same sickness. I the defender of this town who lay hidden in debris while villians sacked and pillaged what remained. I who sat weeping shamefacedly as the fwe other survivors starved to because their knight had failed them. Crippled by a foe that none could ever hope to conquer, scarred and weary still I fought on. I will not assail you with tales of my travels, nor of the battles hard fought with others more worthy than I of their titles. Only shall I say that I persevered and by some divine miracle was victorious.

I must confess to remembering not much of scenery, nor color, nor sound for the events that followed the pomp and circumstances surrounding the naming of the champion were of such magnitude that all else has been forgotten. I found myself kneeling below the queen's sword and in that moment my old life ended and a new one began.

Gone were the doubts that had plagued me, the fears that had crippled me. Gone were the old bonds formed of servitude and debt. Wiped away were the frustration and self loathing and the guilt engraved upon my heart. In that moment new bonds were formed not of woven fiber nor forged steel and yet stronger than both. Bonds of hope and determination, of duty and honor and dare I say love? Around my heart and soul they were placed not by my queen's command but by my free will and offered to her in the hope that I would be found worthy.

And in that moment I wept unashamed, and seeing my tears the queen was confused. She bade me not weep and wiped the tears away with her own hand. I swore to her then and there to defend her to my last breath, to fight until the last beat of my heart, to stand with her against the dark forces that had cursed our souls until the very last drop of my had been shed. And to love her beyond even that . She lifted my head and bade me look upon her. And in that gaze returned I saw that although she was queen and would ne'r be mine that she understood and accepted my vows, and by some miracle found me worthy.

So one tale ends and so begins another...