The Bright Ages by Matthew Gabriele

Author:Matthew Gabriele
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2021-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

A Radiant White Hind with the Antlers of a Stag

The hind walked quietly with its fawn. Its body was stunning, covered in gleaming white hair, with a towering rack of antlers that leaped from its head. The verdant green of the forest contrasted with the dazzling whiteness of the animal.

But, suddenly, red.

The arrow struck the hind’s forehead, felling it, but not before the arrow rebounded toward the archer. Struck by his own shot in the thigh, he cried out in pain and fell from his horse, landing next to the mortally wounded deer.

The deer then spoke.

It called out a curse upon the archer, saying that he would never be cured of his wound until he found “a woman who will suffer for your love more pain and anguish than any other woman has ever known.” The archer, Guigemar, was shocked—though not by the talking white female deer that nonetheless had male antlers and couldn’t be pierced by an arrow. No, he was shocked to hear that he might ever find a woman who would love him that much.

Resolving not to die before he found this woman, Guigemar set out, found a magic boat with a bed on it, and decided to rest there (as you do). While asleep, the boat set sail of its own accord and took him to a secluded tower with walls covered in murals depicting classical scenes and references to the classical poet Ovid. In this tower was a young wife who had been locked away by her cruel (much) older husband.

Discovering Guigemar, she took pity and nursed him back to health. They of course fell in love almost instantly and he finally “received relief” from the “wound in his thigh” when they confessed that love to each another and engaged in “the final act, which others are accustomed to enjoy.” (This is a story about sex, if that was unclear up until now.)

Somehow, Guigemar stayed in the tower hidden away from the lady’s husband for a year and a half. But when their adulterous relationship was finally discovered by the husband, Guigemar was forced back onto the magic boat and pushed off to sea. Before he embarked once again toward home, his lover tied a knot in his shirt’s tailpiece, and he, in turn, fastened a belt around her loins. They encouraged each other to love whoever could undo the knot or unfasten the belt that ensured their chastity.

While separated they pined for each other, until one day the boat magically reappeared at the tower and the woman escaped, only to be captured as soon as she washed ashore—this time by another knight who asked for her love. She showed him the belt, but he couldn’t undo it. Unsure of how to proceed, he decided it best to imprison her, and kept her locked up until one day the knight called a tournament to which Guigemar (conveniently) showed up. The woman recognized Guigemar immediately and undid his knotted shirt. Perhaps a bit slow on the uptake, Guigemar himself wasn’t convinced it was her until he saw her belt and undid it.

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