#camelotposting

“Lancelot.” He stopped in his tracks. Galehaut, with his voice so deep, often sounded serious without meaning to. This was not one of those times. “There is something I need to tell you.” Slowly, Lancelot turned. “What is it?” Galehaut remained silent, his gaze downcast. Lancelot stepped toward him, taking one of the half-giant’s hands between both of his own. “Gentle heart,” he said softly, “tell me.”

ask me about arthuriana!

LITERALLY GWENEVERE LMAO

probably THE classic example of proxy fuck, GENUINELY. it's most evident in t.h. white's the once and future king, where it's subtext so strong that it's BARELY short of just being text, and in mzb's (may her name be erased) the mists of avalon it actually straight up is just text. i would also argue that the implication exists as far back as chretien de troyes' writings, that motherfucker was NOT subtle, and i DO think he was laughing to himself the whole time about it. "ohohoho, they believe his adoration is for the queen, for their understanding of courtly love is insufficient to grasp my true design!!! ohohoho!!!! malevolent french laughing!!!!!!"

for a lot of the other classic stories (le morte d'arthur, the vulgate/lancelot-grail cycle, etc) they can absolutely have queer readings of them where lancelot's affection/obession/derangement for gwenevere is deferred derangement for arthur, but i don't think those were the intentions of those works at the time. those are modern readings. but i like those modern readings. i think they work! i think they're using the original building blocks of the stories to add more color and texture, and they're an interesting way to read and interpret how the ideal of courtly love clashes against the reality and how human psychology ultimately deconstructs it.

but in the once and future king and the mists of avalon, those are intended readings. in both of those works it's basically spelled out that lancelot is in love with arthur. in the former, he does also have genuine feelings for gwen, but in the latter it's basically all displaced love for arthur. which is insane. he's insane for that. he's insane for a lot of things but especially for that. "can't fuck my best friend so i'll fuck his wife instead and think about him the whole time, resulting in the destruction of everything he has ever worked for in his entire life? this is a plan without flaw nor any possibility of error!!!!!"

“Galahad,” Arthur said, and as he always did when his true name was said, Lancelot listened a little more closely. “I fear you, sometimes.”

Lancelot said nothing, only nodded. That made sense to him.

But it didn’t to Arthur. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

Lancelot looked at him. “Should it?”

“Generally, it bothers one to be feared by his friends.”

“I am sure that, generally, it does.” The knight shrugged. “But I am fearsome. To be feared is natural.”

“I wonder, sometimes,” Arthur said, stepping closer, “if you aren’t really human at all. If you’re a thing wearing human shape.”

For the first time that night, Lancelot met his king’s eyes, met that brilliant blue. “You know that I am,” he said softly.

“That you’re what? Human, or not?”

oh you're so right hans WOULD love tristan............ archer, musician, loves poetry, yeah it all fucking fits. god. of COURSE hans would like the most annoying knight of the round table LMAO

i've had to calculate shit and like. bc of the square cube law. galehaut would weigh circa 900 pounds. his armor would weigh circa 350 pounds. he would have to have a fucking crane help him put his armor on. he wouldn't be able to ride a horse because he'd crush it to death. he would not fit through normal doorways. he would have to stoop and slouch in normal-sized rooms because he'd be taller than their ceilings. he wouldn't fit in ordinary stairwells even a little bit, and even if he somehow managed to make it up stairs he would probably collapse through the floor immediately. galehaut is a logistical nightmare.