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Description
The first meeting of King Arthur and Guinevere, based on the description of that scene from the Prose Merlin. It's such a sweet scene, I wanted to illustrate it.
Everyone always talks about the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot, but the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere is just as interesting.
They met when they were very young, actually. Arthur became king when he was about 15, and had to spend some time fighting off barons who refused to serve a boy king. At some point he went to help his ally, King Leodegrance, against attack from the Saxons, I think. During this, Leodegrance is captured, then rescued by Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. At the ensuing celebration, there Arthur meets Leodegrance's daughter, Guinevere, for the first time.

"And the maiden that was the doughter of Kynge Leodogan served Arthur upon
her kne of wyne with hir fader cuppe. ... Than the mayden profered hym the cuppe and seide,
"Sir, drynke, and displese yow not though I clepe yow not be youre name; and be
ye not abaisshed at youre sopere, for at armes ye do not faile at no nede, and well
it shewed this day where ye were beholden of five thousand that nothynge yow
dide knowe but by sight."
And he turned and seide, "Feire lady, with goode will, and gramercy of youre
servyse. And God graunte me power that I may yow this guerdon yelde." "Sir,"
seide she, "ye have quyte it double more than I may deserve, for ye have rescued
my lorde my fader, ye and youre companye, that was amonge so many of his
enmyes that ledde hym to prison." And he satte stille withoute ansuere. "And,"
quod the lady, "was ther moche more, for here before the yates at the brigge-foote
ye shewed well sembelant that it yow greved, and that ye were sory for his anoye
theras he was unhorsed amonge his enmyes and his horse under hym slayn. For
ye slow hym that hym dide overthrowe, and ye youreself were in aventure of deth
hym to rescuen, and so wele ye dide that thei were fayn to leve the feelde."
Thus spake the doughter of Kynge Leodogan to Arthur, but he spake no worde
agein but toke the cuppe and dranke with goode will and after comaunded the
mayden to arise, for to longe hadde she kneled" -- Prose Merlin

Basically, Guinevere comes in with the other ladies to serve food, and brings Arthur her father's cup, and praises his valor in the recent battle. He thanks her and says he hope he can repay her, and she says he already has many times over, by rescuing her father, risking his life in the process. He takes the cup and drinks and tell her to stand up and stop kneeling. (this is a very paraphrased summary).
Anyway, that's the scene. I enjoyed drawing them, so you may see more of them soon!

Pensil sketch cleaned up in photoshop.

Edit: now in color! jesterbells.deviantart.com/art…

Description
The first meeting of King Arthur and Guinevere, based on the description of that scene from the Prose Merlin. It's such a sweet scene, I wanted to illustrate it.
Everyone always talks about the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot, but the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere is just as interesting.
They met when they were very young, actually. Arthur became king when he was about 15, and had to spend some time fighting off barons who refused to serve a boy king. At some point he went to help his ally, King Leodegrance, against attack from the Saxons, I think. During this, Leodegrance is captured, then rescued by Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. At the ensuing celebration, there Arthur meets Leodegrance's daughter, Guinevere, for the first time.

"And the maiden that was the doughter of Kynge Leodogan served Arthur upon
her kne of wyne with hir fader cuppe. ... Than the mayden profered hym the cuppe and seide,
"Sir, drynke, and displese yow not though I clepe yow not be youre name; and be
ye not abaisshed at youre sopere, for at armes ye do not faile at no nede, and well
it shewed this day where ye were beholden of five thousand that nothynge yow
dide knowe but by sight."
And he turned and seide, "Feire lady, with goode will, and gramercy of youre
servyse. And God graunte me power that I may yow this guerdon yelde." "Sir,"
seide she, "ye have quyte it double more than I may deserve, for ye have rescued
my lorde my fader, ye and youre companye, that was amonge so many of his
enmyes that ledde hym to prison." And he satte stille withoute ansuere. "And,"
quod the lady, "was ther moche more, for here before the yates at the brigge-foote
ye shewed well sembelant that it yow greved, and that ye were sory for his anoye
theras he was unhorsed amonge his enmyes and his horse under hym slayn. For
ye slow hym that hym dide overthrowe, and ye youreself were in aventure of deth
hym to rescuen, and so wele ye dide that thei were fayn to leve the feelde."
Thus spake the doughter of Kynge Leodogan to Arthur, but he spake no worde
agein but toke the cuppe and dranke with goode will and after comaunded the
mayden to arise, for to longe hadde she kneled" -- Prose Merlin

Basically, Guinevere comes in with the other ladies to serve food, and brings Arthur her father's cup, and praises his valor in the recent battle. He thanks her and says he hope he can repay her, and she says he already has many times over, by rescuing her father, risking his life in the process. He takes the cup and drinks and tell her to stand up and stop kneeling. (this is a very paraphrased summary).
Anyway, that's the scene. I enjoyed drawing them, so you may see more of them soon!

Pensil sketch cleaned up in photoshop.

Edit: now in color! jesterbells.deviantart.com/art…