Vid den nyliga julfesten, visade prins Madoc upp de skatter han vunnit från sina härjningar bland saxarna i ost, innan Merlin anlände. Han bar med sig en gåva till kung Uther, svärdet Excalibur som stal allt ljus i salen och förstärkte det hundrafalt. Han utropade även att Uther borde bli High King över Britannien. Kungen tog emot svärdet och förklarade att de kommande åren skulle innebära en aggressiv kamp mot de vidriga saxarna. Jag lämnade salen, o herre, blek i ansiktet och med tom blick, efter insikten att jag antagligen kommer behöva befinna mig på slagfält under nästa år.
The Christmas Feast is one of the three regular Crown Wearings of the year, so everyone comes to court to participate. Sarum castle is mightily crowded with King Uther and his retinue present. Nonetheless, everyone is invited to the annual event. It lasts for a week.
At various times, gifts are given. All goes well, with the servants first getting gifts from the count, then the knights. The count then gives his household officers presents, and then his own family members get their gifts.
The king next does the same for his household, knights, and officers. Finally, he gives his son a new set of armor and a generous grant of several manors of land on the Thames, and also the holding of Windsor Castle. This is a huge gift, but not unusual for royalty, who have many expenses.
Among the counts, Roderick gives Uther a beautiful cloak trimmed with the fur of white bears, imported from Norway. The dukes all have gifts to better that. Finally, Prince Madoc calls in his men, and ten retainers come forth carrying special stretcher-like frames to bear large treasure. They place them in a semicircle and, on the prince’s signal, open them all at once. All contain booty from the war: A chest of silver coin, another of gold; one of goblets and plates, another of jewelry; one of silver and gold, one of red and purple jewels; another of bolts of silk and samite, others of gold cloth and silver thread. Prince Madoc then unrolls a cloth as if it was a carpet. Everyone sees that it is a battle standard taken from a dead Saxon chief. The king descends, walking upon it, to admire the goods. He then takes various things and fondly hands them over to his lords, pressing goblets, jewelry, and a bolt of silk upon one; a massive gold necklace and a book upon another; and so on, seeming to know the right gift for each man. Then handsful of silver for his knights, and a fistful for each visiting knight.
After a long while, all the gift-giving seems to be over and the great hall is cleared to set up the tables for the feast. Suddenly, at the back of the room the people are all abuzz, a herald rushes in and makes a great shout.
“Presenting the great wizard Merlin Merlin, the Guardian of Britain!” he says, just in time as the impatient mage walks into the room. He looks neither right nor left, but strides to the front, where King Uther sits on the count’s throne.
“Welcome, Merlin, to these halls,” the king says. “You are always welcome in my court.”
Merlin thanks the king, and speaks in a loud, clear voice. “Gold and silver, clothing from far distant lands; these are surely gifts worthy of a king. Yet you, Uther, deserve more, for surely no one in the world has ever sat as high as you, not even the emperors of Rome.”
Uther is clearly flattered.
“Yet, even you lack one thing.”
The king frowns, the room murmurs.
“Such a great man deserves nothing but the best, and he who would bring peace to the whole of our great land deserves all that would help him to obtain it. And so I, your humble servant, am pleased to offer you, from my weak hands, this.” And he pulls from beneath his robes a gleaming sword whose own internal light causes everyone to gasp in delight and wonder. Even the king is surprised and stands up. Merlin takes the sword by its point, his hands covered by his robe so as not to tarnish the blade, and extends the pommel to the king. “For the High King,” says Merlin, and with a loud triumphant statement, “Excalibur, the Sword of Victory!”
Everyone in the room gasps aloud, and when the king takes the sword they break into applause and cheer. It is clear that the king is highly pleased.
“Surely, now,” he says, “no one can stand before me.”
“All you need do,” says Merlin, “is to remain just.”
King Uther holds the gleaming sword and stares at it in wonder. “Now I’m prepared to visit some friends of mine.”
Ulfius, at a table nearby, chuckles.
Uther names the nobles who will accompany him to visit Duke Lindsey, and among them is the Count of Salisbury.
“This is cause to celebrate then,” says Uther. “Bring forth the tables, and make a place at my right hand for Merlin, whose wisdom and truth guides our good land.”
“Thank you, Lord,” says the magician.