Sir Dolan was the greatest king to ever rule England. He was successful in uniting all of the weak kingdoms under his rule through a series of glorious campaigns with his army. Dolan silenced opposing nobility and aided the peasantry. In a m atter of years, he was loved and respected by those within his kingdom, all swearing allegiance to him. However, despite all of his fame and prestige, a dark shadow of sadness covered the king’s face. No matter how many battles he won or how many of those in his court praised and thanked him, the blanket of sadness never disappeared.
His onl y love, the beautiful Queen Ariah, had been taken from him by the evil Sir Francais months earlier . Sir Francais was Dolan’s most loathed enemy, and during a battle for supremacy Francais was able to snatch the lovely Queen Ariah. For months Dolan wandered around his castle feeling nothing but sorrow. He dare not leave his castle for fear that his enemies were plotting revenge against him and his kingdom. On a certain day, Sir Rowa approached him and asked,”Sir, what bothers you so that you seem to be flooded with sadness? ” “Ah, my brother Rowa, you have heard of Queen Ariah’s kidnapping.
This is what bothers me so. Without her, I am lost. ” “Sir Dolan,” Rowa replied, “I am ashamed that such a strong and distinguished warrior as yourself has given up hope of rescuing his beloved Queen from the evil Sir Francais. I tell you, Sir, that it is not for a man of your honor to grieve and feel pity for himself. I also tell you, Sir, to rise up and rescue the queen. I will protect your castle with my life while you go in search of Queen Ariah. ” “You are right, Sir Rowa. What a fool I have been to allow Sir Francais to go unchallenged for the actions he has committed. I thank you, Sir Rowa, and will leave this astle to go in search of my queen.
I leave you this promise my dear friend that if I do not rescue the beautiful Queen Ariah, then I will die trying!. ” “So be it ! ” Sir Rowa exclaimed. Early the next morning, Sir Dolan left the castle in search of the queen. With him he took his armor. Upon his shield lay his coat of arms consisting of a black horizontal line, with three arrows- one red, another blue and the third green and pointing downward. The red arrow represented blood and the bravery Dolan showed in battle. The blue arrow symbolized honor and his respect towards other knights.
The green arrow, which was the most important resting in the middle, represented the land and the allegiance to his people and the queen of his kingdom. With his shield, Dolan carried only the sword given to him by his beloved father. As the sun rose over the land, Dolan and his trusty horse, Lightning, entered the forest, deter mined to return the queen to her rightful place. A short time had passed when Sir Dolan came upon a lovely woman in the woods. This lady was so beautiful that she reminded him of Queen Ariah. Approaching the woman Sir Dolan spoke, “How do you do my fair lady? “Very well, sir, but I beg of you to tell me your name. ”
“I am Sir Dolan, King of England,” he replied. Upon hearing this, the eyes of the lady sparkled. Sir Dolan noticed this and realized that her sparkling eyes were the sign of a witch. He dismounted Lightning and asked,”How may I help you my fair lady? I am on my way to rescue Queen Aria h and will continue on my way if you are in need of no assistance. ” “No Sir Dolan. I need no help. However, I offer you this drink to satisfy your thirst from your journey. ” Sir Dolan, knowing her true identity, refused the drink. “Thank you miss.
However, I need nothing to drink now. ” “Please, Sir, have but a sip. You have ridden far and must be thirsty. ” “Thank you, but I must be on my way. ” As Sir Dolan uttered these words, the woman became angry and transformed herself into an ugly, distorted sorceress. “You are clever, Sir Dolan, to resist my drink, but you will not be strong enough to stop the spell I will cast upon you! ” she rasped in an evil voice. Sir Dolan, a valiant warrior, drew his sword and thrust it through the sorceress’s heart. The witch fell to the ground, dead before she could put her spell on the king.
The king sighed, took a deep breath, mounted Lightning, and rode off i nto the sunset. As the sun rose on the second day of his journey, Sir Dolan arrived at the castle of his enemy, Sir Francais. At the entrance of the castle was a large drawbridge which stretched across a stream of fast, running water. As Sir Dolan crossed, he noticed a guard at the door. “Sir, may I help you,” spoke this large man who appeared to be stronger than any warrior Sir Dolan had ever seen. “I am Sir Dolan, King of England. Allow me to enter the castle and speak to your master. ” “Ah Sir, I have heard much about you.
I would like very much to challenge you before you enter the castle. ” “Very well,” the king replied, dismounting his horse. The warrior ran at him clumsily, flexing his muscles. Sir Dolan, realizing he could not defeat a man of this size and physical strength, decided to use his quickness and agility. As the guard approached, Sir Dolan darted out of the way and jutted his foot out, tripping the warrior and sending him hurling into the air. The man flew off of the bridge and landed in the raging water below, drifting out of sight. Sir Dolan fastened Light ning to the bridge and entered the castle.
Sir Francais’s castle was beautiful. Throughout the castle were tapestries, paintings and lovely marble floors. However, the castle had a damp and musty smell permeating it. Sir Dolan shouted,”Sir Francais, show yourself so we may battle! ” The shout echoed throughout the castle. Within moments Sir Francais appeared with Queen Ariah. She seemed more beautiful to the king than ever before. The shadow of darkness left Sir Dolan’s face and a new spark entered him. “I thought I heard the voice of my enemy, Sir Dolan,” spoke Sir Francais. “I see that you have come to reclaim your queen, but it is too late.
I have claimed her for my own! ” “We shall see,” said the king. Sir Dolan drew his sword as Sir Francais did the same. The two hurled themselves at each other. The clanging of the metal swords filled the air. Both men fought gallantly. Each man wounded the other to the point of weakness. The men be came so weak that they could barely swing their swords at one another. However, the hatred between the two drove them on and on. Finally, Sir Dolan gained the upper edge and pinned Sir Francais to the floor. “You fight well Sir Francais. Your ability is almost superior to mine. ” spoke Sir Dolan
With what little strength he had, the king raised his sword in the air and thrust it through the chest of Sir Francais, leaving him dead. As he removed the sword, it dripped with the blood of his enemy. Dolan walked toward the queen. “You are more lovely than ever Queen Ariah. ” he whispered. “Thank you,” the queen responded. “Thank you for saving me. ” “That is my duty. You are my queen. Let us return to our castle. ” Sir Dolan embraced Queen Ariah. The two left Sir Francais’s castle, mounted Lightning, and rode off into the forest and into the hearts of the English people.