A Song for Aveline
A story where the Magus Hwyel sees that the Faire Lady Aveline keeps her word to cause no harm to the local villagers and in turn Hywel keeps his word to put her name to song. (On stage is Hwyel, Agnes, George, Eustice, Randolph, and William Robert.)
Hywel needs a minstrel and not knowing where to turn he approaches the Bishop of Wells who has been friendly, some say too friendly, with the Wizards of Stranggore. The Bishop suggests they meet up with Prince John's retinue at Malborough Castle and even provides a letter of introduction. On the way Eustace foils a pickpocket then gets lost, Randolf loses a fight with a dwarf acrobat, George buys a token of affection for Valera, Hywel scares a tamed bear while conversing with its trainer's ghostly warder, and Agnes investigates the accuracy of the local fortune tellers.
At the castle, they join Prince John's Feast on a board far from the fire. They find a minstrel there who tells a stirring tale of a Welsh Giant who steals the Lord of Wells daughter. Eyes turn on Hwyel, who oblivious to his peril and not knowing French, cheers at the end when the Giant wins. Despite his Gift, he is not confronted because the minstrel stirs up a rumpus dancing song to lighten the mood.
Hwyel sends for the minstrel, William Robert, who plays a song for his table and then listens attentively to the Giant's plee for help. Eustace keenly reads the performer, determining he is vain, and speaks of never ending fame that comes from the songs and stories of Wizards and Faeries. This hooks in William Robert, along with the fact that he earned the ire of a noble after singing a love song to the wrong woman, and so he joins Hwyel's party.
They travel to Nunnery Hatch where William Robert hears the tale of Aveline's cruelty and how she would turn mortals into animals for her Lord's hunting pleasure. Before composing her song, William Robert wishes to behold her to add substance to his words. There he first beholds the tall white slender Lady with the cruel unkind eyes. A lesser man would have ran but he was confident in his abilities and so he returns to the village and spends the night composing a song for Aveline.
They return to the wood and join the Lady's Court where they find a small mortal girl dancing for the pleasure of Sir Holy's knights. Hwyel sees this as a breaking of the agreement that no harm would befall the local villagers. Aveline argues in turn that no harm can come from dancing. They reach a stalemate and tempers rise until young Eustace speaks up both insightfully and compassionately that human hearts can break from loss of loved ones, and that no doubt this girl's father will surely die of grief at the loss of his daughter. This revelation turns not the Faerie heart, for they have none, but William Robert's who was until then content to let the girl stay. With this change of heart he sings a new song to Aveline.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
Of all the plants the bough and branch she loves them most of all.
She calls them forth to join her court when leaves turn brown and fall,
To join a feast where all can eat, to dance and there revel.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
And if you wish to dance for her you need just hear her call.
Come to the wood and call her name and soon you'll be enthralled,
And find yourself among the elf, Fair creatures great and small.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
A mortal guest I can attest came to this wooded sprawl,
Was taken from her blood and kin to be Sir Holy's thrall,
To join the dance, with some reluctance, this maiden light and small.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
Wise council she, both birds and bees, but one most wise of all,
The wizard tall from Stranggore Hall his name is often called.
The brightest star, wisest of all, the giant Sir Hwyel.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
She heard his plea upon his knee for mortals one and all.
Twas plain to see she heard his need as one cold tear did fall,
Upon her cheek of silver beech I clearly do recall.
Fair is the Lady Aveline who lives in wooded hall.
At her request she let them rest, the mortals one and all,
And as I sang the girl did ran from Aveline's Fair hall,
She was free, thanks to the plea, of brave Sir Hwyel.
Upon its end, Aveline's Song changes her story from cruel to kind, or at least to not as cruel, and she agrees to free the girl once the song is sung seven times in the seven villages surrounding her wood. Once this was done, the girl and her father were reunited with much tears of joy, and to this day Aveline's Song is sung every Autumn so that Aveline keeps her word.