Read Online Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff - Free Book Online Page A

‘You have always been jealous of Tristan since first he came from Lothian,’ he said.
    ‘I do but tell you the truth, for I cannot bear to see you so wronged.’
    ‘You could bear very well to see me wronged,’ said the King. ‘You do but tell me what you think willharm Tristan in my eyes. Tristan has proved his faith to me in a score of ways, he is the champion of Cornwall, and it was he who brought my Queen to me in the first place –’
    ‘How do you know what they were to each other before ever he gave her into your hands?’
    ‘– and I will not believe ill of him unless I see the thing with my own eyes.’
    ‘But if you do see the thing with your own eyes?’ said Andret eagerly.
    ‘Then I will believe, and not till then.’
    And the King set his mind against what Andret had told him, and swore in his heart that he would not watch his wife nor Tristan, the two people he loved best in the world. But despite himself, it was as though Andret’s words had pulled some kindly mist from before his eyes, and he began to notice the glances that passed between them across the Hall, and the way Iseult grew still at the sound of Tristan’s voice. And then one day, coming quickly into the women’s apartments he found them with their arms round each other, and Iseult’s red hair falling all about them both. And they sprang apart as he came in.
    ‘So Andret spoke truth,’ said the King.
    ‘And what truth was that?’ said Iseult, gathering up her hair.
    ‘He told me that there was love between Tristan and you; and I would not believe him. I told him that I would not believe until I saw the thing with my own eyes. I trusted you both.’
    ‘Trust us still,’ said Iseult. I do love Tristan, why should I not? He is your kinsman, and mine. I nursedhim when he was sick enough to die, and he is become like a brother to me. And in the way that I love him, so he loves me.’
    ‘I wish that I could believe you,’ said the King. I would give all that I possess to be able to believe you.’ And to Tristan he said, ‘She shall be to me as she was before, as though nothing of this had happened. But you must leave my Court.’ And he spoke gently, but his hand was on his sword.
    And Tristan went, he and Gorvenal, and took lodgings with an old swordsmith in the town inland of the castie.
    ‘It would be better that we go far away from here,’ said Gorvenal. ‘Let us go and seek adventure elsewhere.’
    ‘More dragons to kill?’ said Tristan, and he laughed, with his head in his hands. ‘Dear, sensible Gorvenal, it would be best that we go to the farthest ends of the earth. But I can no more leave the Queen than I can pluck the living heart out of my breast.’
    Now it was coming on to high summer, and at that time of year, when there was peace in the land, the King and his Court would leave the grim castle on its headland, and spread out into the wooden halls and bowers among the gardens and the little hardy apple orchards on the landward side. The Queen had lodgings of her own close beside a little stream that flowed out of the woods and went purling down to the cove below the castle, so that it was always cool on the hottest August days.
    And the Queen sent Brangian by night with a message to Tristan’s lodging, bidding him find means to meet her, if he would not have her die of longing tobe with him again. And Tristan sent back word: ‘Keep a watch at twilight on the stream that flows past your bower, and if a branch comes floating by, keep watch still; and if a piece of bark carved with a five-pointed star comes floating after, then I shall be waiting under the wild pear tree where the stream comes out of the woods, and it will be safe for you to come to me.’
    So every twilight, Iseult or Brangian watched the stream, until one evening the branch followed by the five-pointed star came floating down, and then the Queen slipped out and away in the dusk, to find Tristan waiting for her under the wild pear tree. And