29th day of September, 2003--
We have heard stories of heros brave and bold, of men who fought as foes and left the field as friends. There are songs of our lineage--of the guiding hands that came before us to serve the peoples' will, the progress they made and the briefness of our time with them.
Yet, there are moments between the fanfare of war; between the beauty of our artisans' creations; between the trappings of things that we can easily define, when we are touched by magic and forever changed.
We all remember those who won the battle, he that won the Crown and she that inspired greatness, but what of the reasons for why these good gentles strove to win the day.
For each king was once green with excitement and marked by the bruises of inexperience, and each queen was once inspired to learn and do amazing things that would one day inspire others. As is true for us all--crown or no--because we too were once new, daring to believe, and searching for a dream.
For me, that dream is not just armor, pretty garb, or the flashing brilliance of pageantry. It is the opportunity to learn from those that surround me, to share in the joy of that process, and to be motivated by the accomplishments of others as they strive for their own dream.
Now, the great many bards of our lands remind us of the stories of valor, courtesy, and honor--stories that should never be forgotten for they are part of our history. But, there are also stories of the individuals who work behind the scenes, reminding us that the simple things can sometimes be the most inspiring, and in doing so, forever change the course of the game.
There are stories yearning to be told of a first time feast steward putting the finishing touches on the next days subtlety at two in the morning; of a king who would sleep on the field with his men and fight beside them at dawn; of a newcomer spending three hours washing dishes all the while beaming from ear to ear; of complete strangers sacrificing personal comfort to help another; and of gentles opening up their homes to travelers stranded hundreds of miles from home--these are the storeis of people who act without thinking to do things we would not think to act upon.
Are these stories forgotten? No. But the praise is given in a different venue--Court.
For each award that is given, there exists a story, a moment in time when one person took it upon themselves to enrich the game for us all. And if one listens carefully to the words of our sovereign and the poetry of our heralds, the glory of our kinsmen's talents are sung.
--Lady Sarra Romney |
