Allow me to tell "A Knight's Tale" as it should be told. My version, after all, is the one with proper flourish.
I am
Chaucer - poet, performer, and, on one fateful day in the countryside, a man recently relieved of all material possessions. It was in this unfortunate state that I encountered a young squire named
Thatcher, accompanied by two companions:
, steady and unwavering, and
, impulsive and quick to act.
Together, they were attempting something audacious - entering jousting tournaments under the invented identity of Sir
von Liechtenstein. Recognizing brilliance in both the plan and the desperation behind it, I offered my talents. With forged credentials and a commanding voice, I supplied the grandeur their fiction required. Across many tournament fields, I announced titles and lineage so convincingly that crowds accepted invention as truth.
Success followed swiftly, though complications were never far behind. In Paris, attention turned toward a noblewoman named
, whose interest demanded of our squire displays of devotion as much as skill. At the same time, a formidable rival emerged in Count
of Anjou, whose pride and prowess cast a long shadow over every contest.
Fortune soon brought us
, a gifted blacksmith who turned worn armour into something fit for display. With this skill behind us and courage driving us on, our small venture became something much larger. We moved from town to tournament, carried by success and held together by a fragile illusion - but such things never last. The truth of humble birth emerged, and with it came disgrace and the unraveling of all we had built.
Then came an extraordinary turn. A noble figure once encountered in disguise as Sir
Colville revealed his true identity as
, the Black Prince, and, rather than condemning deception, recognized merit. In a gesture no poet could surpass, he granted legitimacy where there had been none. Restored not by invention but by decree, the young knight returned for a final clash. Supported by steadfast loyalty, fiery determination, and skill forged through hardship, he faced his rival once more - this time with nothing to hide. The outcome, naturally, was triumph.
And so I gained not merely coin, but a story - one shaped by ambition, sustained by fellowship, and proven in the end to be worthy of belief... though I maintain it reads even better the way I tell it.
