One Kiss

The rules of the game were simple: I was to stay in the castle while Lord Bertilak went hunting. He was to go out and hunt and at the end of each day, we would exchange whatever we had won. I was happy to oblige. It was only three days and because Lord Bertilak knew where the Green Chapel was, I felt more at ease participating in such a game. He was offering me shelter and I wasn’t in a position to say no anyway.

I imagined that his hunting skills were quite exceptional, but he didn't seem to have the personality of a hunter. He seemed naturally kind and I wondered how that would translate to that skill. I wondered the same about Lady Bertilak's personality. Was she similar? She seemed quiet and innocent, but something about her seemed wild.

As she sat on my bed, stroking my arm, dressed in a delicate nightgown, I knew what she was after. I was awoken to her ruffling my hair, uninvited. It was clear what her intentions were, at least to me. Rarely did someone donned in a pretty nightgown, during the middle of the day, have other motives besides seduction. It was annoying to say the very least. I just wanted to nap! After the rude awakening, I tried to say something that would let her down gently without hurting any feelings, but she kept pressing on. The fact that this happened out of nowhere was also quite jarring. I had no idea what compelled her to make such a bold decision. Lady Bertilak was quite beautiful. I couldn’t deny that, but she wasn’t mine and I, as a knight, would not dare break my virtues. It seemed I was right about appearances being deceiving.

“If only I had met you sooner,” she began, sliding closer towards me. “I would’ve married you instead.”

I didn’t know what to do, so I shifted uncomfortably and awkwardly laughed. “I don’t think so. Lord Bertilak is a better man than myself.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “But you’re you and he’s him. I want more for myself.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying. It’s not all fame and luxury, you know. Besides, you seem to have a nice life going here. I’m not worth throwing all of that away.”

“You seem worth it.”

“I’m not. You’ll have to take my word for it.”

She frowned. “Sir Gawain, don’t you think it’s kind of rude sending me away like this? I thought you were supposed to be courteous,” she said and paused. “Guess the rumors were fake then. ”

It was an impossible situation. She was right in a twisted, incredibly wrong way, but I could see her point. Leaving her scorned would have been rude but bending to her will wasn’t right either. I didn’t want word to get around that I had done her any wrong. I had to make a compromise if I wanted her to leave me alone. “One kiss,” I said. “Nothing more.”

I said nothing about it to her husband. What would you even say in that situation? Was there a right thing to say? I felt a nagging guilt about the whole thing. Lord Bertilak returned in the evening after hunting and I knew that I would have to tell him in some capacity. As he was talking about his winnings for the day that he was sharing with me, I gave him a quick kiss. Simple and sweet.

“What was that for?” he asked, smiling, but confused.

“Just my prize for the day. That’s all.”

“And where did you get such a grand prize?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” I said laughing. He seemed to accept my answer and the evening progressed with more wine and food. I would’ve asked me more if I were him.

The second day, Lady Bertilak was back for two kisses. She would not leave me alone! I wanted to send her away, but I couldn’t shake the responsibility I had to my moral code, which I couldn’t seem to make heads or tails right then. I gave in and she left. Lord Bertilak came back from hunting and I gave my prizes to him again. It was a tedious process.

It really felt like there was nothing I could do. My day with the Green Knight was fast approaching and here I was being a home-wrecker. It wasn’t beyond me the irony of spending my potential last days lazing around and kissing someone else’s wife.

By the time the third day came, I was exhausted with her and the game. Three kisses for three days at the castle. She was back again. “What’s wrong? You seem stressed,” she said as if she had no idea why I would be stressed.

There was nothing for me to do but sigh and move on. “Is that it for today? Are we done here?”

The lady took my hands into hers. “It’s been three days and I actually have something for you.”

“Like a gift?”

“Yes, like a gift. Call it a token of our love,” she smirked and got up, dragging me with her.

I pulled my hands free from her vise-like grip. “I must decline. I have nothing to give you in return.”

“Oh, stop being so chivalrous for one minute. I think you’ll like this one,” she said, reaching into a brown bag that she must have tossed on the floor when she originally came in. From it, she extracted what looked like a green piece of cloth. “Interested?”

“What is it?”

“I have so lovingly brought you a magical green girdle from my own collection,” she said draping the long, belt-like material around my neck. “It’ll keep you safe from death.” She moved to the door and lingered in its frame. “Look, I hear you talking in your sleep about the Green Knight. I know that you’re afraid. Consider this a treat for humoring me for the past few days. Say you’ll consider it at least?”

That evening when Lord Bertilak returned from his fox hunt, resolve weakened, I gave him the three kisses, but spoke nothing of the secret girdle. I didn’t want to die. Adultery was a far worse lie by omission anyway.

Source: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Jessie Weston

Header Source: God Speed! by Edmond Blair Leighton (Wikimedia Commons)

Author’s Note: There’s a lot to say about the original piece. I had to exclude a ton of information due it being a massive amount of writing, but it described in detail the hunts, which I thought was gross. They were kind of gory, but there were many a callback to Gawain beheading the Green Knight, which I found interesting. It begins similarly to mine, but with church and more chatting. The lady enters his room and is a lot more seductive and intense about the whole thing, which I toned down. Another hunting scene happens, and it was detailed and gory again. The main things I changed were with the lady and omission of the hunting. On the third day when Gawain receives the girdle, she offers him a ring before the girdle, but I ran out of words for it honestly. It closes with Gawain going to confession and giving Lord Bertilak his kisses. There’s a farewell party and Gawain goes to bed with a sleepless night ahead of him. There’s a lot of complicated medieval themes about morality and sexuality going on here, but I couldn’t touch on all of them. I have one more chapter to do, so the conclusion is near!

Hope you are all doing well! :)