Crown Weekend

We went to the West Kingdom Crown Tournament this past weekend. It was to be a pivotal and decisive weekend for us, as it was our first camping event with the kid. The outcome of this event was to lay the groundwork for our entire event season this year, because if we can't handle the kid at a camping event, we wouldn't be going to many. Also, while I wasn't going to be fighting in the Crown Tournament, I did want to fight in the Tournament of Roses, more on that in a bit.

So, a weekend with the three of us, really just saturday morning to sunday morning. Really, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was still not as relaxing and fun as events used to be. One of us has to chase the kid around all day, and try to fight him to keep a hat on his head when he is in the sun. Not a big deal really, just a lot of work, as kids tend to be. Really, the part that I didn't like was that there weren't many opportunities for us to enjoy the event as a family. I believe that will come in time, as he gets older.

Watching the fighting was cool, there were a lot of really good fights. I am also a big fan of watching court too, the formalities of our game make it that much more fun imho. Next season I am going to fight in about everything that I can, even the crown tournaments that I know I can't win (nor are we ready for me to).

The Tournament of Roses. This is an informal combat, where you can just walk up and challenge anyone who wants to fight, and you fight the best of 3. The winner then would select someone for his opponent to deliver a rose to. Not a huge deal, but it is kind of fun to do. I really wanted to win my wife a rose, but seeing as how I am still new, the chances were slim. My first fight I lost to a knight, but I didn't know he was a knight because his belt wasn't very visible. It was fun though, I learned a little, and was complimented on my skill level compared to my newbishness (my new word for the day). Then comes the rose, he asked me to deliver one to the Princess of the Mists. Cool, not only was I nervous about fighting in the first place, now I have to go hunt down royalty. As I took off my helm, and prepared to start the delivery process I looked around to see where I get the rose from. To my surprise, I realised that I have to request a rose from the Queen to make the delivery... oi, really? Can we make this any more nerve racking for the newbie that doesn't want to make a fool of himself?

So, I find myself standing in front of the royal pavilion, in a short line of fighters waiting for their turn to request a rose from the Queen. Standing just at the edge of the large tent, in front of a series of finely carved wooden thrones, I come to a realization. I have read about this, in The Once and Future King. Knights would travel to many places, besting opponents, and sending them back to the Queen to tell her who had bested them and how. I find myself surrounded by fighters, and royals, in the middle of an Arthurian legend, about to tell the tale of my first battle for a rose to the Queen herself. For some reason that was my swift spiritual kick to the head, my shakabuku, if you will (props to the one who names that movie reference).

My nerves were now still, my spirit calm and unwavering. When it is my turn to approach, I do so with the standard formal politeness that is required of the situation. I kneel before a handful of royal women, the most prominent of which is the Queen, but also I now notice that the Princess of the Mists is there as well, seated in her own throne a few feet away (at least I don't have to walk too far). Then, without even noticing, my first words create a slight faux pas as I address the Queen as "Your Highness" instead of "Your Majesty" a small detail, but one that she noticed and corrected me on. It was a short meeting, but one that I had fun with. Queen Mari was very nice, and apparently impressed enough with our conversation that she handed me two roses and told me to bring one to my lady as well. I wanted to hug the woman. I thanked her and stepped away, took a side step then delivered a rose to her highness *cough* with utmost humility.

Then came the highlight of the weekend. I got to deliver a rose to my wife. The icing on the cake to an already shining moment in a newbie SCA day. I only wish I had someone to take a picture of that moment. At least we have a rose, I should take a picture of that. That afternoon was covered in awesomesauce.

I think I am going to take a moment to touch on one of my social insecurities in regards to the SCA. Its a club, a clique if you will. In some ways it reminds me of high school, and brings me back to the mode of not talking, and not being social. And that really gets me in to trouble, because it makes people think that I don't like them. Which isn't the case at all. A lot of the time I look up to the people I meet in the SCA, cause they are where I want to be. They have a certain amount vested in the society, and have made it a part of their life. Something I want to do. Slowly I am trying to break that shell, the Tournament of Roses was a big step for me. I missed opportunities to say hi to people I had met briefly before, just because I figure they wouldn't remember me. I need to stop doing that shit. I mean, I'm almost 30 and I'm acting like I'm 15 again, what the crap is that?

Enough rambling for me. Though, I do need to blog more...