There's a scene in RECRUIT where Lin and Dafydd sneak into the Round Table Hall. It's their first day in Camelot and they're adjusting to their new life of freedom and royalty. Lin is awe struck that her dad is the Pendragon. Neither one can read, but they know the Pendragon's seat when they get to it. Lin notices the place to the right of the Pendragon has no name written there and wonders about it. Dafydd, always the story-teller, calls it the Seat of Peril where no living man dares to sit, for only the eques destined to do so shall sit at the Pendragon's side and live. Lin, of course, seals her destiny by saying: "No living man will sit here. I'm not a man."
At the time I just tossed it out there for some fun in the story and playing with elements of Malory. But since I'm working with a series and there's an over all story arc from one book to the next clear througfh to the last, I have to have continuity. Here's the sketch of how I'm working the Seat of Peril into my Arthurian story.
(Thanks to the magic of the clip-board I blogged about yesterday, this is how I craft a scene. It's rather choppy at first. For me, getting the dialgue right is my first priority. That's why this is mainly dialogue. I hang the other stuff around it as needed.)
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(Continuation after Lin vomits on Queen. Do all the women leave the Great Hall with Queen? Probably yes. To deal with later: Lin still holding shield. The weight of the torc round her neck.)
As my laughter subsided, my senses returned and I remembered where I was and why. I was an eques of the Round Table and of the Pendragon. I had to stop thinking of him as my father.
At least in this situation. (Lin in warrior persona thinks of him as Pendragon and commanding officer. Lin relaxed thinks of him as father.)
His blue eyes still sparkled from his mirth. I knew he had not been laughing in ridicule of me or the Queen. The Queen no doubt felt insulted both by my sickness and our laughter. (belong earlier?)
"Women," the Pendragon said.
The men laughed.
"Probably the flux." (Who says this? Lin? Would this over-step a boundary with dad? But it's perfect from her! She can worry about it and find that the men laugh with her on that one.)
(The Pendragon claps her lightly on the back?)
"The Queen will recover her dignity," the Pendragon said, clapping my shoulder. (Just to Lin? Or louder?)
Would I recover mine?
But the Pendragon seemed to have deemed the episode over.
"My lords," he said. "It is time to escort my newest eques to her place at the Round Table."
(Reaction/thought Lin)
And so I walked beside the Pendragon. (Describe)
We stopped at the open doorway of the Round Table Hall and stood to one side along with Cai to allow the men to file in and take their place. (Gesture from Gareth?)
(Describe inside. Several vacant places.)
Which would be mine?
I had to keep reminding myself to breath. As I watched, I noticed Dafydd at the far end of the Hall. I smiled when he glanced in my direction. He nodded with a smile as he placed a goblet at the Pendragon's place and (another goblet at the seat to the right)--[he's about to do this]
The "Seat of Peril", according to Dafydd. No one ever sat there.
"Dafydd!" Cai said. (sharply)
My brother backed from the Tabled, with his head bowed, still clutching the goblet. "My lord," he said.
"What do you?"
"I thought . . ."
What was this? My brother knew no one sat there. And his tale had become nearly legend in Camelot--that only someone worthy would sit there.
(Detail of Table and men. And yes, Deb, this is clutzy but I like where it's going. We'll smooth it out.)
Cai entered the Hall and the men fell silent, looking in our direction.
"Attention!" (Cai)
(The men obey. Cai takes his place--Arthur's left?)
"Wait here, Lin," the Pendragon said. (Or does he speak from the threshold and they go in together?)
I watched him walk around one side of the Table. (More?)
"My lords," he said. "The place beside me has remainded empty for many years. And for an ordinary reason. I had hoped my son would join me here."
Modred? He did not deserve the honour of eques. He did not deserve the honour of being the Pendragon's son.
"Untill recently, that is," the Pendragon continued. "Recently a more interesting story has become attached to the seat beside me. A young bard in the making has dubbed it the Seat of Peril."
He chuckled.
(Have Lin notice Dafydd and D's reaction)
"My daughter's foster-brother has a vast imagination. And I dare say I like his version better."
(If Lin reamins alone at threshold, dad wouldn't go back to escort her. Does he bestow the honor on someone? Dafydd? No one's really "right" except dad, tho. So either she walks in alone or with dad so he can lead her to her place. I think it's more powerful to have dad lead her than her going alone.)
"Lin, come take your rightful place at my Table as my heir."
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Now to go back a shift things around to fit my notes. That's basically how I write.