Title: Listening to Lear
Fandom: King Lear
Rating: G
Length: 463 words
Summary: A young knight listens as Lear disposes of his country. 

The knight followed at the back of King Lear’s entourage.  He was aware the king had plans he was about announce and the young knight was vaguely interested but doubted it would have much impact on his life.  And then the king stated he was abdicating and leaving one-third of his kingdom to his eldest daughter.  He was conscious his intake of breath was mirrored by that of his companions.

And Lear continued, “To my second daughter I leave the second part of my kingdom.”

The knight nodded.  All that was left would be the third, and best, part to go to Cordelia.  There was no surprise there; everyone knew she was the king’s favourite daughter.  And so he turned to listen to Cordelia’s speech.  He’d half-listened to what Goneril had said but switched off completely when Regan was speaking.  Anyone who’d been at the court for even a short length of time could tell the words were purely for show and meant nothing.  So, it didn’t really matter what Cordelia said, it was all a formality.

But Cordelia said nothing.  And what had been a smothered intake of breath at the king’s initial announcement became an audible gasp.  There were anxious glances shared between the knights.  Surely Cordelia was not assuming her privileged position meant she need say nothing?  The tension eased slightly as the king gave his daughter a second chance, and they waited expectantly for Cordelia to utter suitable words.

Yet she deliberately chose to remain silent.  Why?  Why?  She could have uttered the words for the sake of form, not meaning them, but no, her principles wouldn’t let her.  Even the knight, young and inexperienced as he was, knew the court was not a place for principles.

Then came the king’s dreadful pronouncement; she was to have nothing and never see him again.  The knight could barely process what was happening.  He registered Kent’s banishment, never to return to his country, and resolved to stay mute, whatever else might happen that day.  A wrong word now and he might lose his life.

The knight watched dumbly as Cordelia’s two suitors came forward.  Great men both, come looking for alliances with a powerful kingdom, although, the knight thought vaguely, how powerful was the kingdom, given what had just happened?  Burgundy, seeing no gain now, understandably rejected Lear’s daughter, but France said he would continue with the match.

The knight found that strange.  Why marry someone who could not bring a valuable dowry with them?  He was to learn later some of the more experience knights expected France to use Cordelia’s disinheritance to launch an attack on Britain in the future.

As the knight left the hall, following behind the others, his head reeled at the events he had just witnessed.