"Well, I'll tell you a little about that Ladies' Champion Tourney. It was my first event, since I wasn't in the SCA when I was at Wellesley and only got dragged in by Ki-lin in graduate school (whereupon she said, 'Why didn't you TELL me you were interested in the SCA?!').
"So anyway, there I was at my first event, sitting on the hill by the Softball Meadow (sometimes called Alumnae Field), watching the fighting, talking to Ki-lin and this very nice guy named Justin... Someone introduced me to cloved lemons, probably Justin. I didn't know many people. I had attended two or three dance practices at this point.
"I don't remember who won the tourney that day. The ladies chose Lord Kale Harlansson of Gotland as their new Ladies' Champion. Baron Patri held court. He sat in one of those wonderful antique pseudo-gothic armchairs from Tower Court living room, with one leg over the arm, there on the field in the sunshine. Someone stood behind him holding the baronial banner. I remember him getting his annual rock from the peasants.
"Susan MacGregor won the ladies' foot race. Many people remarked later that she had lifted her skirts to an indecent height so as not to get tripped as she ran. (Tales differ by what is considered an indecent level. Certainly they were at least knee-high.) She was presented with a pair of brass candlesticks as a prize.
"Supper was bring-your-own, in the Shafer dining room, in the basement, and was followed by dancing.
"There was a post-revel at the House in Concord. This was the home of Duke Vissevald, Countess Mara, Lady Cassandra Boell von Bayer and Lord Axel, I think. Sir Michael of York showed his new movie, 'Thieves Quest.' Justin ran out of gas taking me home to the Back Bay that night, and we had to walk from Storrow Drive into Kenmore Square at 2 am to get a gallon of gas."
[Editor's note: Caitlin and Justin are now happily married.]
Provost: Cynthia of Felding