Ach! What great shame I have brought upon myself. Neither brawn, nor wit can quell the fear of death in a man. But what does that make a knight then? What knight am I to fear this such triviality that is death itself? For what purpose is my sword and shield when I tremble at the mere anticipation of a swinging blade. I may as well discard them for my cowardice has wrenched their worth from them. But alas, as I have sworn an oath to my liege to defend his throne and all his subjects, I must keep my station. Though the shame I have suffered will forever haunt this fickle knight, nothing will keep me from fulfilling my oath. To bear the mark of cowardice and to remind myself of my failing, I shall keep this girdle and forever display the besmirched honor of Gawain. The knights of the round may laugh, and they may say such a thing is folly, but as a knight I must not forget the honor that was stained. I can never forget. Not merely for the cringing of a blade, but for my own failings in falling to such a trap. A curse upon myself for falling for the deception of the Lady Bertilak and the crone beside her. Such lies and fierce kisses were enough to unsettle this foolhardy knight. No sword can ever compete with the wiles of women. Aye, a lady must not be underestimated, for the sweet sight of a fair beauty can waylay the hardiest of men. Yet still I cannot curse them. Perhaps this is another weakness of mine, but I cannot place the blame upon those of the gentle sex. It is the man whose weakness leads to such folly. And as a knight, even greater still must I shoulder this fault. By my honor, I shall continue on the knightly code, while carrying this trinket of ridicule and shame around my waist. For every bit of corruption that has poured out of this flesh of mine, I shall do more than is enough to compensate for every lack of virtue. This is but little. But for my king and my fellow knights, I must avoid greater disgrace and renew the faith of the knighthood.
-Gawain
-Gawain