She looked at the fresco and felt a tear roll down over her cheek. Gently she touched the wall and moved her finger along the contours of the female figure. Eve was naked, her face distorted in despair, hands vainly raised towards Heaven. The apple's core lay in the dust at her feet.

For the first time in her life she had known shame and with it cursed all that came of her flesh and her blood, till the day of doom.

High above there was the eye that saw everything. How could they ever have imagined to escape from its sight?

Merciful, was he? She wiped the drop off her face and looked at the man. His body was muscular and his face handsome, but upon it an expression of equal dread, for he too had tasted the apple.

She felt sick, knowing it was the fruit's flesh that burned inside her. It had been woken by lust. Ever since her first sinful thought, she had bled. Every month she suffered the inheritance of Eve.

" And you?", she whispered as she looked at the naked man pleading to God, "What is your punishment?"

The priests said that it was because of Eve that he had fallen. If she had not tempted him, would he have wanted knowledge between good and evil?

" It's unfair", she muttered and she slammed the palm of her hand against the wall.

" Unfair, bloody unfair!"

Who had asked for the creation of Eve? Out of whose bones had she been made? Was she ever given a choice? Had they ever asked her anything?

" Have you ever asked me, Arthur?"

Her voice resounded through the chapel and she could not suppress her tears any longer. They followed the first one and burned on her cheeks.

" Ever asked me if I wanted to be a queen?"

Then she touched the painting again.

" Oh Eve", she muttered.

Adam playing innocent, blaming his wife. But was he not just as guilty. How much had she accepted? Arthur, the great Arthur had slept with his own half-sister, who had given him the son he wanted.

" He shall be your downfall Arthur!", she cried," Your sin is immeasurably greater than mine. Yet who is called the adulterer and the sinful woman? Have you ever asked me anything? There I sat at your side, while I knew what you had done, sat there keeping up your honour. King Arthur's beautiful wife, always gentle and behaved, virtuous and proud..."

She raised her hands and resembled the figures on the fresco.

" Why? Because I am a woman? He can go around making war, burning villages and pillaging castles. He sets out to Gaul or Caledonia and leaves me fearing for him and when he returns does he ever comfort me? Months I waited for him, months!"

She glanced at the painted animals and flowers of the lost paradise.

" Who was allowed to name the animals and the trees? What did you create her for? Just to provide him with company? Just for his pleasure? Of course he was allowed to enjoy himself, wasn't he? After all he was created after your image... Tell me then, whose image are we created after?"

She clasped her breasts and looked up at the ceiling defiantly.

" Created as sinners, aren't we? Tempting, seducing, bringing death and destruction. For it's of course my fault that the round table is empty. My fault. The cunning woman who couldn't control her lust, who seduced the noblest of knights. We're only a threat to your purity aren't we? Aren't you ashamed Arthur? How many women have you slept with? Chosen to sleep with! Chosen!"

She waited and then bowed her head. What use was it to scream at a ceiling? She had insulted him, the last one who listened.

" Forgive me, my Lord", she whispered and she folded her hands, " I should be grateful... Forgive me."

A door was opened and she heard how someone approached. She did not look, she knew who it was. She recognized the sound of his footsteps and as he came closer, she felt his warmth.

" Gwenhwyfar..."

" Go away", she whispered.

" Gwen."

" People are talking."

" I don't care."

He embraced her, caressed her hair and pressed his lips against her neck. She wanted to pull away from his hands, to be alone...

" Go", she whispered.

" You have been crying."

" Leave me alone, Lancelot."

She pushed him away and walked out of the chapel, leaving the knight in front of the fresco depicting the expulsion from Eden.