Sanderijn gave the bird a little push and watched how it stretched its wings. It flapped a few times and then the falcon soared upon the wind, looking for prey. A soft breeze made the leafs above her rustle and colourful blossoms twirled down upon the forest's floor. Falcon's and blossoms... That was how her husband had convinced her. He had not condemned her for the loss of her virginity, but compared her to a flowering tree from which only one blossom had been stolen. The bird might have this one little flower, be he had a tree full of beauty...

She smiled as she thought of his comforting words a year ago. She had been a fallen woman, yet he had not judged her for it. In spite of her lack of rank and her lowly descent, he had treated her like a noblewoman and once she had told him of her loss, he had been compassionate rather than rejecting.

She heard the sound of hoofs upon the path before her and while the falcon returned to her hand, she could distinguish a rider approaching.

" Hail, oh Lady!", he shouted, and as he came nearer, she recognized him as the chamberlain of her former lover.

" I greet you Sanderijn. At the castle they told me you were out hunting."

" Welcome Reinout. As you can see, they were right. You are far away from home. What business brings you to my Lord's realm?"

" Lancelot urged me to seek you."

She nodded thoughtfully. She remembered his sweet words and his handsome looks. Once she had truly loved him, but she had known he could never marry her. His mother desired her son to find himself a bride of high rank and Sanderijn had rejected his advances with pain in her heart. She knew how much she hurt him and she had cried many a night for this love that was not supposed to be. How worried she had been for Lancelot.

" Tell him I am married and that my heart no longer longs for him."

How could he have the nerve to send his chamberlain after her after all that had happened? After all that he had done?

They had told her that Lancelot was ill and that he was dying. It had been his last wish to see Sanderijn and she had been brought to his bedroom.

There the man she loved so much lay down under his satin sheets, pale and sick with an unknown illness. She had thought it was her fault and that his broken heart was killing him. He had taken her hand and spoken softly. She sat herself down on his bed, tried to smile and find some words to say to the poor dying man, but she had felt tears run over her cheeks...

Then, suddenly, he had grabbed her and pulled her into the bed. She had tried to push him away and cried that he shouldn't ruin her memory of him, but he suddenly seemed to have regained both his strength and lust and he tore her dress.

" He sends me to bring you his sincerest regrets. He is terribly ashamed of his deed and begs your forgiveness."

She swallowed. Forgiveness? For what? For his lies? His betrayal? For raping her?How could she ever forgive him? She had visited him, thinking he was a dying friend and he had devastated and dishonoured her. That was how he had repaid her loyalty and her love.

" Tell him that I bear a scar only he has seen. Tell him that he and I stood in a green meadow under a flowering tree. A falcon came down from the sky and picked one single flower. Then it spread its wings and left."