Gentle Matildis la Libraire we know
To be a master of the limner’s art
In skill and dedication set apart–
For years uncounted we have watched her grow.

Proclaim, declare and by this missive show
And to all of the Middle Realm impart
Gentle Matildis la Libraire we know
To be a master of the limner’s art,

Untiring with the Kingdom’s good at heart,
Of spirit generous, her hand ne’er slow,
Therefore Runa and Arch this day bestow
On her the Laurel wreath—it must be so.
Gentle Matildis la Libraire we know
To be a master of the limner’s art.

[Done by our hand at Middle Kingdom Academy of Defense in our Shire of Caer Gwyn,
3 September A.S. LVII]

As I posted earlier, I had the privilege to be on the small team to surprise Matildis la Libraire with her vigil and elevation to the Laurel. A good friend from another kingdom was creating her scroll, but it would not be available in time. Yet some words had to be ready or else a blank place would be left in the ceremony.

Not knowing how Matildis thought about receiving the Laurel, and unable to ask her, I thought about what her elevation meant to the Crown, the Kingdom and the Order. I also considered her persona and her character, and I settled on a rondel an an appropriate form.

I knew the Crown held Matildis’s artistic prowess in very high esteem. As I had collaborated with her several times and been thrilled at how the visual beauty of her art elevated my words, I strongly agreed. My admiration found its voice in the repeated lines of the rondel, declaring Matildis’s mastery again and again. On the day of her elevation, I had the opportunity to read the scroll as herald, and I very much enjoyed being able to speak that assertion on behalf of the Crown.

After the elevation, I let Matildis know that if she wanted another wordsmith for her scroll, I would completely understand. But she chose to keep my words. Her friend Kit (Wellner) used a phoenix theme in creating this spectacular scroll.

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