Arthur's Other Sister
In older Welsh iterations, Guinevere had a sister—Gwenhwyvach by name (also known as the ‘False Guinevere’). Arthurian legend has been through many a twist and turn to the tale and retelling. Many of his familial line has been altered or lost forever in retellings. Much like Sir Kay and Merlin and the other characters of Arthur’s life, I rewove this character into something newer.
I created Dominique MacGabran in the very early stages of writing out the history of Arthur as a foil for the reader. She was young and didn’t know much of Arthur’s current life, so as she learned, the reader would learn.
With apologies for poor writing and minor spoilers, here are the very first lines I wrote circa 2007:
“Introductory dialogue, spoken by an elderly Dominique1:
It has been many years since the passing of Arthur and the beginning of the Solar Diaspora, and many stories have been told about those years. Still, despite the advancement of our age and the proof of visual evidence, there are millions who still believe that Arthur and his Knights were gods on earth. Arthur was most certainly something greater than human, but it was his humanity that elevated him to the stature of god. Rather than recall the memories of those days when we were but children in the birth of the next phase of human evolution, I will refer to the greatest resource that I have: my journals. Before I became a Knight and long after the beginning of the Diaspora, I was a writer. So before you is the truth written by my own hand. Whether you believe it or not, is entirely up to you.
I had finished my college days, and little did I know I was being sent on a journey that I travel to this day....”
Those words are cringeworthy!
Domino was to be a sort of Nick Carraway-style character, chronicling the exploits of Arthur and the Knights. However, as a main character, she didn’t offer a lot.
I abandoned her in favor of a more active participant in Indiana Beckham, the Lancelot archetype, but I always liked the idea of Domino. When I started working on Apollo Burn, she still didn't have a place, but when I drafted Matrix Trigger, I saw her entry point and a perspective as someone flawed and yet is elevated to supra-human status. I also wanted a character that retained some of Indiana’s youthful sarcasm, though Domino goes through harder trials than Indiana does. And finally, the relationship between the MacGabrans and LaFayettes is further bridged.
- This was originally intended as a teleplay, so it starts in the first person.