| “ | I am honored to serve you and this most puissant knightly order. | „ |
| ~ Mave to Rose Red in Fables #137 — "An Early Winter: Part Six of Camelot" |
Maeve is a Fable who becomes one of Rose Red's six Knights of the Round Table of New Camelot. She first appears in Fables #137 — "An Early Winter: Part Six of Camelot."
History
Knight of New Camelot
Rose Red accepts the title of Paladin of Hope, ready to lead and inspire the Fables in their time of need. The changing era prompts a new group to come together, gathering at Rose's newly constructed fortress known as New Camelot, where a new Round Table will be formed. Lady Maeve, from Dunhollow, is one of the six individuals handpicked to become a Knight for Rose Red and join the new Round Table. The others are Sir Brump, Sir Wellstuffed, Sir Lancelot Dulac, Lady Bo Peep, and Sir Reynard the Fox. Maeve expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to serve. Rose announces that Weyland Smith will guide everyone to their designated rooms in her castle, and dinner is scheduled for eight o'clock.[1]
At the New Camelot training ground, Maeve is quite frustrated with Reynard the Fox's less than stellar fighting abilities. She acknowledges that she cannot comprehend why Rose Red chose to work with him, and while he may possess cunning and wiles as a fox, he is a poor excuse for a man. Bo Peep ponders if Reynard's current predicament is due to his transformation into a human, with only two legs and no tail, affecting his sense of balance. Maev dismisses Reynard, claiming he is of no use to her today. She instructs him to shower and rest. In a bold move, he suggests they shower together and help each other wash their backs, causing Maev to angrily shout "Go!" As Reynard quickly leaves, she comments that she has no desire to smell like a wet dog.[2]
As punishment for stealing a magic glamour and vandalizing the Bee Hive at the Farm, Mister Sunflower is arrested and taken into custody. Maeve reads the sentence aloud to him, informing him that he will serve of two weeks in the New Camelot dungeon. After that, he must complete a year of community service, beginning with constructing a brand-new beehive. Additionally, he is stripped of his right to participate in the Lottery of glamours.[3]
Trial by combat
She, along with Lancelot and Luna and a few other Fables, stumble upon the dead body of Weyland Smith. Maev recalls how he didn't give any work orders the day before, and she assumed he wanted to surprise them all with a day off. She admits that she should have seen the signs, as someone so consumed with their work would never commit such an act. Suddenly, Prince Brandish emerges and openly admits to being the murderer. Lancelot insists on having Brandish arrested, but Brandish refuses and instead demands a trial by combat when Maeve tries to take him into custody.[4]
Maeve hands Lancelot his sword, then observes as Bo Peep declares the trial by combat between Prince Brandish and Lancelot in New Camelot. Her eyes remain fixed on the scene as the two opponents engage in a fierce battle. In a surprising turn of events, Lancelot manages to sever Brandish's head from his body. Despite this fatal blow, Brandish continues to search relentlessly for his missing head. Maeve urges Lancelot to claim victory and retreat, as he has clearly defeated his opponent. However, Lancelot feels unable to do so until his opponent is deceased. Maeve suggests kicking the head of his foe around to prevent him from finding it, but Lancelot deems this dishonorable. He also contemplates the possibility that Brandish may be immortal, meaning he would have to continue doing this for an eternity. Brandish manages to reattach his head, much to Maeve's frustration. She can't understand why Lancelot isn't doing anything to stop this, but Lancelot believes it's better to be too kind than too aggressive. The duel persists.[5]
Maeve and Flycatcher observe fourteen hours of intense combat, in awe of Lancelot's incredible endurance.[6] But their admiration turns to horror as they witness Brandish strike a fatal blow against Lancelot.[7] Without hesitation, Flycatcher steps into the fray in place of his fallen comrade. Meanwhile, Grimble, in avian form, has been sent to the secret stronghold where Brandish's heart was held. He pecks it to pieces with his beak, thus ending Brandish's life once and for all. As Brandish collapses to the ground, Sir Wellstuffed's first thought is that Flycatcher must have used a spell. However, Maeve confidently declares that Flycatcher would never resort to cheating.[8]
Appearances
Fables
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Fairest |
Original source
The character of Maeve is based on Medb from Irish mythology. Medb, also known as Maeve or Medhbh, holds the title of Queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle, a body of legends from ancient Irish literature. The epic tale, Táin bó Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), tells the story of Medb's role in leading her forces against those of Ulster. She is responsible for instigating the legendary raid that gives the tale its name. While her fellow war goddesses use their magical abilities to sway the outcome of battles, Medb relies on her combat skills and weapons to fight. She is portrayed as a strong and lustful deity. During the battle against Ulster, she is in a relationship with King Ailill but also indulges in an affair with the mighty hero Fergus, known for his impressive sexual prowess. Medb is often depicted with a squirrel and bird perched on her shoulders, and she is closely associated with the sacred tree bile Medb.[9]
References
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