Yolande Chastellain

June 2005

Azure, a shakefork argent between three crosses bottony within an orle Or.

Yolande is a lady-in-waiting in the household of the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy in Dijon, France in the year 1453. She is a lady-in-waiting to the duchess, assists with the duties of the chamberlain and often travels with the ducal court.

Some time ago, her Lord husband Lucullus (an Englishman) was thrown from his horse and hit his head on a rock, and now he thinks that he is part of the Romano-British army circa 500 AD. Originally Yolande altered her clothing and re-created this time period simply to humour her Lord, but has since found that she quite enjoys the Romano-British era and the ideals it conveys. Her Lord husband is squire to Dux Darius Corvinus, and as a good wife, Yolande joined her husband in the Darian Household. With great respect and admiration she herself swore fealty to His Grace Dux Darius.

She has proudly served on many Royal Retinues for An Tir and Tir Righ, and has been priviliged to work with and to come to know Darius and Morgaine, Ulf and Celdae, Ulf and Bernadette, and Ulf and Amanda. It was during her service to Amira Celdae the Seeker that they took a long held acquaintance and forged it into a strong friendship.

She has had many memorable events, including falling in love with her Lord at Autumn War, attending a very distant An Tir-West War in 1997 with Their Majesties Darius and Morgaine, 30th Year Celebration, and Estrella War 2004.

The most thrilling memory for her occured at Lions Gate Baroness' Winter Tourney XL/2005 which started with Naqiba Celdae saying that it was her right and her privilege to take on Proteges, and she had chosen Yolande. Yolande then wanted to honor the fealty arrangements that she already had by making presentations to Dux Darius and Ulf and Amanda, Prince and Princess of Tir Righ. Apparently Their Majesties Uther and Angharad thought that there were just too many confusing fealty ties and they should all be severed...by making her a Pelican! Suddenly, all the Pelicans--in very Pelicanate style--flocked in from all corners of the room! Yolande was put on vigil until the time that her babe would be old enough to travel to a kingdom event.

Yolande is step-mother to her Lord's son Brandyn, and has found her raison d'etre as a proud new mother to her first-born, a son named Logan.

Yolande enjoys being a lady-in-waiting, autocratting, running the Lists, waterbearing, shopping on merchants row, dancing, watching court, watching combat, Ithra classes, and helping others. Her interests also lie in research, persona development, costuming, period fabrics, spinning, embroidery, calligraphy, and period methods of waterbearing.

• Offered entry into the Order of the Pelican at Lions Gate Baroness' Winter Tourney XL/2005.
• Has been playing in the SCA for over 20 years, with her first event being a week shy of her 16th birthday.