Picture Bradamante spending long months in charge of a garrison
The only place she could do her duty and defend her country
Without the danger of having to fight her beloved Ruggiero
For the first time she had no appetite for battle
Day after day waiting for news
She heard about a little skirmish in Paris
The hippogriff flying off to the moon
The old necromancer losing his fight with death at last
But all she wanted was news of Ruggiero
Then the rumours came
From friends, from enemies
On the breath of the wind
Even seeping from the ground itself
Rumours of Ruggiero's name with other women
It wasn't just Alcina
And after all, who could resist enchantment like that?
He escaped from Alcina only to fall in with Angelica
The most beautiful woman in the world
Well, all the other knights were in love with her
How could Ruggiero resist?
But then, his name was linked
With the Saracen warrior Marfisa
Bradamante's equal and opposite
Marfisa, so wild she wouldn't let a roof cover her head
Marfisa who cared only for glory
Who wore on a string at her belt
The foreskins of eight lecherous kings
An escaped prisoner of war filled her in with every unwanted detail
Yes, they were always in each other's company
Ruggiero was wounded in battle
Had been near death's door
Marfisa visited his sickbed every day
The whole camp was expecting their marriage
Just as soon as Ruggiero had recovered from his injuries
This was too much!
Biting her knuckles to silence her cries
Bradamante snatched up a sword and pointed it at her own breast
If only to still her whirling thoughts