Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship

"Domnei: A Comedy of Woman-Worship" by James Branch Cabell is a story that takes place in the time of knights and castles, diving into the complex ideas of true love, respect, and putting women on a pedestal through the eyes of its main character, Perion, who is completely captivated by the lovely Melicent. The story moves forward with parts of important people in the court acting in secret, giving up things for others, and tough moral choices that come with this particular love story. At the beginning, we meet Perion de la Forêt, a person living outside the law who pretends to be the Vicomte de Puysange, all while secretly loving Melicent, who is supposed to marry a king. During a costume party at Count Emmerick's place, Perion finds himself stuck between lying and his strong love for Melicent. Their meetings show how complicated their feelings are as they talk about what they have to do, doing the right thing, and what might happen because of their choices, setting the scene for the main problem in the story. The beginning part helps us understand why the characters do what they do—especially Perion's inner battles with what he's done in the past and his love for Melicent—hinting at a bigger story about how love can save someone, even when social class and what people expect get in the way.