Le Morte Darthur Book 18
BOOK 18, CHAPTERS ONE & TWO
Arthur and Guinevere are both glad to have all the living knights back at Camelot; however, Lancelot and Guinevere are again drawn to each other, so much so that everyone at court is talking about it. To protect her, Lancelot stays away and fights in tournaments as other ladies' champion. Guinevere gets angry with him and orders him into her rooms. He tries to explain himself but Guinevere won't hear it, eventually becoming so upset that she bans him from court and from her company on pain of death.
Lancelot tells Bors, Sir Ector and Sir Lyonel that he has to leave and is planning to return to his own country. Bors advises him against it, saying that Lancelot is too great a knight to simply go, and that Guinevere might regret her decision before long; Lancelot should stay with a hermit near Windsor, Sir Brasias, who is a former knight himself, until Bors sends him news. Lancelot agrees. Guinevere starts to feel guilty and wants him back almost as soon as he is gone, but she pretends that nothing is wrong.
CHAPTER THREE
To prove that she doesn't prefer Lancelot, Guinevere holds a feast for the other knights, including Sir Pyonel - the cousin of Sir Lamorak (who Gawain and his brothers killed). Guinevere serves fruit, because she knows that Gawain likes it, and Pyonel poisons an apple to kill Gawain and avenge his brother. Unfortunately, it's not Gawain but an innocent knight named Patrice who eventually eats the apple and falls down dead right there in the banquet hall. Gawain and Sir Mador, Patrice's cousin, accuse their hostess Guinevere of having plotted to kill Gawain .
CHAPTER FOUR
Mador officially accuses Guinevere of murdering his cousin in front of Arthur. It is decided that in fifteen days' time, Mador and another knight on behalf of Guinevere will fight, and if Guinevere's man loses, she will be found guilty and burned at the stake. (Arthur can't fight for her because he will have to act as judge.) All of the knights who were present at the dinner are suspicious of the queen. Arthur asks Guinevere where Lancelot is, because he would surely fight for her and win; she tells him that she doesn't know. Disappointed, Arthur tells her to ask Bors instead.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bors is reluctant to fight for Guinevere, because he blames her for Lancelot's absence, and is also worried that the other knights will be displeased with him for supporting her. Guinevere and Arthur both beseech him, and finally Bors gives in, on the condition that, should a better knight than him arrive in time for the fight, he is released from his promise. The king and queen agree happily. Bors rides to see Lancelot and tells him to prepare himself for battle and come to court in time for the fight, so that he can battle Mador in Bors's stead. When he returns to court, the other knights accuse him of siding with a murderess. Bors replies that he doesn't believe Guinevere to be guilty.
CHAPTER SIX
On the evening of the fight, Lancelot arrives just in time before Bors and Mador begin to fight. Bors tells Arthur that this other, better knight will take his place. Arthur, curious, wants to know who the stranger with an unfamiliar shield is, but Bors refuses to say, simply telling the king that he is released from their agreement now.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Before entering the fight, Lancelot calls to all the other knights that they should be ashamed for not trusting Guinevere and refusing to fight for her. He knocks Mador off his horse, splintering his spear, and the battle continues on foot. Mador stabs Lancelot through the thigh and injures him badly, but finally Lancelot defeats him. Mador begs for him to spare his life, and Lancelot agrees that he will, if Mador takes back his accusation and drops the matter of Patrice's death once and for all. Mador gives in and Lancelot is declared the winner. He reveals himself to everyone by taking off his helmet. Arthur and Guinevere thank him profusely, and all the other knights welcome Lancelot back to the court.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nimue, the lady of the lake, comes to court, having heard that Guinevere was accused of murder. She reveals that it was Pyonel who poisoned the apples instead, and that he did it to avenge his cousin. Pyonel flees back into his own country, and even Mador (with Lancelot speaking for him) is allowed back into the queen's good graces.
Arthur now decides to hold a great tournament. He declares that he and the King of Scots will fight against anyone who wants to compete with them., and many knights from all over the country come to rise to the challenge. However, both Lancelot (who says that he's not yet fully recovered from the fight with Mador) and Guinevere (who claims she is sick) stay behind when Arthur and his knights depart for the tournament, which angers the king. Guinevere calls Lancelot to her and tells him that he must follow Arthur, because it's going to look suspicious if they both stay behind.
CHAPTER NINE
Lancelot agrees to follow Arthur, but - against Guinevere's advice - decides that he will fight against Arthur in any fights that he enters. Lancelot departs the next morning and, halfway to the tournament, takes up lodging in Astolat with an old baron who greets him with pleasure. Lancelot asks him for a shield and armor that will not be easily recognizable, so he'll be able to fight anonymously again, and the baron tells him that he has two sons who were recently made knights; the older one was injured soon after and can't ride anymore, so Lancelot can have his shield and armor; and the younger one (Lavayne) is strong, so he'll ride with Lancelot and help him however he can. The baron also has a daughter, Elayne, who falls in love with Lancelot and asks him to fight with a token from her pinned to his helmet. Knowing he will be disguised, he agrees.
CHAPTER TEN & ELEVEN
When Lancelot and Lavayne arrive at the tournament the next day, preparations are being made for a big fight of two parties: one around King Arthur and the King of Scots, and one around the King of Northumberland and the King of Northgalys. They join in on the side of Northumberland, opposing Arthur. The fight begins and both "armies" are equally strong. Lancelot fights best of them all, defeating ten fellow knights, but when he has the chance to slay Bors, he doesn't. Lancelot gets injured by Bors, who doesn't know who he's fighting, and Lavayne barely manages to save him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After the fight, the victorious King of Northumberland wants to honor Lancelot for helping his side win, but Lancelot begs off, saying he has to tend to his injuries. He and Lavayne retreat to a nearby forest. Lavayne pulls out the spearhead still stuck in Lancelot's side, and Lancelot loses consciousness for a half hour. When he comes to again, he tells Lavayne that there is a hermit by the name of Baudewyn living nearby, who is a surgeon and might be able to save Lancelot's life. Lavayne rides and fetches Baudewyn, who says that once upon a time - as a knight - he would have refused to treat someone who fought against Arthur, but now he doesn't care, and asks to be brought to Lancelot.
