Arthurian Romances (46 page)

‘In what you have requested, young lady,' replied the queen, ‘I perceive no wicked or evil intention, only good. I believe the knight is called Lancelot of the Lake.'

‘Praise God! You've made me so happy; my heart is full of joy!' exclaimed the girl. Then she rushed forward and shouted to him, in a voice that everyone could hear: ‘Lancelot! Turn around to see who's watching you!'

When Lancelot heard his name he turned at once and saw above him, seated in one of the galleries in the tower, that person whom he desired to see more than anyone else in the whole world. From the moment he beheld her, he began to defend himself from behind his back so he would not have to turn or divert his face or eyes from her. Meleagant pursued him with renewed eagerness, elated to think that now he had him defenceless. The men of that kingdom were likewise elated, but the foreign prisoners were so distraught that many of them could no longer stand, and sank to their knees or fell prostrate upon the ground. Thus both joy and sorrow were felt in full measure.

Then the girl shouted again from the window: ‘Ah! Lancelot! What could make you behave so foolishly? Once you were the embodiment of all goodness and prowess, and I can't believe that God ever made a knight who could compare with you in valour and worthiness! Yet now we see you so distracted that you're striking blows behind you and fighting with your back turned. Turn around and come over here where you can keep the tower in sight, for seeing it will bring you strength and help.'

Lancelot was shamed and vexed and despised himself, because he well knew that for a long while he had been having the worst of the fight – and everyone present knew it too! He manoeuvred around behind his enemy, forcing Meleagant to fight between himself and the tower. Meleagant struggled mightily to regain his position, but Lancelot carried the fight to him, shoving him so powerfully when he tried to work round to the other side, with his full weight behind his shield, that he caused him to stagger twice or more in spite of himself. Lancelot's strength and courage grew because Love aided him, and because he had never before hated anything as much as this adversary. Love and mortal Hatred, the greatest ever conceived, made him so fierce and courageous that Meleagant realized the deadly seriousness and began to fear him exceedingly, for Meleagant had never before faced such a bold knight, nor had any knight before ever injured him as this one had. He withdrew willingly and kept his distance, dodging and avoiding his hated blows. Lancelot did not waste threats upon him, but drove him steadily with his sword towards the tower where the queen was seated – offering homage to her through his service until he had driven him in so close that he had to desist, for he would have been unable to see her had he advanced a step further. Thus Lancelot constantly drove him back and forth at will, stopping each time before his lady the queen, who had so inflamed his heart that he gazed upon her continually. And this flame so stirred him against Meleagant that he could drive and pursue him anywhere he pleased; he was driven mercilessly, like a man blinded or lame.

The king, seeing his son so pressed that he could no longer defend himself, took pity on him. He intended to intervene if possible; but to proceed properly he must first ask the queen.

‘My lady,' he began by saying, ‘I have always loved, served, and honoured you while you have been in my care, and I have always been prompt to do anything that I felt would be to your honour. Now I wish to be repaid. But I want to ask you a favour that you should only grant me through true affection. I see clearly that my son is having the worst of this battle; I don't come to you because I am sorry to see him defeated, but so that Lancelot,
who has the power to do so, will not kill him. Nor should you want him slain – though it is true that he deserves death for having so wronged both you and Lancelot! But for my sake I beg you in your mercy to tell Lancelot to refrain from slaying him. Thus you might repay my services, if you see fit.'

‘Good sir, because you request it, I wish it so,' replied the queen. ‘Even if I felt a mortal hatred for your son, whom I do not love, yet you have served me well; and because it pleases you, I wish Lancelot to restrain himself.'

These words, which had not been spoken in a whisper, were heard by Lancelot and Meleagant. One who loves totally is ever obedient, and willingly and completely does whatever might please his sweetheart. And so Lancelot, who loved more than Pyramus
¹⁸
(if ever a man could love more deeply), must do her bidding. No sooner had the last word flowed from her mouth – no sooner had she said, ‘Because it pleases you, I wish Lancelot to restrain himself' – than nothing could have made Lancelot touch Meleagant or make any move towards him, even if he had been about to kill him. He did not move or touch him; but Meleagant, out of his mind with anger and shame at hearing he had sunk so low that his father had had to intervene, struck Lancelot repeatedly.

The king hurried down from the tower to reproach him; he stepped into the fray and shouted to his son at once: ‘What! Is it right for you to strike him when he doesn't touch you? You are unspeakably cruel and savage, and your rashness condemns you! Everyone here knows for certain that he has the better of you.'

Beside himself with shame, Meleagant then said to the king: ‘You must be blind! I don't think you can see a thing! Anyone who doubts that I have the better of him is blind!'

‘Then find someone who believes you!' said the king. ‘All these people know full well whether you're lying or speaking the truth. We know the truth.' Then the king ordered his barons to restrain his son. Quickly they did his bidding and pulled Meleagant away. But no great force was necessary to restrain Lancelot, for Meleagant could have done him serious harm before he ever would have touched him. Then the king said to his son: ‘So help me God, now you must make peace and hand over the queen! You must call an end to this whole dispute.'

‘Now you're talking like an old fool! I hear nothing but nonsense. Go on! Get out of our way and let us fight!'

And the king replied that he would intervene anyway, for he was certain that Lancelot would kill his son if he were to let them continue fighting.

‘Him, kill me? Hardly! I'd kill him at once and win this battle if you'd let us fight and not interrupt us!'

‘By God,' said the king, ‘nothing you say will have any effect on me!'

‘Why?' he challenged.

‘Because I do not wish it! I refuse to lend credence to your folly and pride, which would only kill you. It takes a real fool to seek his own death, as you do, without realizing it. I'm well aware that you detest me for wanting to protect you. I don't believe that God will ever let me witness or consent to your death, because it would break my heart.'

He reasoned with his son and reproached him until a truce was established. This accord affirmed that Meleagant would hand over the queen on the condition that Lancelot would agree to fight him again no more than one year from that day on which he would be challenged. Lancelot readily consented to this condition. With the truce, all the people hastened around and resolved that the battle would take place at the court of King Arthur, who held Britain and Cornwall: that was the place they decided it should be. And the queen was obliged to grant, and Lancelot to promise, that if Meleagant were to defeat him there, no one would prevent her returning with him. The queen confirmed this, and Lancelot consented. So upon these conditions the knights were reconciled, separated, and disarmed.

It was the custom of this land that when one person left, all the others could leave. They all blessed Lancelot, and you can be sure that great joy was felt then, as well it should be. All those who had been held captive came together, greatly praising Lancelot and saying, so that he might hear: ‘Sir, in truth, we were very elated as soon as we heard your name, for we were quite certain that soon we would all be freed.' There were a great many people celebrating there, and everyone was striving to find some way to touch Lancelot. Those who were able to get nearest were inexpressibly happy. There was great joy, but sadness too: those who had been freed were given over to happiness, but Meleagant and his followers shared none of their joy, but were sorrowful, downcast, and dejected. The king turned away from the square, leading away with him Lancelot, who begged to be taken to the queen.

‘I am not reluctant to take you there,' said the king, ‘for it seems to me to be a proper thing to do. If you wish, I'll show you the seneschal Kay as well.'

Lancelot was so overjoyed that he nearly threw himself at the king's feet. Bademagu led him at once into the hall where the queen had gone to await him. When the queen saw the king leading Lancelot by the hand, she stood
up before the king and acted as if she were angered. She lowered her head and said not a word.

‘My lady,' said the king, ‘this is Lancelot, who has come to see you.'

‘To see me? He cannot please me, sire. I have no interest in seeing him.'

‘My word, lady,' exclaimed the noble and courteous king. ‘What makes you feel this way? This is certainly no way to behave to a man who has served you well, who has often risked his life for you on this journey, and who rescued you and defended you against my son, Meleagant, who was most reluctant to give you up.'

‘Sire, in truth he has wasted his efforts. I shall always deny that I feel any gratitude towards him.'

You could see Lancelot's confusion, yet he answered her politely and like a perfect lover: ‘My lady, indeed this grieves me, yet I dare not ask your reasons.' Lancelot would have poured out his woe if the queen had listened, but to pain and embarrass him further she refused to answer him a single word and passed instead into a bedchamber. Lancelot's eyes and heart accompanied her to the entrance; his eyes' journey was short, for the room was near at hand, yet they would gladly have entered in after her, had that been possible. His heart, its own lord and master and more powerful by far, was able to follow after her, while his eyes, full of tears, remained outside with his body.

The king whispered to him: ‘Lancelot, I am amazed that this has happened. What can this mean when the queen refuses to see you and is so unwilling to speak with you? If ever she was pleased to speak with you, she should not now be reticent or refuse to listen to you, after all you have done for her. Now tell me, if you know, what reason she has to treat you this way.'

‘Sire, I never expected this sort of welcome. But clearly she does not care to see me or listen to what I have to say, and this disturbs me greatly.'

‘Of course,' said the king, ‘she is wrong, for you have risked death for her. So come now, my dear friend, and go to speak with Kay the seneschal.'

‘I am very eager to do so,' replied Lancelot.

The two of them went to the seneschal. When Lancelot came before him, the seneschal addressed him first, saying: ‘How you have shamed me!'

‘How could I have?' answered Lancelot. ‘Tell me what shame I've caused you.'

‘An enormous shame, because you have completed what I was unable to complete and have done what I was unable to do.'

At that the king left the two of them and went out of the room alone. Lancelot asked the seneschal if he had suffered greatly.

‘Yes,' he answered, ‘and I am still suffering. I have never been worse off than I am now, and I would have been dead long ago had it not been for the king who left us just now, who in his compassion has shown me such kindness and friendship. Whenever he was aware that I needed anything, he never failed to arrange to have it prepared for me as soon as he knew of my need. But each time he tried to help me, his son Meleagant, who is full of evil designs, deceitfully sent for his own physicians and ordered them to dress my wounds with ointments that would kill me. Thus I've had both a loving father and a wicked stepfather: for whenever the king, who did everything he could to see that I would be quickly healed, had good medicine put on my wounds, his son, in his treachery and desire to kill me, had it removed straight away and some harmful ointment substituted. I am absolutely certain that the king did not know this, for he would in no way countenance such base treachery.

‘And you aren't aware of the kindliness he has shown my lady: never since Noah built his ark has a tower in the march been as carefully guarded as he has had her kept. Though it upsets his son, he has not let even Meleagant see her except in his own presence or with a company of people. The good king in his kindness has always treated her as properly as she could require. No one but the queen has overseen her confinement; she arranged it so, and the king esteemed her the more because he recognized her loyalty. But is it true, as I've been told, that she is so angry with you that she has publicly refused to speak to you?'

‘You have been told the truth,' replied Lancelot, ‘the whole truth. But for God's sake, can you tell me why she hates me?'

Kay replied that he did not know and was extremely amazed by her behaviour.

‘Then let it be as she orders,' said Lancelot, who could not do otherwise. ‘I must take my leave and go to seek my lord Gawain, who has come into this land having sworn to me to go directly to the Underwater Bridge.'

Lancelot left the room at once, came before the king, and asked his leave to depart. The king willingly consented; but those whom Lancelot had delivered from imprisonment asked what was to become of them. Lancelot replied: ‘With me will come all those who wish to seek Gawain, and those who wish to stay with the queen should remain. They need not feel compelled to come with me.'

All who so wished accompanied him, happier than they had ever been before. There remained with the queen many maidens, ladies, and knights, who were likewise filled with joy. Yet all of those remaining would have
preferred to return to their own country rather than stay in this land. The queen only retained them because of the imminent arrival of my lord Gawain, saying that she would not leave until she had heard from him. Word spread everywhere that the queen was freed, that all the captives were released, and that they would be able to leave without question whenever it might please them. When people came together, they all asked one another about the truth of this matter and spoke of nothing else. They were not at all upset that the treacherous passes had been destroyed. Now people could come and go at will – this was not as it had been!