The Death of King Arthur (36 page)

‘Do as you please,' Agravain replied. ‘I can endure it no longer.'

As he was speaking, King Arthur entered the chamber.

‘Now, brother,' Gawain warned him, ‘stop this talk.'

Agravain and Mordred looked him full in the face. ‘We will do no such thing.'

‘Will you not? Well I, for one, am leaving. I am not going to sit here and listen to your tales. I want nothing to do with your conspiracy.'

‘No more will I,' said Gaheris.

‘Me neither,' returned Gareth. ‘I will never speak evil of another knight.'

So the three companions made ready to leave the chamber, in great grief of mind. ‘Alas,' Gawain murmured, ‘this realm will now be destroyed. The noble fellowship of the Round Table will be torn apart. We are entering a world of woe.'

So he and his two companions departed. King Arthur was astonished and asked Agravain the meaning of all the noise and confusion.

‘My lord king,' he replied, ‘I shall tell you. I can keep it secret no longer. Mordred and I have had a disagreement with the three noble knights. I will keep it brief. We all know that Sir Lancelot is the queen's lover. There is no doubt about it. We are your sister's sons. We can endure it no longer. We are all keenly aware that your rank is higher than that of Lancelot, and that you made him your knight. So we will prove that he is a traitor to your person.'

‘If all this is true, then he has committed treason against me. But I would be unwilling to proceed against him until I have sure and certain proof of his guilt. Sir Lancelot is a brave knight, as you both know. I would go so far as to say that he is the best and boldest of all knights, and he will fight against any man who lays this charge against him. Therefore, if you speak the truth, you must catch him in the deed itself.'

Arthur was in fact most unwilling to entertain these rumours about Lancelot and Guinevere. The king already had his suspicions about the matter, but he stopped his ears against any gossip. Sir Lancelot had performed so many services for him, and for his queen. In truth, Arthur loved him more than any other man.

‘My lord king,' Sir Agravain declared, ‘when you go out hunting tomorrow morning, I doubt very much that Sir Lancelot will ride with you. When twilight falls send a message to the queen that you will lie in the fields all that night and that you need the service of your cooks. Then, under cover of darkness, we will surprise him in bed with the queen. We will bring him to you, dead or alive.'

‘I hear you,' the king replied. ‘But I advise you to be careful. Take with you some loyal companions.'

‘Sir,' Agravain declared, ‘we will take with us twelve knights of the Round Table.'

‘Beware. I warn you. You will find him doughty and strong.'

‘We will deal with him, sir. Come. We must prepare.'

On the following morning Arthur rode out to hunt, and then sent word to the queen that he would be resting in the pavilions that night. Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred chose twelve knights and rode with them to the castle at Carlisle, where the queen was staying.

That night, Sir Lancelot informed Sir Bors that he wished to speak with the queen in private.

‘Sir,' Bors replied, ‘I advise you not to go to her tonight.'

‘Why?'

‘I dread the presence and influence of Sir Agravain. He plots against you continually. I implore you not to see the queen. I beg you to avoid her. I suspect that the king has gone from the castle for some reason. He may have set a watch upon her chamber. I am afraid that there is a plot hatched against you.'

‘Have no fear, good nephew,' Lancelot replied. ‘I shall not stay with the queen. I will be with her for an instant.'

‘That does not comfort me. I dread the fact of your being with her at all. This night may undo us.'

‘Fair nephew, I marvel at you. You know very well that the queen has sent for me. Who am I to disobey her? Do you think me a coward? Should I flee her grace?'

‘Then God protect you. Return safe and well.'

Sir Lancelot left him and, taking his sword with him under his cloak, he walked towards the queen's chamber. Now was a time of danger. He knocked softly on the door, and he was admitted. Lancelot and Guinevere were together again. Whether they engaged in any of the sports of love, I cannot say. I do not like to mention such matters. I can assure you of one thing. Love in those days was quite a different game.

When the queen and Lancelot were enjoying each other's company, there was suddenly a great clattering of swords and shields. Mordred, Agravain and the twelve knights gathered outside the door of the queen's chamber, exclaiming in unison, ‘You traitor, Lancelot! Now you are taken!' They were savage and exultant, shouting so loudly that the whole court could hear them. They were armed and dangerous, as if they were about to charge into a battle.

Guinevere cried out in alarm, ‘Alas! We will both be killed!'

‘Madam,' Lancelot said to her, ‘is there any armour here that I can put on? I have only my sword with me. If there is a shield or spear in this chamber, give it to me now. I will soon put an end to their malice.'

‘Truly I have no weapons here. I believed that I had no need of shields and helmets, of swords and spears, in my private chamber. Do you hear them? I am sure now that our love will end in ruin. By the noise outside the door, I know that there are many noble knights well armed and well protected. You will not be able to defend yourself against them. You are likely to be killed while I – I will be burned alive. If you could escape them, only then would I be rescued from such a fate.'

‘Oh God!' Lancelot was desolate. ‘Never have I more needed a suit of armour than this moment!'

At the same time Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred were hammering on the door and shouting out, ‘Traitor knight, come out of the queen's chamber! You are surrounded. You know well enough that you cannot escape!'

‘Jesus have mercy,' Lancelot whispered. ‘I cannot endure this shameful noise and riot. It would be better to die than to endure the dishonour.' Then he took the queen in his arms and kissed her. ‘Most noble Christian queen,' he said, ‘I beseech you to listen to me. You have always been the special lady of my heart, and I have always served you faithfully as a true knight. I have never failed you since the first day I was made a knight by King Arthur. Will you pray for my soul if I am slain here? As for your own fate, rest assured. My nephew, Sir Bors, and all my kinsmen, will not fail to rescue you from the fire. Comfort yourself, sweet lady. Sir Bors and the other knights will do homage to you and serve you. You will live as a queen upon my lands.'

‘No. Don't talk so,' the queen replied. ‘You know well enough that I cannot live after you are gone. Once you are slain, I will accept my own death as meekly as any martyr who died for Christ Our Saviour.'

‘Well, madam, since this is the day when our love may be undone for ever, I assure you that these knights will purchase my death at a very high price. I am more sorry for you than for myself. Oh, how I wish for a suit of armour! It would be dearer to me than the lordship of all Christendom. Then, with breastplate and halberd, my deeds would be remembered in the mouths of men.'

‘I wish that these men would take me and kill me here, so that you might escape.'

‘That will never be, dear queen. God defend me from such dishonour. Christ will be my shield. Christ will be my armour.'

He took his sword in his right hand, and his cloak in his left. Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred had taken up a great wooden bench, with the help of the other knights, and began to pound it against the door. ‘Fair lords,' Lancelot called out, ‘leave off your bellowing! I will open the door for you. Then you can do what you like with me.'

‘Do so!' Sir Agravain shouted back. ‘Open it. It will do you no good to fight against us. If you let us into the chamber, we will not kill you. We will wait to bring you into the presence of the king.'

Lancelot unbarred the door very cautiously and opened it a fraction. Only one man could come through at a time. So one of the knights thrust himself into the space. He was a good and mighty knight, Sir Collgrevaunce of Gore by name. As soon as he came forward, he struck at Lancelot. But the noble knight deflected the blow and with his own sword he attacked his opponent. Collgrevaunce fell instantly, killed with one blow upon his helmet. Lancelot then dragged the dead knight into the chamber, barred the door once more, and with the help of the queen donned the armour of the fallen man.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred were shouting abuse. ‘Traitor knight, traitor warrior, leave the queen's chamber now!'

‘Sirs,' Lancelot said calmly, ‘please stop all this noise. I tell you this, Sir Agravain. I will not be your prisoner tonight. I suggest that you all turn around and leave quietly. Slander me no more. I promise you, on my word of honour as a knight, that if you now depart in peace I will appear before you all tomorrow morning. I will stand before the king, too, and then let us see which of you will call me a traitor to my face. I will answer for myself, as truthfully as a knight should, and I will swear that I came to the queen with no manner of mischief in mind. I will prove this, if necessary, in trial by combat.'

‘Shame upon you, traitor!' Sir Mordred called out. ‘We will slay you, if we please. Do you not know that King Arthur has given us the choice of killing you or arresting you?'

‘Ah, sir knights, is there no graciousness or generosity among you? In that case, stand guard and defend yourselves.' With that he flung open the chamber door, and strode among them with his sword raised high. With his first stroke he killed Sir Agravain, and then proceeded to dispatch the others with the greatest ease. Within a short time they lay dead upon the floor, since not one of them could withstand the prowess and strength of Lancelot. Sir Mordred alone escaped. He had been wounded, and had fled from the scene in great haste.

Sir Lancelot returned to the queen. ‘Madam,' he said, sighing, ‘you must know that our true love is now in mortal jeopardy. King Arthur will always be my foe. But if you wish I will take you under my protection and save you from any dangers that threaten you.'

‘That is not the best course, sir. Enough, and more than enough, harm has already been done. Be still. Venture no more. I have only one request. If you learn that I have been sentenced to death tomorrow, I ask you to rescue me by any means in your power.'

‘Have no fear, lady. While I am alive I will be your saviour. Do not doubt it.' And with that he kissed her, and the two of them exchanged rings. He left the queen and returned to his lodgings.

When Sir Bors and his kinsmen saw Sir Lancelot return safely, they were overjoyed. ‘Jesus mercy!' Lancelot exclaimed. ‘You are all armed to the teeth. What is the meaning of this?'

‘Sir,' Bors replied, ‘when you set off to see the queen all of us that share your blood – and all those who support you – were so afraid of treachery that we leaped out of bed naked and ran for arms. Some of us even dreamed that we were already fighting, sword in hand. We all believed that some great strife was about to break upon us, and so we prepared ourselves. As you can see, we are ready for anything.'

‘My dear nephew,' Lancelot replied, ‘I must tell you that I have this night been harder pressed than at any other time in my life. God be thanked that I managed to escape imminent danger.' Then he told them the story of the night's adventures, as I have already related to you. ‘Therefore, my comrades,' he concluded, ‘be of good heart and spirit. I hope that you will assist me in any way you can. For believe me. Great war is now upon us.'

‘Sir,' Bors replied, ‘we will accept any fate that Almighty God bestows upon us. In your company we have received much reward and honour. Now we are willing to face with you the pain as well as the prosperity.'

The other knights took up the same refrain. ‘Look,' one of them said to Lancelot, ‘do not be disconsolate, sir. There is no company of knights in the world who can defeat us. We will match blow for blow, and strike for strike. We will call for all those whom we love, and who love us; together we will achieve victory. Have no fear. Joy follows jeopardy.'

‘God thank you all,' Lancelot replied. ‘You have comforted me in my distress. And you, Sir Bors, dear nephew, have reassured me. I ask you now to act before it grows late. I wish you to go among the knights that attend the king, and find out who are friends and who are foes. I need to know the measure of my support.'

‘I will go at once, sir. I will return before seven o'clock, and let you know who is with you.'

Sir Bors called to him all the knights who supported Lancelot's cause, some twenty-two of them; when they were armed and on horseback, they all pledged allegiance to Lancelot. These in turn were joined by one hundred and forty other knights, from North Wales and from Cornwall. When they were gathered together, Lancelot rode in front of them and addressed them.

‘I must tell you in earnest truth that I have always been a supporter of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. When the queen sent for me to speak with her, I feared treachery. Not that I suspect the lady herself. Far from it. But I suspected that there would be an attempt on my life. God be thanked, I prevailed.' Then he told them the story of the events in the queen's chamber. ‘Therefore I know well, my fair lords, that open warfare will be declared against me. I have slain Sir Agravain, the brother of Sir Gawain, and twelve of his kinsmen. I am sure that King Arthur sent these knights against me. In his malice and anger he is certain to condemn the queen to burning at the stake. I cannot permit that to happen. She will not die for my sake. It may be that I will be taken in battle, but I intend to fight for Queen Guinevere and to prove by combat that she is a true and faithful wife.'