Then they fought till it was past noon and when they had rested a while they returned to the battle till evening, but at last Sir Beaumains smote the sword out of the Red Knight’s hand and smote him on the helmet, so that he fell to the earth. Then the Red Knight said in a loud voice, “O noble knight, I yield me to thy mercy.” But Sir Beaumains said, “I may not with honor save thy life, for the shameful deaths thou hast caused many good knights to die.” “Sir,” said the Red Knight, “hold your hand and ye shall know the causes why I put them to so shameful a death.” “Say on,” said Sir Beaumains. “Sir, a lady prayed me that I would make her a promise by the faith of my knighthood that I would labor daily in arms, until I met Sir Lancelot or Sir Gawain, who, she said, had slain her brother, and this is the cause that I have put all these knights to death. And now I will tell thee that every day my strength increaseth till noon and all this time have I seven men’s strength.” Then there came many earls and barons and noble knights and prayed Sir Beaumains to save his life. “Sir,” they said, “it were fairer to take homage and let him hold his lands of you than to slay him; by his death ye shall have no advantage, and his misdeeds that be done may not be undone, and therefore he shall make amends to all parties and we all will become your men and do you homage.” “Fair lords” said Beaumains, “I am loath to slay this knight; nevertheless he hath done shamefully, but insomuch all that he did was at a lady’s request, I will release him upon this condition, that he go within the castle and yield him to the lady, and if she will forgive him, I will. And also when that is done, that ye go unto the court of King Arthur and there that you ask Sir Lancelot mercy and Sir Gawain, for the evil will ye have had against them.” “Sir,” said the Red Knight, “all this will I do as ye command.” And so within a while the Red Knight went into the castle and promised to make amends for all that had been done against the lady. And then he departed unto the court of King Arthur and told openly how he was overcome and by whom. Then said King Arthur and Sir Gawain, “We marvel much of what blood he is come, for he is a noble knight.” “He is come of full noble blood,” said Sir Lancelot, “and as for his might and hardiness, there be but few now living so mighty as he is.” HOW AT THE FEAST OF PENTECOST ALL THE KNIGHTS THAT SIR GARETH HAD OVERCOME CAME AND YIELDED THEM TO KING ARTHUR So leave we Sir Beaumains and turn we unto King Arthur, that at the next feast of Pentecost held his feast, and there came the Green Knight with thirty knights and yielded them all unto King Arthur. And so there came the Red Knight, his brother, and yielded him unto King Arthur and threescore knights with him. Also there came the Blue Knight, brother to them, with an hundred knights and yielded them unto King Arthur.