Then at the dinner, when the king was set at the table, and every
knight after he was of prowess, the king commanded him to be set among
mean knights; and so was Sir Percivale set as the king commanded. Then
was there a maiden in the queen’s court that was come of high blood,
and she was dumb and never spake word. Right so she came straight into
the hall, and went unto Sir Percivale, and took him by the hand and
said aloud, that the king and all the knights might hear it: Arise, Sir
Percivale, the noble knight and God’s knight, and go with me; and so he
did. And there she brought him to the right side of the Siege Perilous,
and said, Fair knight, take here thy siege, for that siege appertaineth
to thee and to none other. Right so she departed and asked a priest.
And as she was confessed and houselled then she died. Then the king and
all the court made great joy of Sir Percivale.
CHAPTER XXIV. How Sir Lamorak visited King Lot’s wife, and how Sir
Gaheris slew her which was his own mother.
Now turn we unto Sir Lamorak, that much was there praised. Then, by the
mean of Sir Gawaine and his brethren, they sent for their mother there
besides, fast by a castle beside Camelot; and all was to that intent to
slay Sir Lamorak. The Queen of Orkney was there but a while, but Sir
Lamorak wist of their being, and was full fain; and for to make an end
of this matter, he sent unto her, and there betwixt them was a night
assigned that Sir Lamorak should come to her. Thereof was ware Sir
Gaheris, and there he rode afore the same night, and waited upon Sir
Lamorak, and then he saw where he came all armed. And where Sir Lamorak
alighted he tied his horse to a privy postern, and so he went into a
parlour and unarmed him; and then he went unto the queen’s bed, and she
made of him passing great joy, and he of her again, for either loved
other passing sore. So when the knight, Sir Gaheris, saw his time, he
came to their bedside all armed, with his sword naked, and suddenly gat
his mother by the hair and struck off her head.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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