But now had come to her the end of all this. For now was she escaped from her lord the King, and from justice, and she was hiding under the protection of Sir Launcelot of the Lake and of those knights of his blood and kindred at Joyous Gard. So had the end come to her of all the joy of her life, for King Arthur could now never condone or forgive her offence. [Sidenote: _King Arthur grieveth._] For when the news of that battle came to the ears of King Arthur, he was filled with anger and with grief. “Alas!” cried he, “that this quarrel should have begun, for in it I behold the end of my reign. For already the joy of the Round Table is past and gone, and never shall it return again.” For wit ye that that joy which is gone can never return, but only its memory shall live in the heart to lend a dim and distant lustre upon the sorrows of the present, and of that King Arthur was very well aware. So also he knew that the glory of the Round Table had departed, and he knew that ere the end of that Round Table should come many knights should die in that quarrel that was now toward. Then the King said, “Doth Sir Gawaine, the high prince, know that his two brothers have been slain?” They say to him, “No, Lord.” (For they did not then know that Sir Gawaine had already been informed thereof.) The King said, “Then let him not be told of it, for if he is told of it now he will, in his haste, vow vengeance against Sir Launcelot who was his sworn comrade in arms and his very dear friend, and so there will be added war to this war.” They say to the King, “He shall not be told, but it shall be kept secret from him.” [Sidenote: _The news cometh to Sir Gawaine._] But meantime there had come a messenger hastening to Sir Gawaine, and said to him, “Lord, the Queen hath escaped and is now upon her way to Joyous Gard with Sir Launcelot of the Lake.” At this Sir Gawaine gazed at the messenger and for a little while he said nothing, though he thought many things. And the face of Sir Gawaine grew white like to wax for whiteness, for he feared what further news should come to him. Anon he said, “What news is this? Were not my brethren set as a guard upon her? How then did they suffer her to escape from them?” The messenger said, “Sir, Sir Launcelot, and others of his blood, assaulted that guard and they seized upon the Queen and took her away. And in the mêlée at that time Sir Gareth was slain unwittingly. And then Sir Geharis was also slain whilst attempting to stay Sir Launcelot.” [Sidenote: _Sir Gawaine grieveth._]