5 Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 How Sir Pellias Took Up a Quest on Queen Guinevere's Behalf, Overcame a Red Knight, and Did Battle with Sir Engamore And now I shall tell you the story of Sir Pellias, who was nicknamed by many, "The Gentle Knight." The story begins with Queen Guinevere, who one day went for a walk with her ladies in waiting and some knights. It was a beautiful day, and they were

enjoying their stroll, when suddenly a woman approached them on a white horse. She was joined by three pages, one of whom held a large square object covered in red satin. The woman's name was Parcenet and she had come from the court of the Lady Ettard for a very specific purpose. The Lady Ettard was considered by many in her court and surrounding neighborhood to be the most beautiful lady in the world. She had heard that Guinevere was also extremely beautiful and had sent Parcenet to find out if this was true. "And it is indeed true," Parcenet said. "Why, that is very sweet," Guinevere said, "but funny, to come all this way for so small a matter. Tell me, what is that square object hidden by red satin?" At Parcenet's nod, the page pulled back the satin to show a portrait of the Lady Ettard. "If that is the Lady Ettard," Guinevere said

graciously, "then she is indeed beautiful as well, much more so than am I." "Not so, lady!" Sir Pellias protested. "You are the more beautiful of the two, and I would be willing to back up those words in battle." "You are lucky that we are here and not back in the Lady Ettard's court," Parcenet said, "otherwise Sir Engamore of Malverat, who is the Lady Ettard's defender, would force you to back up those words in battle!" Sir Pellias decided that he would welcome such a friendly challenge and he begged the queen for leave to do so. Although she still thought the subject matter to be silly, she was flattered and she agreed to the adventure. Sir Pellias was so eager to get going that he did not even take the time to pack or put on his own armor. He had faith, he said, that he should find armor fit for this purpose

somewhere along the way. While passing through the Forest of Adventure, Pellias and Parcenet's group came upon an old woman sitting on the mossy bank of a deep and violent stream. The woman's eyes were very red, as though she had been crying for years. Her face was thin and wrinkled. Bristles and whiskers sprouted from her cheeks and chin. Parcenet shuddered. Unlike Guinevere and the Lady Ettard, this old woman was definitely not beautiful, she thought! And so, when the old woman asked Sir Pellias for a ride on his horse across the deep and violent stream, Parcenet told the woman that Sir Pellias was too important to take on such a task. Sir Pellias, however, gently scolded Parcenet. He reminded her that a true knight helped anyone in need. With that, he got off his horse, lifted the old woman up onto it,

and rode her across to the other side. Once on the other side, the old woman hopped off the horse and was suddenly completely changed. Instead of red eyes, wrinkles, and whiskers, she had black eyes like jewels, ivory skin, and long, silky black hair. Around her neck she wore a beautiful necklace, a collar of opal stones and emeralds set into gold. She was, they all knew immediately, Nymue, the chief Lady of the Lake. Her old woman disguise had merely been a test of Sir Pellias's knightliness. "You passed," she said, "and for that you have won a prize." Reaching up, she removed the golden collar from around her neck and gave it to Sir Pellias to hang on his shoulders like a medal. What Sir Pellias did not know was that that necklace was magical. Whoever wore it would be beloved by everyone who looked upon him. The group continued on its way.

The next day, while in the forest, Sir Pellias and Parcenet came across yet another crying woman, this one quite young, and followed by an also sad esquire. "What is wrong?" Sir Pellias asked. "It does not matter," she sighed, "for you cannot help me." "How do you know?" Sir Pellias asked. He gently helped her off her horse, gave her some water, and asked her once more to tell him of her troubles. The story she eventually told was a sad one. She had been hunting with her new husband, Sir Brandemere, and their beloved dog had run ahead of them across a long and narrow bridge that went over a violent stream. As they started to cross, a terrible knight and