Just then Lancelot entered the tower, dripping with blood. King Bademagu greeted him, and brought a doctor with ointment for the knight's wounds.
'I have kept the Queen safe,' he assured Lancelot. 'My son has not been able to harm or bother her. For he loves her and would like to persuade her to love him in return, which I am sure she never will. He insists on fighting you - but first you must get well.'
The doctor says that Lancelot's wounds will need two or three weeks to heal, but Lancelot will not hear of waiting and wants to fight Meleagant without delay. So the doctor binds his hands and feet. and King Bademagu puts on the knight's armour, and they all proceed to the field in front of the King's castle.
All the people are gathered there to watch, and the captives from Logres who
are among the crowd all pray to God to give strength to this knight from
their country. Meleagant looks graceful and tall in his elegant armour, riding
a fine, strong horse. Even so, the other knight looks better still - even
the people of Gorre, who want him to lose, have to admit it.
The two spur on their horses at once and meet with a crash like thunder, each one thrusting his lance right through the other's shield so that the splinters fly like sparks. Even the horses clash chest to chest, and the straps and bridles, reins and saddles are broken to pieces.
They spring from their horses and rush at one another like two wild boars, dealing such heavy blows with their swords that blood spurts out. After a while, though, Lancelot begins to weaken, as the wounds to his hands and his feet from the Sword-bridge mean he cannot move so quickly or grip his weapon as tightly as he would like.
Sitting at a window in a tower of the castle, the Queen can see everything. A girl by her side asks Guinevere:
'Do you know the name of that knight?' For she thinks it might help if she can call out his name and let him know the Queen's eyes are on him. The Queen knows that only one man would come so far to rescue her.
'It is Lancelot of the Lake,' she says.
Then the girl leans out and cries:
'Lancelot, Lancelot, look up here and see who is watching you.'
Lancelot looks up and sees the Queen - but because of his love he cannot take his eyes from her face. Meleagant attacks him all the more, but Lancelot simply wards off the other knight's blows as best he can, never turning his head from the Queen.
'Don't be foolish, Lancelot,' the girl shouts. 'You are the worthiest knight of all, yet you are fighting behind your back. Turn and face the tower.'
Then Lancelot is ashamed and jumps so that he can fight while facing the tower. He is so full of fury that he lands blow after blow on Meleagant, driving the tall knight here and there like a ship blown by the wind.
Meleagant tries to move round so that Lancelot has his back to the tower again, but he cannot do it and begins to fear for his life. King Bademagu too is afraid that his son will be defeated and killed. He goes to Guinevere in the tower to ask her to get the knight to spare his son.
'You have been good to me,' Guinevere says, 'and because of this I do not wish your son to die.'
Lancelot hears this and at once stands stock still and will not strike another blow. For the wishes of his lady are like the law to a knight in love and he must obey instantly. However, Meleagant is so furious and full of shame when he hears his father beg for his life, that he gives Lancelot a huge blow with his sword, even though the knight is standing still as a stone.
'Are you mad?' the King cries, and gives orders for his men to seize Meleagant and lead him away until he is calmer.
Then the King declares that the Queen and all the captive people of Logres are
free to return to their own country.
'Let the fighting end for now,' the King says, 'but in one year's time my son insists that since neither he nor Lancelot has been fully defeated here, they will meet to fight again. It will be at the court of King Arthur, who rules over Britain and Cornwall and Logres besides.'
Lancelot agrees, and King Bademagu leads him into the castle.
