"After marvelous adventures in which Lancelot of the Lake played a heroic part, the Knights of the Round Table set off in search of the Grail." "The Grail was a vessel in which Joseph of Arimathea had gathered the blood of Christ." "It was to bestow supernatural power." "It was believed hidden in Brittany." "Merlin, before his death, pledged the knights to the quest." "Merlin had indicated that the quest should be led by Perceval [Parsifal], not by Lancelot." "After leaving the castle, the knights were dispersed." "Perceval was not seen again." "Two years have passed." "Decimated, the knights return to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere." "They have not found the Grail." "He whose footfalls precede him will die within a year." " Even if they're his horse's steps?" " Even then." "You said that of those who passed yesterday." "It is the same omen for them all." "I've lost my way." "This is Escalot." "I'll show you the way." "Is it you, Lancelot?" "Gawain?" "The first is last." "I was lost near Escalot." "Greetings, Lionel, Lambegus, Bohort." "Uncle, Lancelot is here." "Sire, I do not bring you the Grail." "The Grail eludes us." "So much blood, so many dead." "At least you were spared." "The queen must be told that her knight has returned." "Mass already?" "Not yet." "You are alive, and you are here." "Nothing shall take you from me again." "All is lost for us in Brittany." "I can wait no longer." "Say it." "I love you." "Say it once more." "I love you." "You must believe me." "I believe you." "What is the matter?" "Give me your hand." "The one you are hiding." "Your finger is bare." "You have taken off my ring." "Speak; end my fears." "I saw the Grail." "One night, I sought refuge in a ruined chapel; a voice challenged me." "I can still hear that voice accusing me of deceit and treachery." "You dreamed it." "I shall be your lover no longer, Guinevere." "I vowed it to God." "You did that?" "I did." "You must be freed from another vow before God can hear you." "I ask you to free me from that vow, Guinevere." "I gave myself wholly to you, and you took me." "I'll close this room." "Why, uncle?" "Shall we never assemble again?" "Who?" "Here sat Ydier, Clamadeu, Urien, here Galeschin and all the others we shall see no more." "Here Perceval." "There Claudas, and there, there." "No, too many dead and too many memories." "Enter, Mordred." "I wish to ask you too." "What shall we do now?" "I warned against such a foolish venture." "You stayed behind in safety, Mordred." "Therefore, I won't comment on the disaster." "That's not what you were asked." "I'd rather keep silent." "In that case, you may withdraw." "I am troubled." "Have we provoked God?" "Are the deaths a punishment, a decree of His justice?" "Is this silent, empty castle a sign He has forsaken us?" " Let us re-form our ranks." " Not yet." "I lack the heart, when we have lost so many noble companions, to replace them so quickly;" "we must wait." "With arms folded?" "Wait for what?" "We have received a terrible blow." "May God guide us." "What if He does not?" "Remain at arms." "Practice." "Perfect yourselves." "Remain united; forget your quarrels;" "cultivate friendship." "What says Arthur?" "That we breathe poisoned air but that you will change poison into balm." "Why me?" "He always calls on you for help, for a miracle." "His words have stayed with me all day." "Which words?" "All. "Perfect yourselves."" "You have devoted your life to that, hence your mastery in combat." "I must perfect myself otherwise, but as for Mordred, he won't come to us, so we must go to him." "He is everything that you and I despise." "When he splashed you fording a river, you said he offended your horse." "How he cringed before you." "I dislike weaklings." "They should be hanged." "The queen's room is lit." "What of it?" "I wonder how many eyes watch that window while they feign sleep." "Idle talk." "I've surprised Agravain, Guivret, Lucan." "Even Mordred dares." "Pay no heed." "Go to bed." "His name will be in the calendar;" "Lancelot has become a saint." "We'll have to wait a long time for you to become a saint, Gawain." "I attend services." "God asks no more of me." "He willed me this way." "He wants you to love the life He gave you." "I'd love it more with fewer baleful faces about me." "We must do something." "Give us a purpose." "I gave you a purpose." "Pray, Gawain." "Pray." "Consent." "Free me from my vow." "You have changed, but I am the same." "Consent." "I beg you, for the salvation of us all." "No;" "I'll save no one at that price." "God does not ask us to forswear love." "That which was must be no more." "Can we make it be no more?" "We can forestall fate, deflect the menace." "There is no menace." "You all imagine it." "Yield, Guinevere." "I yield;" "I humble myself." "To think yourself responsible for everything is not humility." "Are you, then, the enemy?" "I am the one created to help you who will go with you through the void, the darkness." "I am your strength." "You said, "Without Guinevere, there would be no Lancelot."" "I wish to be alone." "You are alone in your pride." "Pride in what is not yours is a falsehood." "I was to bring back the Grail." "It was not the Grail." "It was God you all wanted." "God is no trophy to bear home." "You were all implacable." "You killed, pillaged, burned." "Then you turned blindly on each other like maniacs." "Now you blame our love for this disaster." "And I am to destroy this love which cost us so much to preserve?" "I will not." "It is not what you want that matters." "I cannot." "Neither is it this happiness you seek that matters." "Is it happiness that devours my soul?" "Who am I not to throw myself at your feet?" "I do not ask to love you." "Is it my fault I cannot live without you?" "That I need you?" "I do not live for Arthur." "Just say, "For you, I prefer death to life."" "Then I shall consent;" "all becomes easy." "That is impossible." "Happy is he who knows why he sacrifices himself." "But you know." "God cannot separate us." "If I surrender, it is to you alone." "You do not want that?" "What must I say?" "The "yes" that I see on your lips." "If you see it, it is there." "You can do with me as you wish." " What are you looking at?" " The moon." "Carmaduc says the little cloud drowns the moon." "I say it strangles it." "Meaning?" "We'll stifle here if we do not strike free." "The cloud is retreating." "Is it your watch?" "Let me go the rounds with you." "I prefer to go alone." "Mordred, let's make peace." "Arthur sent you?" "I came of my own accord." "You honor me." "I think things are best left as they are." "What do you want?" "Your friendship in exchange for mine." "We both serve the same king." "He takes your advice, not mine." "We are equal." "Our table is round, so there is no precedence." "A woman's scarf?" "You recognize it?" "Not if you conceal it from me." "Mordred, if I give you my right hand, will you refuse it?" "What insolence!" "He dared!" "For much lesser affronts, you've drawn your sword and struck at the heart." "So I went to him unarmed." "He could be struck." "No, self-control is a strength." "Easily taken as weakness." "He'll say you backed down, as though guilty." "Guilty of what?" "I don't know." "But they're all going over to his side." "Who?" "My brother Agravain, Lucan, and others." "You are perplexing us." "Take this harness." " It's your favorite." " That's why I give it to you." "Lord, do not forsake us." "Do not forsake me." "I struggle against a death worse than death." "Deliver me from a temptation I can hardly resist." "Their swords are on the right;" "they're from Gallesfort or Escalot." "From Escalot." " What do they want?" " To see if we're still breathing." "Did I do right?" "If you refused, it would be said that we are weak and cowardly." "A tournament is not war, and we know who will be the victor." "My faithful Lancelot." "We have a fortnight to prepare." "Has an angel descended or a tongue of fire licked our heads?" "It is only a simple tournament, but look how happy they are." "And he twitches his ears." "Our luck is changing." "Not only Agravain and Mordred gaze at that window." "I too." "Guinevere is our one woman, our sun." "Let us try our lances." "Against each other?" "What of our promise to Arthur?" " There is no risk." " What if you skewer me?" "Or I skewer you?" "Why ask me to come here?" "I know all is ended between us and that this must be." "It must." "I wanted to see you once more and then part." "I left my scarf here." "I'm sure of it." "Someone has been here." "What have we done?" "Guinevere, my heart." "Take this heart, this soul;" "they belong to you." "It is your body I want." "Take this proscribed body." "Take it; revive it." "I am afraid." "I fear no one in the world." "I fear what awaits us." "Aren't you safe in my arms?" "I won't always have them to protect me." "Always." "Poor Lancelot, trying to stand his ground in a shrinking world." "Where you are, Guinevere, the world is vast, limitless." "Hold me." "I am no ghost." "Don't undress me." "Wait till tomorrow." "Don't go to the tournament." "When they've gone, come to my room." "Even without entering the list, he'll take all the honors." "He never claims other people's victories." "He has mettle and courage, but perhaps less than is supposed." "Wait here." "When his hand touches the latch, do not hesitate." "Strike!" "Suspecting nothing, he won't be armed." "And if he is?" "Surprise; he'll have no time." "His blood on the floor here will unmask the adulterous traitor." "Fools will never understand his sort." "Luckily, he doesn't care." "He won't be carefree forever." "The hypocrite." "What do you mean, brother?" "If Lancelot were here, you'd keep quiet." "You'd cringe like a dog." "Beware." "Of you?" "Of this blade that could run you through." "You're not going to fight." "Don't worry." "I'm not coming to the tournament." "I knew it." "Mordred, you read my thoughts." "Friendship works such wonders." "But I long to know your thoughts." "You will surely know them." "Good luck." "Lionel and I were defending you ;" "now I look ridiculous." "Teach them a lesson at the tournament." "They yelp about you and besmirch your honor." "Your friends appear in the wrong and those blustering cowards in the right." "I'll silence them when the time comes." "The time has come." "Fetch a suit of white armor and a plain shield." "Saddle the bay and prepare two lances." "I'm going." " At night, alone?" " Get a move on, fool." "And hold your tongue." "Forgive me, my love." "I must." "I shall not be long." "I shall return tomorrow, and we shall be together all night." "Why isn't he with us?" "Love, sire." "Lancelot loves." "Whom?" "The queen." "He is her knight." "He is more." "A monstrous lie." "It is the truth." "You're giving vent to jealousy." "He who accuses idly shall be punished." "I swear it." "That does not prove it." "I swear it is false." "What proof have you?" "My word is enough." "Mordred, I order you to be silent." "Gawain, the conditions of the tournament?" "Choice of adversaries." "Sharpened points, weakened lances." "It was his horse." "More than one bay has a white star on its brow." "Only one lance is a thunderbolt." "Only one knight charges with his guard down." "Mordred, admit that everything refutes you :" "hold your peace." "At other times, too, he's opposed us with visor lowered." "He can't do anything like anyone else." "He wanted to teach you a lesson." "Was it him?" "My glancing blow left the point in his waist." "He was the victor." "He's wounded?" "Lionel thinks so, but he's not sure." "What are you sure of?" "Did you see his face?" "Did he speak?" "You are keeping something from me." "Only gossip and lies." "Do you understand Lancelot?" "He had to put a stop to things." "For Lancelot, to decide is to strike." "You are all wrong." "It wasn't him at the tournament." "Lancelot has left here forever." "He has fled far away." "Lionel, where are you going?" "To challenge Mordred." "My sword will prove he lied." "Only Lancelot's sword can prove that." "Anyway, he won't fight." "You can't chop his head off like a chicken's." "What's to stop me?" "This is Lancelot's doing." "Carmaduc and Bohort are going to look for him." "Why doesn't Arthur act?" ""He who accuses idly shall be punished."" "Some force is manipulating us." "Arthur cannot govern it." "Find him quickly." " News of Lancelot?" " No, but the forest is a devil." "An omen?" "God keep his soul." "So Lancelot is dead?" "The queen must choose a new knight." "Without delay." "If I could corner him..." "The king is checked." "By the queen and a castle?" "And this knight?" "Gone." "Flown." "Dead." "You cheat, Mordred." "Not as you think." "Explain the move with a queen and a castle." "Can't you guess?" "Stay where you are." "Keep out of reach of my sword." "Gawain, go away." "Don't stay here." "Are you giving orders?" "On bended knee, I beg you listen." "You are being watched." "Here is your scarf, which I found in Mordred's quarters." "He says you return because criminals return to the scene of their crime." "What crime?" "A crime that is punished horribly." "Gawain, once again, I tell you to go." "If you could do anything..." "I'll dare all." "He who must save me will come here." "No one else can make me leave." "Except by force." "I wait for him here, alone with my pain, as I always have done." "Here I can be with him." "I talk to him, and he hears me." "My crime is that for one instant, I doubted him." "A wound, some mystery is keeping him from me." "But he lives." "I know it;" "I feel it." "He has not abandoned me." "Now go." "Tell them that I love him and that I am wholly his." "Tell Arthur." "What are you waiting for?" "I would give my life to save yours, but I fear it is too little to tip the balance." "Uncle, do not go in." "Do not judge her." "If you still cherish her above all else" "Do you doubt it?" "Go quickly." "If there's a chance" "What are we doing?" "His rage will be terrible." "We have no choice." "We seek a knight." "He may be wounded." "Nothing to say?" "Nothing." "Not so tight." "Where were you?" "Did you meet someone?" "You should be dead." "But I am alive, and I am going." "In your condition?" "What is it?" "You are stupid, and you'll never understand anything." "Someone keeps calling me;" "I must go." "Go, then, and be killed." "I go to live." "Lancelot, help!" "I have come to rescue you, Guinevere." "Don't touch me." "I forbid you to come nearer." "You are covered in blood." "We must go." "They're waiting." "Nothing to be seen ; not a sound." "That means they are there." "Do you know who you killed to rescue the queen?" "Two shadows." "It happened so quickly." "Agravain, Gawain's brother." "The other was Lucan." "He didn't deserve to live." "And Mordred?" "We can wager that his sword is still virgin." " Is the drawbridge up?" " Yes, and these ruins are sound." " Food, water, fodder?" " Enough for a ten-year siege." "Siege?" "Lionel, Bohort, we are doing the attacking." "Where is Gawain?" "Gawain killed by Lancelot?" "God would not allow it." "My poor Gawain." "He is the victim of a murderer." "A traitor." "No, Gawain?" "It was my fault." "Don't blame Lancelot." "I charged at him." "He parried and thrust without recognizing me." "You must tell him it was my duty to avenge Agravain." "For all else, my heart is with him." "We'll avenge you." "We'll avenge you and your brother." "Sire, I wanted..." "What did you want?" "You and I both wanted to save the queen." "Yes, I wanted to save her." "What we could not do, Lancelot has done." "Uncle, listen to me this once." "All will die." "Listen to my counsel." "I am listening." "Gawain is dead." "Arthur offers" "He can offer nothing." "Lancelot had him under his horse's hooves." "Aiglin cried, "Kill him!" "End it!" But Lancelot spared Arthur." "Arthur offers to take back the queen, but Lancelot must leave." "Arthur judges her innocent of adultery;" "there is no proof." "He swears respect and loyalty to save further bloodshed." "Too late; we refuse." "This is our last night." "Let us accept; time is running out." "I won't capitulate." "We must atone for so much bloodshed." "We can't restore the dead to life." "It was my duty to defend you." "Your duty now is to return me to Arthur." "I shall not give you up to him." "I delighted in deceiving him." "I despise him and loathe him." "I'll rid you of Arthur." "You didn't kill him yesterday." "If I only had, without a thought." "He would have killed you." "I'll send word I want to make peace." "He won't listen." "Right is on his side." "Right is not justice." "Forget justice." "Stay with me." "It is no longer possible." "I crave the impossible." "You have nothing more to ask of me;" "I have nothing more to give you." "What I could do, I have done." "I loved you more than anyone has ever loved." "You lie." "You will never cease to love me." "I shall suffer instead." "You choose suffering?" "I have chosen nothing." "If I could see into your heart." "You see it." "It bleeds; it is torn." "How could I leave you?" "Perhaps God demands it." "He demands nothing." "The woman made for me was not made for me?" "Truth is falsehood?" "Leave this woman while there is still time, of your own free will." "If I leave you, what remains for me?" "Our faith in each other, our promise to each other." "I cannot be but where you are." "Even if I am a burden?" "Let me go." "For the first time, you bid me farewell." "For the last time too." "No, you are in my hands." "I'll not let you escape me." "It is nearly time." "I must hold on to you." "I shall walk looking neither right nor left." "What is the matter?" "Carmaduc has come to tell us:" "Mordred stayed behind at the castle." "He has mustered support and intends to challenge Arthur's rule." "What say you?" "You, Lionel, ask that?" "To horse!" "For Arthur, against Mordred!"