With that, cometh a damsel and kneeleth before the Queen and saith:
"Lady, behold here the knight that was first at the Graal. I saw him in
the court of the Queen of the Tents, there where he was appeached of
treason and murder."
"Now haste," saith the Queen to the knight, "Let sound the ivory horn
upon the castle."
The knights and damsels that were sitting on the steps leapt up, and
make right great joy, and the other knights likewise. They say that
now they know well that they have done their penance. Thereupon they
enter into the hall, and the Lady issueth from her chamber and taketh
Perceval by the hand and goeth to meet them.
"Behold here," saith she, "the knight through whom you have had the
pain and travail, and by whom you are now released therefrom!"
"Ha!" say the knights and dames, "welcome may he be!"
"By my head," saith the Queen, "so is he, for he is the knight of the
world that I had most desire to see."
She maketh disarm him, and bring the rich robe of cloth of silk to
apparel him. "Sir," saith the Queen, "Four knights and three damsels
have been under the steps at the entrance of the hall ever since such
time as you were at the hostel of King Fisherman, there where you
forgot to ask whereof the Graal might serve, nor never since have they
had none other house nor hold wherein to eat nor to drink nor to lie,
nor never since have they had no heart to make joy, nor would not now
and you had not come hither. Wherefore ought you not to marvel that
they make joy of your coming. Howbeit, on the other hand, sore need
have we in this castle of your coming, for a knight warreth upon me
that is brother of King Fisherman, and his name is the King of Castle
Mortal."
"Lady," saith he, "He is my uncle, albeit I knew it not of a long time,
nor of the good King Fisherman either, and the good King Hermit is my
uncle also. But I tell you of a very truth, the King of Castle Mortal
is the most fell and cruel that liveth, wherefore ought none to love
him for the felony that is in him, for he hath begun to war upon King
Fisherman my uncle, and challengeth him his castle, and would fain have
the Lance and the Graal."
"Sir," saith the Queen, "in like sort challengeth he my castle of me
for that I am in aid of King Fisherman, and every week cometh he to an
island that is in this sea, and oft-times cometh plundering before this
castle and hath slain many of my knights and damsels, whereof God grant
us vengeance upon him."
She taketh Perceval by the hand and leadeth him to the windows of the
hall that were nighest the sea. "Sir," saith she, "Now may you see the
island, there, whereunto your uncle cometh in a galley, and in this
island sojourneth he until he hath seen where to aim his blow and laid
his plans. And here below, see, are my gallies that defend us thereof."