One day, as the King sate at meat in the hall with Perceval and Messire
Gawain and the ancient knights, behold you therewithal one of the three
Damsels of the Car that cometh, and she was smitten all through her
right arm.
"Sir," saith she to Perceval, "Have mercy on your mother and your
sister and on us. Aristor of Moraine, that is cousin to the Lord of
the Moors that you slew, warreth upon your mother, and hath carried off
your sister by force into the castle of a vavasour of his, and saith
that he will take her to wife and will have all her land that your
mother ought to hold of right, maugre your head. But never had knight
custom so cruel as he, for when he shall have espoused the damsel,
whomsoever she may be, yet will he never love her so well but that he
shall cut off her head with his own hand, and so thereafter go seek for
another to slay in like manner. Natheless in one matter hath he good
custom, that never will he do shame to none until such time as he hath
espoused her. Sir, I was with my Lady your sister when he maimed me in
this manner. Wherefore your mother sendeth you word and prayeth you
that you succour her, for you held her in covenant that so you would do
and she should have need thereof and you should know it; for and you
consent to her injury and loss, the shame will be your own."
Perceval heard these tidings, and sore sorrowful was he thereof.
"By my head," saith the King to Perceval, "I and my nephew, so please
you, will go to help you."
"Sir," saith he, "Gramercy, but go and achieve your own affair also,
for sore need have you thereof; wherefore I pray and beseech you that
you be guardian of the castle of Camelot, if that my lady mother shall
come thither, for thereof make I you lord and champion, and albeit the
castle be far away from you, yet garnish it and guard it, for it is
builded in a place right fair."