Spain, and, when
King Fenis was come home again, he divided the spoil among his soldiery,
giving a portion to each man according to his rank; but the Christian
lady he bestowed upon his Queen, who, long desirous of such an
attendant, received her gladly into the royal apartments, suffering her
to retain her Christian creed: in return for this kindness, the captive
lady did good service, waiting faithfully both late and early on the
Queen, and giving her instruction in the French tongue. Moreover, by her
gentleness, wisdom, and discretion, this Christian captive won all
hearts in the heathen court.

[Illustration]

Now it happened that on Palm Sunday after these things the Queen gave
birth to a lovely boy, whom the learned heathen masters, because he was
born in the season of flowers, named Fleur; [more correctly 'Floire.']
and on that same Palm Sunday the Christian captive lady bore a daughter,
whom with her own hands she baptized, giving her the name of
Blanchefleur.

At the birth of his son, King Fenis rejoiced, and made great
festivities; also he commanded that the infant should be nursed by a
heathen, but brought up by the Christian captive, who, thus being
charged with both children, tended them with such loving care that she
scarce knew which was dearest to her, the King's son or her own
daughter. So tended, the two children grew to be the sweetest and
loveliest ever seen, and such was the love that they bore each one to
the other that they could not endure to be parted.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

_Chapter II_

[Illustration]

When some time had passed and King Fenis marked that the intelligence of
his son was now beginning to awake, he called the child to him and said:
'Fleur, now must you go diligently to school and learn of the wise
Master Gaidon.' But for all answer to this command Fleur burst into
tears, crying out:

'Father! neither reading, writing, nor aught else will I learn, except I
have Blanchefleur to be my fellow scholar.' To this the king consented,
so the two children with great joy went hand in hand to school, and
there by mutual aid and encouragement so quickly acquired the rudiments
of learning that in no long time they were able to exchange love
letters, which, being written in the Latin tongue, were not understood
by the other scholars.

[Illustration]

The tender love which, thus growing with their growth, knit the hearts
of these two children together, began,