he
Queen by the hand, he cried: "False traitress! tell me at once what
is in that cup, or I will slay thee!" Then the Queen cried him
mercy and told him all her sin. But in his wrath the King would
have no mercy, but sentenced her to be burnt at the stake, which,
in those days, was the doom of traitors. The day having come when
the Queen should suffer for her fault, she was led out and bound to
a stake in the presence of all the court, and the faggots were
heaped about her. Then the young prince Tristram kneeled before the
King and asked of him a favour: and the King, loving him much,
granted him his request. "Then," said Tristram, "I require you to
release the Queen, my stepmother, and to take her again to your
favour." Greatly the King marvelled, and said: "Ye should of right
hate her, seeing that she sought your life." But Tristram answered:
"I forgive her freely." "I give you then her life," said the King;
"do ye release her from the stake." So Tristram unloosed the chains
which bound the Queen and led her back to the castle, and from that
day the Queen loved him well; but as for King Meliodas, though he
forgave her and suffered her to remain at court, yet never again
would he have aught to do with her.

CHAPTER XII

HOW TRISTRAM FOUGHT WITH SIR MARHAUS OF IRELAND

Now King Meliodas, though he had pardoned the Queen, would keep his
son Tristram no longer at the court, but sent him into France.
There Tristram learnt all knightly exercises, so that there was
none could equal him as harper or hunter; and after seven years,
being by then a youth of nineteen, he returned to his own land of
Liones.

It chanced, in those days, that King Anguish of Ireland sent to
Cornwall, demanding the tribute paid him in former times by that
land. Then Mark, the Cornish King, called together his barons and
knights to take counsel; and by their advice, he made answer that
he would pay no tribute, and bade King Anguish send a stout knight
to fight for his right if he still dared claim aught of the land of
Cornwall.

Forthwith there came from Ireland Sir Marhaus, brother of the Queen
of Ireland. Now Sir Marhaus was Knight of the Round Table and in
his time there were few of greater renown. He anchored his ships
under the Castle of Tintagil, and sent messengers daily to King
Mark, bidding him pay the tribute or find one to fight in his
cause.

Then was King Mark sore perplexed, for not one of his knights dared
encounter Si