“Sir Knight,” answered Beaumains, “nothing shall avail you, unless my damsel speak with me for thy life so he raised his sword as if to slay him.
“Let be,” said the damsel, “thou base scullion; slay not that knight, or else thou wilt repent it.”
“Damsel,” said Beaumains, “your charge is to me a pleasure, and at your commandment I will spare his life.”
Then the green knight knelt down and did homage to Beaumains, and after that he conducted them both to his castle, for by this time it was dark night. But even as before, the damsel would not suffer Beaumains to sit at the same table with her, so the green knight sat with him at a side-table. “I marvel,” said he to the damsel, “that you rebuke this noble knight as you do, for I know no knight able to match him.”
“It is a shame,” she answered, “that you should say such worship of him.”
“Truly,” quoth the green knight, “it would be shameful of me to say any disworship of him, for he has proved himself a better knight than I am.”
On the morrow they rose early, and after they had broken their fast, the green knight, with the thirty knights that served him, escorted them through a perilous forest; and at parting he said that he and his thirty knights would ever be at Sir Beau-mains’ command. So the knight and damsel pursued their way; and still she chid him as sorely as ever, and bade him flee, for they were coming to a place where he would otherwise be put to shame. But of this Beaumains took no heed. And as they rode they came to a great tower, with battlements, as white as snow, and over its gate there hung fifty shields of different colours. By the tower was a fair meadow, on which were standing many pavilions, and thereabout were knights and squires, for on the next day there was appointed to be a tournament at that castle. The lord of it was called the red knight, because he went all in red Looking out of the window, he saw Sir Beaumains where he rode with his damsel and his dwarf. “With that knight,” said he, “will I joust, for I see that he is a knight-errant.” So he armed him hastily, and mounted his horse; and when he drew near Sir Beaumains, and saw his black armour, he thought it was his brother the black knight, and said, “Brother, what do you in these marches?”
“Nay,” said the damsel; “this is not your brother, but an unhappy kitchen-knave that hath overcome your brother, and taken his horse and armour; and I saw him also overcome your other brother, the green knight. Now you may be avenged upon him, for I cannot get quit of him.”
So without more words the two knights took their distance, and came together with such force that both their horses fell to the earth. Then they took to their swords, and fought sternly therewith for well-nigh two hours. The damsel, who stood by and watched them, at last cried out, “Alas, thou noble red knight, think what worship hath followed thee, and let not a kitchen-knave endure before thee as this one doth.” Then the red knight was wroth, and redoubled his strokes, hurting Beaumains so sore that his blood ran down to the ground; but Beaumains answered him full fiercely, and in a little while smote him to the earth. So the red knight cried for mercy, and said, “Noble Knight, slay me not, and I will yield to thee with fifty knights that be at my command.”
“This will avail thee naught,” said Beaumains, “unless my damsel pray me to save thy life.” And he made semblance to strike off his head.