The sea-nymph, his mother, told Neptune, King of the Seas, that his shepherd had imprisoned a beautiful maiden in his darkest cave, and begged him to set Florimell free, that she might become Marinell’s wife.
So Florimell was set free at last, and all her troubles were ended.
Marinell took her away from the kingdom under the sea back to Fairyland, and they were married in a castle by the golden strand. Every beautiful lady and every brave knight in Fairyland was there. They had tournaments every day, and each knight fought for the lady he thought the most beautiful and loved the best.
Marinell was victor in every fight but one, and in this he was beaten by another brave knight. This knight had on his shield a device of a blazing sun on a golden field.
When he had fought and won the prize, this shield was stolen from him by the wicked knight who had run away with the false Florimell. No one could see the faces of the knights, for their helmets covered them. So when the wicked knight came forward, carrying the blazing shield, and pretended that he had won the prize, Florimell, who was queen of the revels, handed him the victor’s garland, and praised him for having fought so well.
‘I did not fight for you!’ roughly answered the knight. ‘I would not fight for you! I fight for one more beautiful.’
Florimell blushed for shame, but before any one could answer him, the knight drew forward the false Florimell and threw back her veil.
And even Marinell could not tell that she was not his own beautiful bride that he loved so dearly, so exactly like the real Florimell had the witch made the image.
Just then the knight whose shield had been stolen pushed through the crowd.
‘You false coward with your borrowed plumes!’ he cried. ‘Where is the sword you pretend that you fought with? Where are your wounds?’