Sir Mador said very bitterly to the King, “My Lord, thou speakest as a sound man to one who is very grievously wounded and who may not defend himself.” “Not so,” said the King very calmly, “I speak, first of all, as a king to his knight, and next I speak as one knight to another knight who hath wrought him a grievous injury. For thou canst not undo what thou hast done; for thy quarrel hath sowed dissension and evil thought among my entire court, so that I, who was one time loved by my entire court, know not now who are my friends and who mine enemies.” Then the King turned to the constable, and he said, “Lord Constable, thou hearest what I have said. If this man is found hereabouts to-morrow day, cast him immediately into prison and report the same to me. For if after this day he falleth into my power, then he shall himself suffer destruction by the flames, as he would have consigned his own Queen to the flames.”
Thereupon the King turned upon his heel and left Sir Mador de la Porte gnawing his finger nails.
The servant telleth how Sir Pinal placed the apple.
That day the King held a council of his chief lords and subordinate kings. And before this council came that servant who had hidden behind the screen as aforetold of. And this servant told of how he had beheld Sir Pinal place the apple upon the table whereon the feast was to be held. This evidence they all heard and listened to, and when it was ended the King said, “Send for this Sir Pinal and let us hear what he hath to say to this.”
So they sent for Sir Pinal, but he was nowhere to be found, for the Queen’s enemies had told him that that evidence was to be admitted and he had fled away from the court into the wilderness, never to return again.
Yet is the Queen accused by many.
So was the innocence of the Queen proven. But still there were some who disbelieved that evidence, for they said, “See ye not how it is? For first they overthrow Sir Mador and then they drive him away from this court. Then they bring in this evidence to clear the Queen from guilt and they lay that guilt upon poor Sir Pinal, who is not of the Round Table. Thus there is no one to contradict the evidence of this poor knave, and so the Queen is to be cleared of the suspicion of guilt.”
So spake several, and the news of this was brought to the ears of Sir Gawaine. But Sir Gawaine would say no word upon the matter, for whilst he felt bitter enmity toward the Queen, and whilst he suspected the worst things of her, yet he would not give voice to that which he suspected. Neither would he give accusation against her, but went his own way thinking his own thoughts and keeping those thoughts within his own bosom.
Of the dissensions at the court.
Thus have I told you the history of these things as I myself have read of them in the ancient books that treat of them. For this was the first beginning of the end. For now that the Grail had been lifted from the earth, there was naught to hold together the Court of King Arthur as it had been held together before. But each knight began now to think of his own glory and of himself, and not of the glory of the King and the Good of the world.