Sir Gawaine sorroweth.
Then the King groaned and Sir Gawaine who was with him covered his head and also groaned in sorrow. Quoth the King, “To-morrow day this shall be inquired into, and the Queen shall be brought to trial for this treason.” And with those words he arose and withdrew from that place, accompanied only by Sir Gawaine, Sir Geharis and Sir Gareth and Sir Mordred; and leaving the other knights who were attendant upon him sunk in silence, not knowing which way to look or what to say.
So when the King was come to a private place, he seated himself and buried his face in his hands. And he groaned aloud, and he said, “Alas is me! This is certes the beginning of the end that was foretold by Merlin!” And anon he said to Sir Gawaine, “To thee, Gawaine, will I entrust the pushing of that inquiry which must follow. For thou and Geharis and Gareth shall go with a company of an hundred knights, and ye shall arrest the Queen, and shall bring her for trial for this offence.”
Then Sir Gawaine kneeled down before King Arthur, and he said, “Sovereign and lawful Lord and Master, I pray you to spare me from this.” King Arthur said, “Why should I spare thee?” Sir Gawaine said, “For these two causes: firstly, I am sworn brother in arms to Sir Launcelot; secondly, I am not friendly with my lady the Queen and so am not fit to serve her as her escort.”
Then King Arthur said, “I do not understand your refusal, Messire. Was not Sir Agravaine your brother? And was not he a strong and noble knight? And were not Sir Florence and Sir Lovel your sons?”
“Yea, Lord,” said Sir Gawaine. “All this is true; but I suspected evil in this affair, and I strongly advised them to refrain therefrom. This they have refused to hearken to and so they have perished, armed and in fair conflict with Sir Launcelot—he one against many.”
Then King Arthur’s face flushed very red with anger, and he turned to Sir Geharis and Sir Gareth. “And you, Messires,” said he, “do you also refuse me this duty?” “Sir,” said Sir Gareth, “if you bid us upon our duty to undertake this commission, we will do so. Yet wit you that Sir Launcelot was he who made me a knight; wherefore I will not go in arms to escort the Queen. But if thou commandest me to go, then will I go without armor or defence of any sort to protect me. For I will not stand in arms before the avowed lady of him who made me a knight.”
King Arthur said, “I do command you both to go, so let there be an end to this argument. But see to it that the Queen shall be brought to her trial in a plain white robe without a girdle and that she come in her bare feet like to any criminal. For I shall not believe her to be innocent until she be proved so.”
Sir Gareth and Sir Geharis go unarmed to arrest Sir Launcelot.
Now when the next day was come, it being then about the tenth hour of the morning, Sir Geharis and Sir Gareth took those five score knights and they rode to the lodgings of the Queen. Meantime, word had been sent to the Queen that she was to clothe her in such a guise as the King had said; to wit, ungirdled and in white, and in her bare feet. And it was said to her that she was to come to her trial like to a criminal—barefoot in that wise, and without a girdle about her waist.