While they were thus in talk the Kings Perion and Cildadan came up, and when Amadis and Galaor saw their father they knelt down and each took him by the hand and kissed it, and he kissed them, and the tears of joy ran down. King Cildadan bade them remember Don Bruneo, and he having spoken to the Queen and her daughter, they all went towards Don Bruneo, who was carried in Knights arms from the galley, and they laid him in a rich bed, in a chamber of the Queen's
apartments, the windows whereof opened into a garden of roses and other flowers. There the Queen and her daughter went to visit him, and she shewed great pity for his wound, and said to him, Don Bruneo, I will see you the most I can, and when any thing prevents me, your friend Melicia shall be with you and she shall cure your wound. Elisena then departed, leaving her daughter and her damsels. Melicia sate herself opposite his bed, where he could see her fair countenance, and so happy was Don Bruneo that while he could be so attended he did not wish to be healed. She looked at his wound and saw that it was a great one, but being open on both sides she hoped to heal it speedily; and she said Don Bruneo, methinks I can cure the wound, but you must altogether obey me, else you may bring on great danger. Lady, replied he, God forbid that I should ever otherwise than obey you, for sure am I that in that case none could help me. These words she understood as he had meant them, better than the damsels who were present. She then applied an ointment to his leg which allayed the swelling and pain, and gave him food with her own fair hands, and said to him, compose yourself now, and when it is time I will visit you again. As she left the chamber she met his Squire Lasindo;
now he knew the secret of his master's love. Lasindo, said she, you are well known here, and do you ask for whatever your master may need. Lady, he replied, God send the time when this kindness may be rewarded! and drawing nearer he said to her in a low voice, She Lady who wishes to cure the wounded should take heed to the worst wound; for God's sake Lady have pity on him, who so needs it, not for the pain which his wound gives him, but for what he endures for you. When Melicia heard this she replied, friend I shall remedy the wound which I see, if I can; of the other I know nothing. You know, Lady, replied Lasindo, that the passion he endures for you enabled him to see the statues of Apolidon and Grimanesa. Ailings like these, Lasindo, she answered, are often cured by only Time, so it may be with your Master, and it is needless to ask remedy for him from one who cannot bestow it. With that she left him and went to her Mother. And though Lasindo repeated this answer to Don Bruneo, yet did it nothing trouble him, for he believed she felt otherwise than that, and he often blessed the Giantess Andandona for wounding him, because thereby he enjoyed that pleasure, without which all the world to him was only trouble and solitude.
Thus as you hear King Cildadan and Galaor and Amadis were in Gaul with King Perion, to the great joy of all, and Don Bruneo in the care of her whom he loved so well. One day Galaor led them aside and said, Sirs, I believe that though I were to labour much I could not find other three who would love me so well, and therefore I beseech ye advise me concerning that which ought to be prized next to my soul. You Sir my brother Amadis placed me with King Lisuarte, and commanded me to be his with great affection; and now seeing how you are at enmity with the King, and that I am not discharged from his service, certainly I am greatly perplexed; for if I should help you, my honour would be tainted, and if I should aid him, it is the pain of death to me to do aught against you. I beseech you give me counsel upon this, which is your cause also, and consider more my honour than your own inclination. King Perion answered, Son you cannot do wrong in following your brother against a King so thankless and unreasonable, for when you remained with him, it was to do the will of Amadis; and now with just cause may you leave him, seeing that like an enemy he labours to destroy your kindred who have served him so well. Sir, replied Don Galaor, I trust in God and in your
favour whereto I commit my honour, that it never shall be said I left the service of that King now when he needs my service so much, not having taken leave of him before. Good brother, then said Amadis, though we are bound to follow the better judgment of the King our father, yet will I now venture by his favour to say, that at a time like this you ought not to forsake the King, unless it were so that no one could be injured thereby. As for this between him and me, there can be no Knights on his side so powerful, powerful as they may be, that the high Lord will not be stronger, who knows the services which I have wrought for him, and the evil guerdon, which nothing meriting such, I have from him received. It was determined then that Galaor should go to King Lisuarte. King Cildadan then said to the two brethren, ye know friends the issue of that great battle, which by you was won, and wherein ye took from me that great glory which I and my people should have gained; and ye know the terms of the battle, that the conquered should serve the conqueror, and this must I fulfill for my honour's sake, though it grieves me to the heart. To-day there came a summons to me from King Lisuarte to serve him with my full number of Knights.
I must therefore go with Don Galaor. So the next day they took leave and entered into a vessel, and having landed in Great Britain, took their road towards the King.
Greatly incensed was Lisuarte at what had happened in the island of Mongaza, and the slaughter of his people. And he resolved without waiting for all the forces which he had summoned to go against it. But three days before he was to embark he told the Queen to take Oriana and the Ladies of the court to sport with him in the forest. So tents were pitched there, and they enjoyed the chace, but the King's thoughts were more upon the loss of the Firm Island than upon his sport.