The Once and Future King

by T. H. White

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Part 3, Chapters 41-45 Summary

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After Elaine’s suicide, life at Camelot goes on. Lancelot continues to fight in tournaments, but now Arthur has set himself against Lancelot in these games. It is almost as if King Arthur is hoping that Lancelot will kill him, freeing Guenever to marry her lover. Another knight comes to court by the name of Sir Meliagrance; he has also fallen in love with the queen. One May Day, when Guenever is out picking flowers without her usual body guards but only ten knights in civilian clothes, Sir Meliagrance kidnaps her. She begs him to carry her wounded knights with them to the castle. The queen manages to get a boy to take a message to Lancelot.

In Sir Meliagrance’s castle, Guenever tends to the wounds of her knights. Soon a maid says that there comes a horse drawing a cart in which lies a knight. Guenever sees that it is Lancelot, though his horse has been mortally wounded. Sir Meliagrance, fearing fatal retribution from Lancelot, surrenders. Guenever asks Lancelot to be merciful to her kidnapper. She and Lancelot once again fall in love, just as they had some twenty years previously. Sir Meliagrance invites her to stay in his castle.

Sir Lancelot climbs up to the tower where Guenever is sleeping. He climbs in, cutting his hand as he does so. They spend the night together after many years apart. The next morning, Sir Meliagrance enters Guenever’s room and sees the blood from Lancelot’s wounded hand on the sheets. He accuses the queen of sleeping with one of her wounded knights and charges her with high treason, ignoring his own intentions of violating her. Lancelot, whose wounded hand is covered with a glove, stands up for her honor. A duel is arranged, but until then, Sir Meliagrance invites Lancelot on a tour of his castle. He tricks Lancelot and pushes him into a dungeon, telling Guenever that her champion rode off unexpectedly.

When the time for the trial by combat arrives, Lancelot is nowhere to be found, so Sir Lavine is chosen to fight in his stead. However, a maid has released Lancelot in exchange for a kiss, and he comes riding up at the last minute. They duel, and Lancelot quickly gains the advantage. When Sir Meliagrance begs for mercy, Guenever gives him the thumbs down. Sir Lancelot agrees to fight Sir Meliagrance with most of his armor removed, but he still is able to overpower the evil knight and cuts off his head.

Sir Urre has a wound that will not heal. He seeks the touch of the best knight in the world and has come to King Arthur’s court. All the knights try to heal Sir Urre’s wound but without result. Arthur orders a reluctant Lancelot to try. Lancelot kneels over Sir Urre and begs God for one last miracle. Sir Urre’s wound immediately closes. Lancelot sees that the miracle is not that the wound has healed, but that he was allowed to perform a miracle at all.

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Part 3, Chapters 37-40 Summary

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Part 4, Chapters 1-3 Summary