Chapter 11
Sir Lancelot had grown old, so had King Arthur. Now the king had desired to renounce the throne. The time had come for the breaking up of the fellowship of the Round Table. Sir Lancelot had been searching for the Holy Grail for many years. He had travelled length and breadth of the country to trace it. But all his efforts proved an exercise in futility. Unable to trace it, he came back to Camelot sad and disappointed. His heart was broken. There in Camelot everyone was talking about his love with Queen Guinevere.
Sir Mordred was a mean knight. He always wanted to usurp the throne of Britain. He had been looking for a golden opportunity for many years. But he had not got it as yet. But now as the rumour of love between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot spread though Britain, he sensed it an opportunity to carry out his nefarious design. He knew that this was the only way that he could create friction between King Arthur and his bravest warrior, Sir Lancelot. In order to cash on the rumour, he straightaway headed for King Arthur. When he met him, he told, “Sir! I have a bad news for you. There is in the air that love is sprouting between your queen and Sir Lancelot. The queen loves him and he loves her in return. It has been going on for months. The news is true to the best of my knowledge.”
Hearing the news King Arthur felt shocked and bewildered. He could not believe his ears. He had full trust in Sir Lancelot. His heart was not ready to accept that Sir Lancelot could have done this evil deed. But when Sir Mordred gave him proof, King Arthur had to believe him. Now the King flew into a rage. On the other hand, the King loved Sir Lancelot very much. He would have forgiven him had Sir Mordred along with his brother Sir Garvaine not made the King, feel very angry.
Both Sir Mordred and Sir Garvaine said to King Arthur in one voice, “Your Highness! He is a traitor. He should be banished from the country. He has brought a slur on your name. Don’t pardon him in any case.”
At the insistence of the two brothers King Arthur banished Sir Lancelot to France. Sir Lancelot was alone. He could not do anything as he was helpless. None came in his support. Many months passed. Sir Lancelot was living in France and passing his days peacefully there. But the two brothers were not happy still. They again came back to King Arthur and uttered, “Your Highness! Let us wage a war on Sir Lancelot. He must be killed for his nefarious deed. He has no right to live on. He is a scoundrel and has stabbed you in the back.”
Thus the two brother poisoned King Arthur’s ears against Sir Lancelot who was unaware of these proceedings there in Britain. At the head of a large army of soldiers King Arthur along with Sir Garvaine went to France to measure arms with Sir Lancelot. Sir Mordred remained back there in Britain to rule over the city in his absence. After King Arthur had gone, Sir Mordred got the chance he was looking for. He forged some documents as if they had come from France. Thereafter he went over to the queen and uttered, “These letters have come from France. It is stated that King Arthur died fighting against Sir Lancelot. He has appointed me the next king of Britain. So I should marry you.”
Hearing the words of Sir Mordred the queen suspected some foul play. So, she acted with cleverness. She said to Sir Mordred, “I am willing to be your queen but first of all, let me go to London to buy me my new wedding gown.”
Sir Mordred agreed to what the queen had said. The queen along with some trustworthy knights, left behind by King Arthur for her protection, rode to London without losing much time. Reaching there she locked herself in the tower of England. When the queen did not return even after a day or two, Sir Mordred grew suspicious. He went after the queen and found her locked in the tower of London. However hard he tried to unlock the Tower of London, all his efforts proved an exercise in futility. The walls of the tower were too strong and Sir Mordred could not break them and let himself in.
In the meantime, King Arthur came to learn of the treachery of Sir Mordred. He flew into a rage. He made a comeback instantly. With his large army he headed for Britain. Sir Mordred also gathered his army together to give a fight to King Arthur. So, he rode to Dover to fight against the King. At Dover, both Sir Mordred and King Arthur met each other. A great battle ensued between the two. Many soldiers on either side were killed. But Sir Mordred’s remaining soldiers could not face the onslaught of King Arthur. So, they fled from the front. Sir Garvain, brother of Sir Mordred, was seriously wounded. He was struck with a weapon on the head. He himself knew that he was badly wounded and he had little chance of survival. Before breathing his last he said to King Arthur, “O King! I am near the death-bed. Give me a pen and paper so that I may write to Sir Lancelot.”
After the King had handed the pen and paper over to him, he wrote to Sir Lancelot as follows :
“Sir! It is a very crucial time. Come here quickly to protect King Arthur as his life is in danger. I beg your pardon from the bottom of my heart for poisoning the king’s ears against you. Be here at once and save your king.”
After writing this much he died.
King Arthur gave the letter to one of his men and ordered him to deliver it to Sir Lancelot. In the meantime, Sir Mordred had gathered more men to attack the King. Next morning at the head of a large army Sir Mordred marched towards the king to measure arms with him. King Arthur was staying near the lake, where he along with Merlin had gone to get Excalibur, the wonderful sword. The night before the final battle King Arthur saw Sir Garvaine in his dream. Sir Garvaine said to the King, “Sire! Don’t fight against Sir Mordred. He is stronger than you. Wait till Sir Lancelot along with his army reaches here.”
Next day as King Arthur awoke, his dream had disappeared. He called all his remaining knights and said, “There will be no fighting from today onwards. You have to keep your swords in their scabbards. If any of the soldiers of Sir Mordred takes out of his sword from the scabbard only then you will kill him. Come along with me.”
There in the camp of Sir Mordred a messenger came and delivered the message thus, “Sire! King Arthur is coming to have a discussion with you. If any of your soldiers takes out his sword from the scabbard only then his soldiers will fight and kill the soldier.”
On the stipulated time, King Arthur along with his army of soldiers met Sir Mordred. He was very alert and active. On the other hand, Sir Mordred was equally agile. None of the soldiers on either side took out their swords from their scabbards. Everything went smoothly. King Arthur had a peaceful discussion with Sir Mordred.
All the soldiers of both Sir Mordred and King Arthur were standing silently. All of a sudden, a snake crawled out of the grass and bit a knight on his foot. The knight took out his sword and killed the snake there and then. No sooner did the knight put his hand to the sword than all the knights on either side took out their swords from the scabbards. Soon they began to fight among themselves. There ensued a fierce battle between Sir Mordred and King Arthur. The fight continued till evening. On King Arthur’s side, only two knights—Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere were alive. All other knights had been brutally killed at the hands of the soldiers of Sir Mordred. On Sir Mordred’s side his all soldiers had been put to death. He stood alone with his sword. Out of Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere, the former was badly wounded. He needed immediate treatment.
Seeing so much bloodshed King Arthur flew into a rage. He ran wildly at Sir Mordred with a spear in his right hand. The spear went through the body of Sir Mordred who fell down lifeless there and then. Before breathing his last, he was able to wound King Arthur seriously. Seeing the pitiable condition of their King Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere took the King to a nearby church which stood near the field. They set the King down. In the meantime, Sir Lucan succumbed to his wounds. Now Sir Bedivere was left alone to take care of King Arthur.
Seeing Sir Bedivere in front of him King Arthur said to him, “O dear! My death is approaching. Now I am not going to live any more. Take this sword of mine and throw it into the lake.”
Thus King Arthur handed over his Excalibur to Sir Bedivere who readily accepted to do what the King had asked him to do. He ran through the forest to the lakeside. After reaching there, as he was about to throw it into the water, the jewels in the hilt flashed and shone.
Sir Bedivere thought, ‘It is such a beautiful sword. It is no use throwing it into the water. It is expensive as well. I shall keep if for my use.’ Thinking so he hid the sword there in the field and came back to King Arthur. When King Arthur asked him whether he had thrown the sword into the lake or not, he replied that he had thrown it. When the King asked him what he saw there, he replied that he had seen the water, the sky, the stone and the grass.
Thereupon King Arthur chided him saying, “You are telling a lie. It means you have not thrown it into the lake.” Sir Bedivere again went to the lake and came back pretending that he had thrown it. But when the King asked him what he had seen, he replied that he had seen the water, the stones, the sky and the grass.
This time again, King Arthur saw through his trick and scolded him severely thus, “This is the last chance you have. Either throw the sword into the water or get killed.”
Now Sir Bedivere took the sword out of its hiding place and threw it into the lake with all his might. Hardly had he thrown the sword into the water when an arm came up out of the water and caught the sword. The arm took the sword down into the lake for good. From that day onwards, the Excalibur, the wonderful sword was never seen again.
Sir Bedivere came back to the King and told him what he had seen. Now the King was confirmed that Sir Bedivere had really thrown the sword into the water. King Arthur said to Sir Bedivere, “Dear, please take me to the lake.”
When they reached the lake, the King saw a black barge at the side of the lake. There, beautiful queens dressed in black were sitting. After looking at the faces of the queens the King thought that they were the queens whom he had known and who had died. He longed to be with the queens. Sir Bedivere set the King down on the barge. The queens stood around the King. In a trice, the King breathed his last and the queen buried him there and then. But King Arthur’s grave was never found there. Thus ended the golden era of truthfulness, chivalry, bravery with the passing away of King Arthur.
After the death of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot came to Camelot. When he learnt of the passing away of the King, he plunged into an ocean of grief and sadness. He wept bitterly.
Now, he had nobody to support him. Some of the knights of King Arthur had been killed in the fight, whereas some others had left for their respective kingdoms. The fellowship of the Round Table had broken up with the death of King Arthur who built a very large empire and united all the powerful knights from different walks of life under the same roof. Sir Lancelot too did not live long. After a few months he passed away in his sleep. He was buried near a church with stately honour.
As for Queen Guinevere, she was distraught and overwhelmed with grief. She gave up the throne and joined a nunnery. There, she spent rest of her life
devoted to prayer and noble deeds.
