Chapter 5

The Lady of Shalott

When Sir Lancelot awoke he was lying on his stomach in a bed, and beside him sat two men—the young man from the meadow and an older man in rich clothes and a gray beard.

"Oh, good," the young man said. "You're awake."

"Ouch," said Sir Lancelot.

"I'm afraid you'll smart for a while," the older man said. "And be quite weak for a bit. The doctor says you've lost a lot of blood."

"Where am I?"

"I am Sir Bernard of Shalott, and you're in my castle. My daughter, Lady Elaine, and Sir Lavaine here brought you to me after you fainted."

"And where is the lady—Lady Elaine?" Sir Lancelot asked.

"We made her leave while the doctor treated your ... um, your wound," Sir Lavaine explained.

"That was thoughtful of you," Sir Lancelot said faintly.

"She'll be back soon, though," Sir Lavaine said. "She feels awful about this. It was an accident, you know."

"I'm sure it was," Sir Lancelot murmured.

"I mean, it couldn't have been on purpose," Sir Lavaine went on. "Elaine couldn't have hit your—hit such a target at that distance for any price. To tell the truth, you'd have been safer if she had been aiming at you."

"That's not true!" declared a female voice from behind Sir Lancelot. "And even if it were, it's very unhandsome of you to say so, Lavaine."

"I'm only speaking truth, Elaine. The day you learn to—"

"As if you could do better!"

"Please don't argue," interrupted Sir Lancelot wearily. "It gives me a pain in the—it makes my wound hurt."

"I know just how you feel," Lady Elaine said, walking up to the head of the bed. "Sir Lavaine has given me that same pain for years. But truly, Sir Knight, I must tell you how sorry I—oh, my!" She broke off, staring at Sir Lancelot. "Well!" she said. "Aren't you a handsome fellow! I must say, if I had to shoot a knight, at least I bagged a good one!"

"Elaine!" said Sir Lavaine reproachfully. "You don't sound sorry at all! Don't you realize what you've done? I'm sure that this knight here was on his way to the great tournament at Camelot, and now thanks to you he'll have to miss it!"

"Piffle!" Lady Elaine said with a snort. "Why should a little scratch like that keep him from a tournament?"

"Because he won't be able to ride a horse, that's why! No knight could joust with such a handicap!"

"What's that?" asked Sir Lancelot suddenly. "Did you say handicap?"

"I certainly did. Don't you think that a wound in the—a wound like yours would be a handicap? Why, Sir Lancelot himself couldn't win a tournament in your condition! By the way, sir. What is your name?"

Sir Lancelot smiled. "John. My name is Sir John," he said.

Except for having to carry a pillow everywhere with him to sit on, Sir Lancelot had a lovely vacation at the Castle of Shalott, where he was cared for attentively by Lady Elaine and enjoyed long talks with Sir Bernard and also with the young Sir Lavaine, who lived nearby and rode over nearly every day.

After a week, just two days before the king's tournament, Sir Lancelot revealed his plan. "Sir Bernard," he asked his host. "Do you have any old armor lying about that I could borrow?"

"Whatever for?" asked Sir Bernard.

"I'd like to wear it in the tournament at Camelot."

"What? With a great, gaping wound in your—"

"I'm feeling much better, actually."

"How will you ride a horse?"

"I thought I would use a pillow."

Sir Bernard gawked at him. "A tournament knight with a pillow on his saddle? You'll look ridiculous!"

"That's why I don't want to wear my own armor," Sir Lancelot said promptly. "I'll be in disguise, so that if I end up looking silly, no one will know me."

Sir Bernard still tried to talk him out of his plan, and so did Sir Lavaine when he heard of it. "You're mad!" Sir Lavaine said. "I won't let you go!"

"How will you stop me?" Sir Lancelot asked.

"I ... I don't know, but ... Well, I won't let you go alone, anyway. Someone has to carry you off to a doctor when you faint. I'm coming too."

Only Lady Elaine approved of Sir Lancelot's idea. "I told you it was just a little scratch, Mister Smarty-Armor," she said to Sir Lavaine. "I think Sir John will be fine. In fact, I believe it so much that I'm going to give him my sleeve to wear as a token in the tournament."

Sir Lancelot started to say that he never wore ladies' tokens, but then he realized this would give him away. The only knight who had that rule was Sir Lancelot. In fact, if he did wear Lady Elaine's token, it would add to his disguise. "I would be honored to wear your token," Sir Lancelot said graciously, but to tell the truth he wasn't happy about it.

Neither, Sir Lancelot saw too late, was Sir Lavaine.