will, and she said: "Sir Arthur, I know well your courage and
knightly fame, and greatly do I desire to keep you with me. Stay
with me and I promise you that ye shall bear sway over a wider
realm than any that ever ye heard of, and I, even I, its mistress,
will be at your command. And what lose ye if ye accept my offer?
Little enough, I ween, for never think that ye shall win the world
from evil and men to loyalty and truth." Then answered the King in
anger: "Full well I see that thou art in league with evil and that
thou but seekest to turn me from my purpose. I defy thee, foul
sorceress. Do thy worst; though thou slay me, thou shalt never sway
me to thy will"; and therewith the King raised his cross-hilted
sword before her. Then the lady quailed at that sight. Her heart
was filled with hate, but she said: "Go your way, proud King of a
petty realm. Rule well your race of miserable mortals, since more
it pleasures you than to bear sway over the powers of the air. I
keep you not against your will." With these words, she passed from
the chamber, and the King heard her give command to her squires to
set him without her gates, give him his horse, and suffer him to go
on his way.

And so it came to pass that the King found himself once more at
large, and marvelled to have won so lightly to liberty. Yet knew he
not the depths of treachery in the heart of Annoure; for when she
found she might not prevail with the King, she bethought her how,
by mortal means, she might bring the King to dishonour and death.
And so, by her magic art, she caused the King to follow a path that
brought him to a fountain, whereby a knight had his tent, and, for
love of adventure, held the way against all comers. Now this knight
was Sir Pellinore, and at that time he had not his equal for
strength and knightly skill, nor had any been found that might