'Grant me, sire, the hand of the queen, your niece,' replied the
young man, bowing low, 'and I will defend her kingdom against all
her enemies.'

'She could choose no better husband,' said the king, 'and if she
consents I do.' And he turned towards the queen, who had not
been present during the fight, but had just slipped into a seat
by his right hand. Now the queen's eyes were very sharp, and it
seemed to her that the man who stood before her, tall and
handsome though he might be, was different in many slight ways,
and in one in particular, from the man who had fought the
tourney. How there could be any trickery she could not
understand, and why the real victor should be willing to give up
his prize to another was still stranger; but something in her
heart warned her to be careful. She answered: 'You may be
satisfied, uncle, but I am not. One more proof I must have; let
the two young men now fight against each other. The man I marry
must be the man who killed the robbers and the giant, and
overcame my page.' Geirald's face grew pale as he heard these
words. He knew there was no escape from him now, though he did
not doubt for one moment that Rosald would keep his compact
loyally to the last. But how would it be possible that even
Rosald should deceive the watchful eyes of the king and his
court, and still more those of the young queen whom he felt
uneasily had suspected him from the first?

The tourney was fought, and in spite of Geirald's fears Rosald
managed to hang back to make attacks which were never meant to
succeed, and to allow strokes which he could easily have parried