Ernis now, being at peace from his enemies, would take Sir Guy through
his realms. On their way they saw a dragon fighting a lion, and the lion
having much the worst of the combat, Sir Guy must needs go and fight the
dragon. After a hard battle he laid the monster dead at his feet, and
the lion came and licked the hands of his deliverer, and would in no
wise depart from his side.

Soon afterward the Emperor Ernis gathered a great company of princes,
dukes, earls, barons, bishops, abbots, and priors to the wedding feast,
and in presence of them all he gave Sir Guy to be ruler over half the
kingdom, and led forth the Princess Loret to be his bride.

But when Sir Guy saw the wedding-ring, his old love came to his mind,
and he bethought him of Felice. "Alas!" he cried, "Felice the bright and
beautiful, my heart misgives me of forgetting thee. None other maid
shall ever have my love." Then he fell into a swoon and when he came to
himself he pleaded sudden sickness. So the marriage was put off, to the
great distress of Ernis and his daughter Loret, and Sir Guy gat him to
an Inn. Heraud tended him there, and learned how it was for the sake of
Felice that Guy renounced so fair a bride, dowered with so rich a
kingdom. But after a fortnight, when he could no longer feign illness
because of the watchfullness of the Emperor and the Princess after his
health, he was forced to return to court, and delay his marriage from
day to day by one excuse and another, until at length fortune delivered
him from the strait. The lion which Sir Guy had tamed was used to roam
about the palace, and grew so gentle that none feared him and none
sought him harm. But Sir Morgadour, being sore vexed to think that all
his plans against Sir Guy had failed, determined to wreak his spite upon
the lion. He therefore watched until he found the lion asleep within an