Parsifal's Page by Gerald Morris

Obie's as much in love in Malchance as he is with her. I know. I used to deliver their secret love letters."
    "Secret? Why secret? Surely this Lyppaut doesn't disapprove."
    Brevard laughed. "Their marriage is his fondest dream. But Obie's of a rather, ah, romantical disposition."
    "I see," Sir Gawain said, shaking his head sadly.
"She thought it would be romantic to have a secret love—private meetings, messages in code, secret signals at dinner—"
    Brevard nodded. "All of that and more."
    "So why did she turn him down?" Gawain asked.
    "Another romantical notion," Brevard said disgustedly. "She dreams of a valiant knight, and so she said that until Malchance had proven himself in battle, she could never marry him. So, in a black rage, he went off and raised an army, and now we're about to lay siege to Lyppaut's castle to demand that he let Obie marry him."
    "Thus forcing Lyppaut to do what he's always wanted to do anyway," Sir Gawain said, laughing suddenly.
    "Milord?" Terence said. "I know you're the Maiden's Knight and all that, but I don't suppose you could give this one a miss, could you?" Sir Gawain laughed again, and Terence muttered, "I didn't think so."

    It was no trouble at all for Sir Gawain and his companions to join the ranks without notice. Sir Malchance had hired his soldiers from all over England, and few knew any of the others. Piers was dazzled by the array of arms and armor about him, but Sir Gawain and Terence regarded most of the other knights with amusement. When he asked Terence why, Terence replied, "I doubt if more than half of these fellows have
ever been in armor in their lives. This Malchance probably offered to pay his knights a year's wages and every squire and manservant and plowboy who could find a suit of arms joined up for a lark." His smile faded. "I hope no one is hurt in this folly."
    The next day they arrived at Duke Lyppaut's home, a squat, modest sort of castle, set in a broad, flat plain. They rode close, and as soon as they were within earshot of the walls, a man in silver armor rode out of the vanguard and raised his lance in the air. "Come to me, all my captains!" he shouted.
    Sir Gawain, sitting on his huge black horse beside Piers, chuckled. "What do you want to bet that Malchance doesn't even know who his hired captains are?" He clicked his tongue and his horse trotted forward and joined the group. A few of the other knights looked at him curiously, but no one said a word. Malchance rode a few steps forward, his captains and Sir Gawain at his heels, and called out. "Duke Lyppaut! Thou traitor! Show thyself!"
    A white-haired man looked over the battlements. Piers could see two female figures beside him. "What is it, son?" the duke asked mildly.
    "I have come to demand of thee what is truly mine."
    Duke Lyppaut shrugged. "Everything I have is yours. You know that."
    This threw Malchance out of his rhythm, and he
hesitated. Piers almost felt sorry for him. It must be hard to sound threatening when your victim calls you "son" and willingly offers you whatever you want. At last he recovered. "I have not yet told you what I demand, sirrah! I have come to take your eldest daughter from you, whatsoever say ye!"
    Duke Lyppaut's face lit with a joyous smile. "In truth? Oh, Malchance, if only her mother were here to see—"
    "Tell him he wastes his time!" shouted a voice beside the duke. It was one of the ladies. "Tell him that I shall have none of him." The duke clearly was surprised. He said something in an under voice to his daughter, but she only tossed her head and declared, "Never! Should I, the daughter of a duke, marry myself to a beardless, untried youth?"
    "His beard will come in soon enough," the duke said placatingly. "I thought you liked—"
    "Like this child? I laugh at the idea." Then, as if to prove her words, the lady added a grim, "Ha-ha!"
    Malchance uttered an oath and then shouted furiously, "Then I shall fight! And when I have slain every one of your