The Death of King Arthur Read Online Free Page A

realized that he had left his sword at his father’s lodgings. So he asked Arthur to ride back and retrieve it for him.
    â€˜Of course, brother. I will be back in a moment.’ When he arrived at the house he found that all the servants had gone to the joust, and that the doors were locked. In great annoyance he said to himself, ‘I will ride into the churchyard, and take the sword that is sticking in the stone. My brother must not be without his weapon on this day.’ He came into the churchyard, tied his horse to the stile, and walked into the tent where the ten knights were supposed to watch over the stone. But they, too, had gone to the joust.
    So he went over to the stone and, taking the hilt with both hands, lightly and easily took out the sword. Then he galloped back to Smithfield and gave the sword to Sir Kay.
    As soon as Sir Kay saw it, he knew what it was and from where it had come. So he rode over to Sir Hector. ‘Father,’ he said, ‘I have here the sacred sword. I am meant to be sovereign.’
    Hector looked at the sword, and then at his son. ‘Come with me,’ he told him. With Arthur beside them they rode back to the church and Hector, taking his son up to the altar, made him swear on oath where he had obtained the sword.
    â€˜Sir,’ Kay said, ‘Arthur gave it to me.’
    Hector turned to Arthur. ‘Where did you get this sword?’
    â€˜I will tell you, sir. I went back to our lodgings to find Sir Kay’s sword, but there was no one there. So I came to the churchyard here, and pulled the sword from the stone. It was easy.’
    â€˜There were no knights here?’
    â€˜None.’
    â€˜Arthur,’ Hector said, ‘I understand now that you must become king of this land.’
    â€˜Me? Why?’
    â€˜It has been ordained by God that the one who takes up this sword will reign over us. Let me see whether you can replace the sword and then remove it again.’
    â€˜That will not be hard.’
    So Arthur put the sword back in the stone. Then Sir Hector tried to take out the weapon, but it would not be moved. Sir Kay tried, too, but the sword could not be dislodged from the stone. ‘Now you try,’ Hector said to Arthur.
    Arthur stepped forward and with the greatest ease withdrew the sword. At once Sir Hector and Sir Kay kneeled down before him. ‘What is the matter?’ he asked them. ‘Why are you kneeling before me? You are my father and brother.’
    â€˜My lord Arthur,’ Sir Hector replied, ‘it is not so. I never was your father. I am not of your blood. But I did not know till now the height of your lineage.’ Then he told Arthur the story of Merlin’s commission to him. The young man wept when he understood that he was not Hector’s real son.
    â€˜Sir,’ Hector said to him, ‘will you be my good and gracious lord when you become king?’
    â€˜Of course. Otherwise I would be greatly to blame. You are the man in the world to whom I owe the most. Your wife – my good mother, or so I thought – has nourished me and kept me from my earliest days. If it is true that I am destined to be king, as you say, then you may ask of me anything you wish. I will not fail you, so help me God.’
    â€˜Sir,’ Hector replied, ‘I will ask only one thing of you. Will you make your foster-brother, Sir Kay, the steward of all your lands?’
    â€˜Gladly. It shall be done. And I swear to you that no other man shall hold that office as long as Sir Kay lives.’
    The three men then visited the archbishop, and told him the story of the sword. The barons assembled in the churchyard some days later, but none of them could remove the sword from the stone; then, in front of them all, Arthur achieved this easily. Many lords grew angry with him then, and declared that they would not be ruled by one who could boast no high birth. ‘This boy is more slender than my sword,’