Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 28 Mrs. Quan (2)
The Countess was delighted to see him.She looked at Owen carefully and said, "Runed, why isn't this knight in a mess?"

"What's wrong with that, ma'am?" replied Runeder.

"I have heard that it was this man who killed my lord," said the countess.

"If he is not better than your husband," answered the girl, "can he be killed? This matter, and everything that has passed, cannot be remedied."

"Go away, both of you," said the countess, "I want to hear everyone's opinion."

So the two of them left.

The next morning the Countess called her subjects together in the courtyard and told them that her husband was dead and that no one was now to defend her lands.

"Choose between you," she said, "either let one of you marry me, or let me choose a husband of my own, so that my land will not be without a master."

After hearing her words, the big men in the city found a corner and had a discussion. After a while, the leaders came forward and said that they had decided that for the sake of everyone's peace and safety, it was best for her to choose her own husband.Thus Owen was called to her, and was very glad to have her consent to marry him.They were thus married, and all the people in the domain swore their allegiance to him.

From that day on, Owen, like the former earl, began to guard the spring. Every passing knight was defeated by him, and the ransom he got was distributed to the barons under him.And so, three years later, Owen became the most beloved man in the world.

At the end of the three years, the knight Guachomi happened to be with Arthur and found the king very sad.

"My lord, what happened?" he asked.

"Oh, Guachome, I'm sad because of Owen. I haven't seen him for three years, and if I don't come back in the fourth year, I can't live. I'm sure it's Claude Lowe's son. Kinon's story made me lose him. If he died, I would go down with my men to avenge him. If he was imprisoned, I would release him. If he was alive, I would bring him back. "

So Arthur asked Keenon to be his guide and led three thousand men to find Owen.When Arthur arrived at the castle, the young man was still shooting arrows in the same place, with the man in yellow standing beside him.As soon as the man saw Arthur, he immediately greeted Arthur and invited him into the castle.They went into the castle together.The castle is so big, after the king's 3000 people enter, there is not much difference from entering 20 people.

At sunrise Arthur left the castle, and with Keinon as his guide, found the Negro first, and then came to the top of the forested hill, where was the fountain, and the silver bowl, and the tree.

"My lord," said Kay, "let me pour the spring on the stone slabs, and accept the first adventure that may arise."

"You pour it." Arthur replied.Kai then watered it.

Immediately, everything happened as before: thunder and hail slew Arthur's men in great numbers, then birds sang, and the black knight appeared.Kay went up, fought, and was finally defeated.Then the black knight rode away, and Arthur and his men camped where they were.

In the morning, Kay asked to fight the Black Knight again, trying to defeat him, and Arthur agreed.Yet again he was dismounted, and the Black Knight's lance pierced his helm, piercing his skin, and bruising his bones.He returned to the camp in despair.

Since then, every knight has fought except Arthur himself and Gua Quemei, and no one has won.

"Oh, let me fight him." Seeing Arthur pick up the weapon, Guachomei hurriedly shouted.

"Well, go and fight him," Arthur replied.Guachomei put a burqa on himself and his horse so that no one could recognize him.They fought all day long, and neither could knock the other off.The same goes for the next day.On the third day, the battle became more intense. The two fell off their horses at the same time and fought on foot.Finally, the Black Knight struck his opponent hard on the head, knocking his helm off.

"I didn't know it was you, Guachame," said the Black Knight, "take my sword and weapon."

"No," Guachame replied, "Owen, you have won. Take my sword." Owen was unwilling to take it.

"Give me your swords," Arthur said from behind, "neither of you has beaten the other." Owen turned and put his arms around Arthur's neck.

The next day, Arthur ordered his men to return to where they came from, but Owen stopped him.

"Your Majesty," he said, "during the three years since I left you, I have been preparing a feast for you, because I know you will definitely come to me. You and your subordinates will stay for a while for me." .”

So they came to the castle of the Countess of Springs, where they rested, ate and drank for three months.When parting, Arthur begged the countess to let Owen go back to Britain with him for three months.Although it was distressing, she agreed.Owen is very happy to be able to reunite with his old friends. Three years instead of three have passed like a dream.

One day, Owen was sitting eating meat in the Castel Carleo on the banks of the Usk River, when a girl rode into the hall, came straight up to him, stooped down, and took the ring from his hand.

"That's how traitors and unbelievers should be treated," she said, turning her horse's head and running out of the hall.

Hearing her words, Owen was sad and ashamed, remembering the forgotten past.He went into his room, ready to go.At dawn, he set off.His heart was so heavy that he did not return to the castle, but walked into the wild mountains, until his body grew thin and weak, and his hair grew long.The beast became his friend, and he slept next to the beast.Finally, wishing to return to the world again, he descended to a valley and fell asleep by a lake in the land of the widowed countess.

It so happened that the countess was walking with a group of maids.When they saw a man lying by the lake, they recoiled in terror, for he lay so still that they thought he was dead.After they got over their fear, they came closer, touched him, and found that he was still alive.So the countess hurried back to the castle, brought a bottle of precious ointment, and gave it to a maid.

"Bring the horse that is grazing in the distance," she ordered, "and bring a suit of men's clothing, and place it beside this man, and put this salve near his heart. If he lives , so you can get him back. If he can move, you hide in the nearby bushes and see what he does."

The maid took the bottle and did as the hostess ordered.After a while, the person's hands and feet moved, and then he stood up slowly.He moved forward step by step, took off the clothes from Ma'anshan, put them on, and then climbed onto the horse enduring the pain.After he got on the horse, the servant girl came forward and greeted him.He was glad to see her, and asked whose castle it was.

"It is the castle of a widowed countess," answered the servant girl, "whose husband left her two countes, but this castle is all she has left. There is a young count who, because she would not marry him, , took all the land away.”

"It's pathetic," Owen replied.His body is too weak to talk more, so he will not say more.The servant girl led him into the castle, lit a fire, and brought him food.He remained at the castle for three months, where he was cared for and handsomer than ever.

One day at noon, Owen heard the sound of fighting outside the castle, so he asked the maid what was going on.

"It's the count I told you about," she answered, "and he's coming with a whole gang to rob the mistress."

"Ask her to lend me a horse and a suit of armor," said Owen.The maid told the hostess, and the countess smiled wryly, and said, "Okay, I will lend it to him. Although I don't know what it will do for him, I will lend him a horse he has never seen before, and return it to him." Armor and weapons. Perhaps he will keep horses and weapons from falling into the hands of my enemies."

The horse was led out, and Owen mounted the horse, followed by two page boys.They saw a great company encamped ahead.

"Where is the count?" he asked.The servant boy replied: "In the procession, there are four military flags."

"Wait for me at the gate of the castle." Owen said.He challenged the count, who rushed forward.The two had a fierce fight, and Owen defeated the enemy, and drove the enemy to the castle gate and into the hall.

"Look what your salve brings," he said, making the young count kneel before the countess, and swearing to give her back what he had stolen.

When it was over, he left and went into the desert.When he was passing through a forest, he suddenly heard a loud roar.He pushed aside the bushes and saw a lion on a large mound next to a stone.Every time the lion tried to climb up the mound, a snake would jump out of the stone and stop it.Owen drew his sword, cut off the snake's head, and continued on the road.The Lion followed, playing in front of him and behind him, like a hound.A lion is much more useful than a hound, and every night he comes back with some logs to make a fire, and kills a fat deer for his supper.

Owen built a fire, skinned the deer, roasted some of the venison, and gave the rest to the lions for supper.While he was waiting for the meat to be cooked, he heard a deep sigh beside him, and asked:
"who are you?"

"I'm Runed," replied the voice in the cave.The opening was blocked by shrubs and green creepers, so Owen could not see it.

"What are you doing here?" he cried.

"I was shut up in this cave because of the knight who married the Countess and left her. The page boys spoke ill of the knight, but I said he was the best man ever alive, and they dragged me away. Come here and tell me that unless a knight rescues me from here before a certain day, which is tomorrow, I shall die. His name is Owen, and he is the son of Urien. It is a pity that no one sent me a letter to tell He's my situation, or I'm sure he'd come to my rescue."

Owen didn't speak, and gave the girl some meat to keep her from getting discouraged.Then he took the lion and went to the great castle on the other side of the plain.The servants came and led his horse to the manger, and the Lion followed, lying on the straw.Everyone in the castle is hospitable and friendly, but full of sadness, as if death is coming.At last, when they were all fed and drunk, Owen asked the count to tell him what was the matter.

"Yesterday," answered the count, "my two sons were caught by a goblin on the hill over there while they were hunting. The goblin said that I must marry my daughter to him before he would let me go."

"That's not going to happen," Owen said. "What does the monster look like?"

"Looks like a man, but is a gigantic figure," answered the count. "I would rather he kill my son than give up my daughter."

Early the next morning, the people in the castle were awakened by a noise, and found that the giant came with two young men.Owen put on his armor quickly, and went to meet the giant, with the lion at his heels.When the monster saw that the giant was beating its master, it threw itself at the throat, and the monster drove it away with great difficulty.

"If it hadn't been for the Lion," said the Giant, "I would have beaten you without effort." On hearing this, Owen was ashamed that he could not defeat the Giant with his own sword, and shut the Lion up in one of the towers of the castle , and then return to the battlefield.Hearing the sound, the lion knew that the battle was not good for Owen, so he climbed up to the top of the tower, where there was a door leading to the roof.It leaped from the tower to the wall, from the wall to the ground, and with a roar fell on the giant, who fell dead in his claws.

Now the sorrow of the castle has turned into joy, and the count begs Owen not to leave for a while, but to hold a banquet in his honor.Owen said he had something else to do, and rode back to Runed, with the lion on his heels.When he arrived, he found a big fire burning there, and the two boys brought Runed out to throw him on the fire.

"Stop it," he yelled, rushing forward, "what's wrong with her?"

"She boasted that there was no one like Owen in the world," they replied, "and we put her in a hole and said that only Owen could save her. If Owen didn't come to save her on a certain day, she would die. Now the deadline has passed, and there is no sign of Irving."

"He's a good knight indeed, and if he'd known the girl was in danger, he'd have come to her rescue," said Owen. "Please, let me take Owen's place."

"Okay," they replied, and the battle began.

The boys played well and put a lot of pressure on Owen.When the lion saw it, he came to help his master.But the boys motioned to stop and said, "Dude, we've agreed that we'll only fight you alone. That beast is even harder to deal with than you."

So Owen imprisoned the lion in the cave where the girl had been imprisoned, and blocked the entrance of the cave with stones.Owen has not recovered from the fight with the giant, and the boys are very good at fighting, fighting harder than before.When the Lion saw this, he gave a great roar, and rushed out from behind the stone, and fell upon the two men, and killed them.So Luneid was finally saved.

Then the girl and Owen rode back to Mrs. Quan's domain together.Owen took his wife to Arthur's court, where they lived happily until old age.

(End of this chapter)