Summary, Chapters 52 to 57

Beltenebros is rescued by the Damsel of Denmark, wins glory and esteem, and secretly joins Oriana at her castle. 

[The Castillo de Buen Amor near Salamanca, now a hotel and restaurant.] 
 
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Chapter 52

The Damsel of Denmark goes to Scotland and searches unsuccessfully for Amadis. As she returns, her ship is blown by a storm to Poor Rock. There she meets Beltenebros, who has been so destroyed by grief that she does not recognize him, but finally a scar on his face tells her who he is. She gives him a letter from Oriana confessing her guilt. He immediately leaves with the Damsel for shore and, in a pleasant village, begins to recover. Enil, Gandales's nephew, becomes his squire, but Enil does not know that Beltenebros is Amadis.

Chapter 53

Galaor, Florestan, and Agrajes have searched for a year for Amadis, and having found nothing, they go to King Lisuarte's court in London to see if they can learn anything there, but what little news they find is bad. Oriana decides to go to rest at her castle, Miraflores, near London, for her sorrow over Amadis has made her quite ill.

At Miraflores, Gandalin tries to comfort her, and she has him make copies of the keys to the garden gates so that if Amadis arrives, she can help him enter surreptitiously over the garden wall.

Meanwhile, King Lisuarte has been challenged to a battle by King Cildadan of Ireland, and he begins to recruit one hundred knights to fight with him, including Galaor, Florestan, and Agrajes.

Chapter 54

Lisuarte receives a challenge for the war from the giants Cartadaque, Famongomadan and Madanfabul; and Sir Cuadragante; and the sorcerer Arcalaus: they will all for King Cildadan. But they offer to cancel the battle if he gives Oriana as a bride to Basagante, Famongomadan's son. The King refuses.

The Damsel of Denmark arrives at Miraflores Castle and gives Oriana a letter from Beltenebros. They arrange to send word to have him come to Miraflores.

Chapter 55

Beltenebros, who has recovered his health and strength, gets Oriana's orders and leaves for Miraflores, but on the route defeats Sir Cuadragante and sends him, injured, to King Lisuarte. Then he passes an encampment of Lisuarte's daughter, Leonoreta, and ten of the knights there challenge him to a joust. He defeats them and continues on his way.

But soon afterwards, while Beltenebros has paused at a spring, he sees Famongomadan pass with prisoners: Leonoreta and knights! Beltenebros challenges the giants and kills first Basagante and then Famongomadan and sends their corpses and the freed prisoners to King Lisuarte. Beltenebros's esteem grows in London.

Chapter 56

On his way to Miraflores, he pauses to ponder God and humility, and arrives under the cover of darkness and climbs to garden wall to be welcomed into Oriana's arms. He spends the next week there with her, out of their minds with pleasure.

Back in London, an elderly squire arrives with a magic sword and half-withered wreath of flowers. He tells the King that only a knight who truly loves his lady can remove the sword from its scabbard, which is made from dragon bones; and if a lady who truly loves her beloved puts on the wreath, all the flowers will be come fresh. The King agrees to have everyone in his court take the test. When Beltenebros hears this, he proposes that he and Oriana go there, disguised, for if they win, they need never doubt each other's love again.

Chapter 57

They arrive at the court but no one recognizes them: Beltenebros wears his helmet and Oriana wears veils over her face. They win the sword and wreath, and after a brief celebration, they leave. On the way back to Miraflores, they are challenged by Arcalaus. Beltenebros kills his nephew and chops off half of Arcalaus's hand as he flees. Beltenebros sends these to Lisuarte.

All this praise for Beltenebros has angered Galaor, Florestan, and Agrajes, who take it as an affront to Amadis and decide that they will fight Beltenebros after the battle with Cildadan.

The King and Galaor receive letters from Urganda the Unrecognized which prophecies that they will be in great danger of death, but Beltenebros will strike three blows to win the battle. However, Beltenebros will also draw the blood of the King, and all his great deeds will be forgotten, and he will gain power over Galaor's life. The King and Galaor are greatly troubled.

Then, they get a letter from King Arban of North Wales and Angriote de Estravaus telling how they are being held and tortured by Famongomadan's widow. The King urges his knights to leave for the battle, for it will be the best means to free those two fine knights.
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