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Then Angriote de Estravaus arrived with his nephew Sarquiles, fully armed, and approached the King to kiss his hands. The twelve knights were surprised that he had come because they did not know why. But Gandandel and Brocadan were terrified and looked at one another, as those who knew what Angriote had said previously, and thought he had come because of that. Although they held him to be one of the best knights in the King’s reign, they prepared themselves to answer him. They called their two sons to stand near them and ordered them to say nothing more than they were ordered.
Angriote came before the King and told him:
“My lord, order Gandandel and Brocadan to come forward. I must tell them some things so that ye and those here shall know better what has occurred.”
The King ordered them to step forward, and everyone came to see what it would happen.
Angriote said:
“My lord, know that Gandandel and Brocadan are disloyal and false to you, and they advised you badly and with lies, without thinking about God or you or Amadis, who did them so many honors and never did them wrong. And they vilely told you that Amadis sought to raise a revolt in your land, but he never thought of anything but to serve you. They made you lose the best man that any king has ever had, and with him many other good knights who did not deserve it. And so, my lord, I have come before you to tell them that they are evil and false and they did you great treachery when you trusted them fully. If they deny it, I shall fight them both, and if their age excuses them, they can put their sons in their places, for with the help of God I shall show them the disloyalty of their parents, and you, good King, shall witness it.”
“My lord,” Gandandel said, “ye see now how Angriote has come to your court to dishonor it, and this is because you allow those who do not wish to serve you enter your lands. If that had been remedied, this would not have happened. And do not be surprised, my lord, if Amadis were to come here tomorrow to challenge you. If Angriote had found me in that time when I did many services at arms in another kingdom for your brother, King Falangris, he would not dare to say what he says. But since he finds me old and weak, he is bold to conquer, and this diminishes you more than it affects me.”
“No, evil sir,” Angriote said. “Now that your false charges have been made known, they can do no harm, and they did enough harm when you told them to the King. I do not come to cause revolt nor to dishonor his court: instead, in his honor, to remove the bad seed that cast out the good seed.”
Sarquiles said:
“My lord, ye know well the words that I have told you about this, and by them ye recognize the truth in what my lord and uncle Angriote says. With my own ears I heard all about the malice that these two evil men did to you to make you suspect Amadis and his family. And if they say it is not so or excuse themselves for their age, let their sons respond, who are young and strong, those three against us two. God will show the truth, and there it shall be seen if they are such that can relieve Amadis and his family from your service as their fathers have.”
When Gandandel’s two sons saw their father discredited and everyone in the palace laughing to see him in such trouble, with great anger they came through the crowd, pushing aside one person after another, and when they were before the King, they said:
“My lord, Angriote has lied in what he said about our father and Brocadan, and we shall fight them. Here are our pledges.”
Each give the king their gauntlet, and Angriote gave him the skirt of his chain mail and said:
“My lord, here you see my pledge. Let them arm themselves at once. And ye, my lord, mount and watch our battle.”
The King said:
“Most of the day has gone past, and there is no more time to fight. Tomorrow, after Mass, be ready for battle, and we shall put you in the field.”
Then a knight came forward who was named Adamas, who was the son of Brocadan and Gandandel’s sister, and although he was well built, very brave, and strong, he was very vile, so everyone disliked him. He told the King:
“My lord, I say that Sarquiles has lied about everything he has said, and I shall fight him tomorrow if he dares to enter the field with his uncle.”
Sarquiles was very pleased by this and to find himself in the company of his uncle, and immediately gave his pledge to the King, for he wanted to fight. Then the King ordered everyone to go to their lodgings, and they did. Angriote and Sarquiles left with the dozen knights and took Madasima and her damsels with them, who had by then had said farewell to the Queen and Oriana, and the Queen ordered a fine tent provided for them to stay in.
The King received Sir Grumedan and his nephew Giontes, and ordered Gandandel and Brocadan to be called in and told them:
“I am amazed that ye told me so many times that Amadis wished to do me treason and lead a revolt in my land, and now when the proof is needed, ye have let it drop and have put your sons in a test in which they do not know what justice their side may have. Ye have wronged God and me, and the malice that ye did made me lose a good man and many good knights. Ye shall not be without penalty, because the just Judge shall give it to those who deserve it.”
“My lord,” Gandandel said, “my sons came forward thinking that the test would be delayed.”
“Indeed,” Sir Grumedan said, “they thought correctly, because there is and will be nothing against Amadis in this nor in any other thing in which he is said to have erred against the King. If ye suspected him, that was so unreasonable that not even the devils in hell could have thought it. If ye had a thousand heads and the King were to cut them all off, it would not avenge the harm that ye did him. But ye remain, and may God wish that it be not for more evil, and the anguish that your sons shall suffer will be your fault.”
“Sir Grumedan,” they said, “although ye may believe that and wish for it, we have hope that our sons shall raise up our honor and theirs.”
“May God not save me,” Grumedan said, “if I wished for that more than what is deserved for the good or bad advice that ye gave to the King.”
Then the King ordered them to speak no more of that for it was useless. They were dismissed and he went to eat, and the others went to their homes. That night each side prepared their arms and their horses, and from midnight on, Angriote and Sarquiles kept vigil in the chapel of Holy Mary that was next to their tents.
At the dawn of day all the dozen knights armed themselves and were suspicious of the King because they thought he was angry with them. They took Madasima and her damsels with them on their palfreys, each knight with a damsel, and Angriote and Sarquiles in front of them, and they entered the town and went to the field where the battle was going to be. The King and all the knights and townspeople were already there, with three judges to oversee the fight. One was King Arban of North Wales; the other Giontes, the King’s nephew; and the third Quinorante, the good jouster.
They took Angriote and Sarquiles and put them at one end of the field. Then Tanarin and Corian, the two brothers, and Adamas, the cousin, came and entered the field very well armed and on beautiful horses, prepared to prevail if the malice of their fathers would not prevent it.
When the knights were lined up against each other, Giontes sounded his trumpet, and the knights charged as fast as their horses could gallop. Corian and Tanarin aimed at Angriote, and Adamas at Sarquiles. Tanarin hit Angriote in the encounter and his lance broke and flew apart in pieces.
Angriote struck Corian on his shield so bravely that he threw him over the haunches of his horse. When he turned to Tanarin, he saw that he had his sword in his hand. Tanarin saw his brother on the ground and came at Angriote in rage, meaning to strike him on his helmet, but he swung too soon and instead hit Angriote’s horse on the head with a great blow that cut a piece from it and the bridle headband, and the reins fell to its chest.
And as he came so violently, and as Angriote came for him, they covered themselves with their shields and struck each other so hard that Tanarin fell to the ground stunned. Angriote, who saw that his horse was injured, jumped from it as fast as he could, as one who was very agile and valiant and had often seen himself in similar perils.
On foot, he held up his shield and put his hand on his sword, with which he had given many great and mighty blows in the past, and came at the two brothers, who were together. He saw how his nephew Sarquiles was fighting with Adamas on horse bravely with swords. When he reached the brothers, they came on either side of him and attacked him with great blows, as those who were valiant and very strong. But Angriote defended himself, raising his shield to one and his sword to the other, so that he made them turn around him, and they did not manage to strike him fully and their blows were always deflected downward, for, as ye have been told, this knight was better at attacking with a sword than all the other knights in the reign of the King. Soon he had them in such a state that their shields were in pieces and their chain mail was broken in many places, from which blood flowed.
But he was not unharmed himself. He had suffered many injuries and had lost a lot of blood. Sarquiles, when he saw his uncle in trouble and because he could not defeat Adamas, put everything into one attack. He spurred his horse sharply and grabbed Adamas by the arms. They struggled together for a time, each trying to pull the other down.
When Angriote saw them, he came as fast as he could to help Sarquiles if he fell, and the two brothers followed him as best as they could to help their cousin. At that moment the two knights fell to the ground tightly embraced, and there ye would have seen a great battle. Angriote tried to rescue his nephew and the others their cousin. Angriote did amazing feats at arms, giving such hard and terrible and fierce blows that for everything the two brothers did, they could not do enough to allow Adamas to leave the hands of Sarquiles alive.
When Gandandel and Brocadan saw this, for up until then they had hoped that the strength of their sons would uphold in battle what they had devised with great malice, they left their window with great pain and anguish in their hearts. The King did the same, for the success of Amadis’s friends weighed on him and he did not wish to see the defeat and death of the others nor the victory of Angriote. But everyone else was taking great pleasure in it because in this world the evil deeds of Gandandel and Brocadan were being repaid with some of what they deserved.
But the four knights that were in the field thought of nothing else but to attack on all sides with great blows, and the battle did not last long for Angriote and Sarquiles tired the two brothers with so many blows. Now Corian and Tanarin did not try to defend themselves and only retreated, looking for some protection, but they could not find it. They gave a few blows and turned to flee, thinking they could save their lives.
But in the end they were knocked down and could not withstand the blows that their enemies gave them, and died by their hands, much to the pleasure of the beautiful Madasima and the knights of Firm Island, and of Oriana and Mabilia, who had never ceased praying to God to give them victory, which they had won.
Then Angriote asked the judges if there was anything more to do. They told him that he had done quite enough to fulfill his honor. They sent them from the field, and they were taken away by their companions. With Madasima, they returned to their tents, where they had their wounds attended to.
HERE ENDS THE SECOND BOOK OF AMADIS
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