Free Parsifal's Page by Gerald Morris

nothing."
    "You saved me and the castle," Queen Conduiramour exclaimed.
    "But it was too easy! The first knight fought poorly, and King Glamide did not fight at all. I won your victory without even trying. Should I not face some difficult tests before I settle into life with you?"
    The queen looked sadder than ever, but she nodded. "I was afraid it might be that. You are king of this land, but I have noticed that you do not like to be called king."
    "This is your kingdom, Connie. I want to earn my own titles."
    "Then you must go," the queen said softly. "And I will miss you every day."
    "And I will miss you," Parsifal said, taking her hand. He glanced over his shoulder at Piers.
    "You coming with me, Pierre?"
    "Yes, sir!" Piers said, delighted. Then, remembering that Parsifal's departure was a cause of sorrow to the queen, he quickly moderated his glee and, searching his memory for something suitable to say, added, "Your highness?" Queen Conduiramour looked at him. "Forgive me, your highness, but it is a noble thing that you do. He could not love you, queen, so much, loved he not honor more."
    Queen Conduiramour and Parsifal looked at each other in silence for a moment, then dissolved in helpless laughter. Piers flushed and stood rigid until they had regained control of themselves. "Forgive us, Pierre," the queen said, "we meant no disrespect, but really, have you any notion how stupid that sounded?"

    Not wanting to prolong their goodbyes, Piers and Parsifal left the next morning, heading east. "How long will it take us to get to your mother's home?" Piers asked.
    "I don't know," Parsifal answered. "I don't even know which direction to take. You see, when I came here to look for King Arthur, I came from the Other World."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Where my mother lives, there are many doors to the Other World—the World of Faeries—and I often traveled there. It was in that world that I saw my first knight."
    "There are knights in the Other World?"
    "Not usually," Parsifal explained. "But this was a knight of King Arthur's court who was on a quest. I wrestled with him and then gave him directions."
    "What knight of Arthur's court?" Piers asked, interested.
    "I never asked his name. Anyway," Parsifal continued. "I went home to my mother to tell her that I wanted to be a knight. She did not want me to, but at last she consented, and I went back to the Other
World to look for this knight I had met. I didn't find him, but instead, I found a new doorway to the World of Men. It took me right to Arthur's camp, where we met."
    Piers licked his lips. He had ridden up almost alongside Parsifal in his eagerness to hear more about the Other World, and he felt that he ought to return to his subservient position, but he had one more question to ask, one that he had not dared to ask in anyone else's presence. "Parsifal, in all your travels in the Other World, did you ever meet a faery named Ariel?"
    Parsifal considered the question. "Male or female?"
    "Female. About my age, I think."
    Parsifal looked at Piers sharply. "You think? Do you mean that you've seen this faery?"
    Piers nodded. "Unless it was a dream," he added.
    "It hardly matters if it was," Parsifal replied. He smiled broadly. "I would not have thought it of you. You seem so much a part of this world that I should never have expected you to see one of the Others. No, Pierre, I know of no girl named Ariel in that world. Perhaps you can introduce me to her someday."
    "If I see her again," Piers said glumly.
    "I shouldn't worry about that," replied Parsifal. They rode over a small hill and from the summit looked down on a pond that was fed by a small stream. In the pond were two men, fishing from a little ketch.
One of the men, reclining in the stern, was wearing the most splendid purple clothing that Piers had ever beheld, more magnificent than anything at Arthur's court or at Sir Gurnemains's castle. Parsifal led the way to the edge of the pond.
    "How do you do, sir,"