The Nonexistent Knight

Agilulf returns to the cave with Charlemagne and Gurduloo. They bring with them an elderly woman, who will be able to confirm for them whether Sophronia’s virginity is still intact. When they arrive at the cave, they find Sophronia “lying in the embrace of a young soldier” (124), whom they immediately recognize as Torrismund. As they proclaim their shock and disgust, Torrismund realizes that he has had sex with the woman he believes is his own mother. Ashamed and disgraced at committing “foul incest” (125), he rides away. Agilulf, sharing in his disgrace, follows.

Later, Torrismund returns. He announces that, at the time he had sex with Sophronia, she was still a virgin. As such, she could not possibly be his mother. Sophronia provides an explanation: Torrismund is her half-brother; their mother is the Queen of Scotland, who had an affair—as Torrismund recalls—with the Knights of the Holy Grail. The Queen was then forced to invent a story about the resulting child belonging to her daughter, so as to avoid a scandal. Sophronia retold this story for the sake of her mother’s reputation. She took her young half-brother away and they lived together in the countryside. At this point, she met Agilulf and was taken to the convent. Torrismund provides a revelation of his own: he and Sophronia do not share the same mother, as she is actually the daughter of the King of Scotland and a peasant woman. The King brought the resulting child into his house and pretended that she was his wife’s daughter, meaning that Torrismund and Sophronia are not biologically related and have not committed incest.

Raimbaut rushes to share these new revelations with Agilulf. He tracks Agilulf by following the tracks left by the nonexistent knight’s horse, realizing that Agilulf has, at some point, abandoned his horse and proceeded on foot. Eventually, he comes across Agilulf’s armor. The set is stacked neatly in a pyramid but the nonexistent knight himself seems to have vanished. A note has been left, in which Agilulf bequeaths his suit of armor to Raimbaut. Raimbaut pleads with Agilulf to return but there is no response. He dresses himself in the armor and goes to Charlemagne, who sees the armor approaching and assumes that Agilulf is inside. Raimbaut corrects Charlemagne but insists that he is ready to “fling [himself] into battle” (128) in Agilulf’s place.

A barrage of trumpets is heard, signaling that a fleet of Moorish ships is approaching. A battle begins and Raimbaut, in Agilulf’s armor, distinguishes himself. Charlemagne’s side wins the battle. After, Bradamante approaches Raimbaut. Since she does not know who is really inside the armor, she believes it is Agilulf himself, and she tells Raimbaut to follow her. She leads him to a mossy clearing, where she is undressed. Raimbaut is conflicted. He loves Bradamante and feels compelled to tell her that he is not really Agilulf. He hopes that she will understand what has happened after they have sex and that she will realize that she loves Raimbaut as he loves her. This, Raimbaut hopes, will allow her to forgive him for the deception. She covers her eyes, “as if not wanting to be disturbed by the sight of the nonexistent knight’s invisible approach” (131). They have sex and, afterward, Raimbaut reveals his true identity. Bradamante is horrified. She wallops Raimbaut with the flat side of her sword and then leaves. Raimbaut must spend the rest of his life seeking out new battles, hoping that he will be able to find Agilulf or Bradamante.

Gurduloo similarly spends the rest of his days in search of his master. He looks inside flasks and pots, but he cannot find Agilulf. After Torrismund marries Sophronia, the couple celebrates. Torrismund is passing along a road when he happens to spot Gurduloo, who is now conversing with an empty bottle in the hope that Agilulf is somewhere inside. Torrismund decides to make Gurduloo his squire. He travels to Koowalden, announcing to the locals that Charlemagne has made him count of this area. The locals have already driven away the Knights of the Holy Grail. They are not impressed by Torrismund. Rather than allowing him to stay as their superior, they invite him to stay as equals. Sophronia urges Torrismund to accept and, at last, he does so.

Sister Theodora says that this is the point where her book must end. A knock is heard at the door of the convent. From afar, Raimbaut’s voice calls out, asking if anyone has seen an “Amazon” who passed through. He is still searching for Bradamante. The nuns send Raimbaut away but Sister Theodora lays down her writing tools and calls out to Raimbaut. She reveals the truth: she is actually Bradamante. Originally, she entered the convent as a way to process her loving feelings for the nonexistent knight. After many years, however, she realized that she loved “the young and passionate Raimbaut” (136), rather than Agilulf. She runs out of the convent in the direction of Raimbaut, thinking about what her future might hold.