Tristram's departure from Ireland

Tristram's departure from Ireland turns a concealed identity into a public truth, but not into a simple reckoning. The broken edge of his sword exposes him as the knight who killed Sir Marhaus; King Anguish nevertheless lets him leave safely, and Tristram departs with La Beale Isoud's affection and a promise that binds their futures without settling them.

Recognition in the Bath Chamber

Tristram has been welcomed at the Irish court and especially cherished by King Anguish and La Beale Isoud. One day, while he is bathing, the queen and her daughter move about the chamber as Gouvernail and Hebes attend him. The queen sees Tristram's sword lying on the bed. A large piece is missing from its edge, about a foot and a half from the point. The damage recalls the fragment found in Sir Marhaus's head after his death.

The recognition becomes proof when the queen retrieves that fragment from her coffer and fits it to the sword: the pieces match. She identifies Tristram to La Beale Isoud as the traitorous knight who killed her brother. Isoud is alarmed, not because she doubts the identification, but because she loves Tristram and knows her mother's severity. In a sudden attempt to strike him, the queen rushes at Tristram while he is still in the bath. Hebes restrains her and takes the sword from her before she can harm him.

Anguish's Judgment and Safe Passage

The queen goes to King Anguish and accuses Tristram of killing Sir Marhaus, whom she calls both her brother and the king's servant. Anguish acknowledges the charge but also says he regards Tristram as a noble knight. He orders the queen not to interfere and goes himself to deal with the matter.

By the time Anguish reaches Tristram, Tristram has left the bath and is armed, ready to mount his horse. Anguish does not force a fight. He says it would be dishonourable to kill Tristram while he is a guest at court, and offers him safe departure on one condition: Tristram must disclose his parentage and name, and say whether he killed Sir Marhaus. The encounter therefore places hospitality and personal loss alongside the queen's demand for vengeance. Anguish gives Tristram leave to go rather than turn his own court into the place of his death.

Name, Parentage, and the Cause of the Fight

Tristram answers fully. He is the son of King Meliodas of Liones and Queen Elizabeth, who was King Mark of Cornwall's sister. His mother died after giving birth to him in the forest, and asked that he be named Tristram when christened. He had used the name Tramtrist in Ireland because he did not wish to be recognized.

He explains that he fought Sir Marhaus over Cornwall's tribute, on behalf of his uncle King Mark and what he regarded as Cornwall's right. He also fought to win honour: the combat was the first battle he had fought with a knight, and he says Sir Marhaus left him alive, leaving behind his shield and sword. Anguish accepts that Tristram acted as a knight should in pursuing his cause and honour, even though the killing concerns his own household. Yet he cannot keep Tristram at court without displeasing his barons, his wife, and her kin. The revelation earns no formal acquittal; instead, Anguish's judgment recognizes the knightly rationale while acknowledging the political and familial limits on his protection.

Departure and Bond with Isoud

Before leaving, Tristram thanks Anguish for his hospitality and for the kindness shown to him by the king's daughter. He says that Anguish may one day gain more from having spared his life than from having killed him, and promises future service. He also pledges to remain Isoud's knight in right and wrong, and not to fail her in anything a knight can do.

Tristram asks leave to take his farewell of Isoud and the rest of the court. He tells Isoud who he is, why he had taken another name, and that he had nearly died before reaching Ireland, where the poison that afflicted him had been made; her ladyship's care saved him. Isoud grieves at his departure and tells him she has never felt such goodwill toward anyone. Tristram renews his promise to be her knight for life. She, in turn, promises that for seven years she will not marry without his assent, and that she will marry the person he approves if that person will have her. They exchange rings before he leaves her in sorrow.

His farewell to the assembled court extends the same public code of honour: anyone he has offended may complain before he goes, and anyone who believes he has done wrong may challenge him openly. No one speaks, including knights related to the queen or Sir Marhaus. The silence does not undo the accusation or restore the dead; it marks the end of Tristram's stay without a further challenge. His departure leaves behind a disclosed identity, Anguish's qualified goodwill, the queen's grievance, and a private promise with Isoud that will shape their later relationship.