Then Rudel broke out upon her, thrusting her from him with his hand and spurning her with his foot as she crouched upon the floor.

“No princess art thou, but a changeling.  For surely princess never did such foul wrong and crime;” and even as he spake, many of the nobles burst into the chamber, for they had heard the outcry below and marvelled what it might mean.  And when Rudel beheld them crowding the doorway, “Come in, my lords,” said he, “so that ye may know what manner of woman ye serve and worship.  There lies my dear wife, Solita, murdered by this vile princess, and for love of me she saith, for love of me!” And again he turned him to Joceliande.  “Now all the reverence I held thee in is turned to hatred, God be thanked; such is the guerdon of thy love for me.”

Joceliande, when she heard his injuries, knew indeed that her love was unavailing, and that by no means might she win him to share her siege with her.  Therefore her love changed to a bitter fury, and standing up forthwith she bade the nobles take their swords and smite off the Sieur Rudel’s head.  But no one so much as moved a hand towards his hilt.  Then spake Rudel again: 

“O vile and treacherous,” he cried, “who will obey thee?” and his eyes fell upon Solita where she lay in her white beauty upon the golden pillow of her hair.  Thereupon he dropped again upon his knees by the couch, and took her within his arms, kissing her lips and her eyes, and bidding her wake; this with many tears.  But seeing she would not, but was dead in very truth, he got him to his feet and turned to where the princess stood like stone in the middle of the chamber.  “Now for thy sin,” he cried, “a shameful death shalt thou die and a painful, and may the devil have thy soul!”

He bade the nobles depart from the chamber, and following them the last, firmly barred the door upon the outside.  Thus was the Princess Joceliande left alone with dead Solita, and ever she heard the closing and barring of doors and the sound of feet growing fainter and fainter.  But no one came to her, loud though she cried, and sorely was she afeard, gazing now at the dead body, now wondering what manner of death the Sieur Rudel planned for her.  Then she walked to the window if by any chance she might win help that way, and saw the ships riding at their anchorage with sails loose, and heard the songs of the sailors as they made ready to cast free; and between the coast and the castle were many men hurrying backwards and forwards with all the purveyance of a voyage.  Then did she think that she was to be left alone in the tower, to starve to death in company of the girl she had murdered, and great moan she made; but other device was in the mind of my ingenious master Lord Rudel.  For all about the castle he piled stacks of wood and drenched them with oil, bethinking him that Solita his wife, if little joy she had had of her life, should have undeniable honour in her obsequies.  And so having set fire to the stacks, he got him into