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Ivanhoe Chapter 12
The next morning the group battle is to begin. The Disinherited Knight will lead one group, and Bois-Guilbert the other. Cedric arrives with the Lady Rowena; Athelstane is preparing for the fight, having enlisted with the Templar. Athelstane, confident that he will marry Lady Rowena, feels he should do battle against the Knight who chose her as Queen of the tournament.
When the dust settles from the first blows, half of each side are down, though not all of them out. The carnage is enjoyed by the men and women alike, as they watch from the gallery. The two leaders keep trying to battle each other, but others get in their way. The Disinherited Knight's group is much weaker, and he finds himself quite outnumbered. One of his men, the Black Knight, who had before been sluggish, now springs into action. The Black Knight and the Disinherited Knight then go to work on the Templar's group, until Prince John calls an end to the bloody battle. Prince John wants to name the Black Knight the day's champion, but he has disappeared. With him gone, the Prince is forced to name the Disinherited Knight the winner for the second day. The Knight seems weak, and can barely resist when the marshals cut off his helmet, revealing his face. To the surprise of all, it is Ivanhoe, the disinherited son of Cedric! The Lady Rowena, who was to bestow the honors upon him, is terribly shocked. So too is Cedric, who hurries to separate the two. This is not necessary though, for a wound commanding attention is found in Ivanhoe's side.
