Lancelot and Elaine Summary

Elaine cherishes Lancelot's shield, which was entrusted to her temporarily, though she does not yet know to whom it belongs. He left the shield with her while he went to participate in Arthur's diamond tournament, named after the prize awarded to the winner. Arthur, before he became king, found a crown of nine diamonds on the corpse of a past king. When he became king, he judged that the diamonds were not his personal property, but belonged to the kingdom as a whole. He took the diamonds from the crown and gave away one each year to whomever won his tournament. Eight already have been given away—all to Lancelot—and only the ninth and largest remains. Lancelot hopes to give the diamonds as a gift to his beloved Guinevere. He and Arthur visit her and she...