book 2
The Ballad of Sir Balin (and his Brother Balan)
The Damosel and the Sword of Virtue
Whilst at London Arthur learned of a new attack on his lands by King Rience of North Wales, so he called a council of war at Camelot. There, arrived a mysterious damosel from the great lady Lile of Avelion, sporting a sword that could only be drawn from its scabbard by a 100% virtuous knight. Everyone (including Arthur) failed, until young Sir Balin of Northumberland wandered by, fresh out of jail (6 months for killing Arthur's cousin). He drew the sword and swore to keep it, even though the damosel predicted it would kill him and his best friend.
The Death of The Lady of the Lake
Then the Lady of the Lake arrived to remind Arthur what his sword was called (Excalibur, or Cut-steel) and claim her favour, that being the head of Balin (for killing her brother) or the damosel (for killing her father), or both. But Balin cut off her head for killing HIS mother, and rode off with it to his squire nearby, whom he told to go home to Northumberland and spread the news.
Arthur solemnly buried the Lady of the Lake while Sir Lanceor of Ireland set off after Sir Balin to revenge the insult to Arthur's court, and Merlin explained how they had all been tricked by the evil virtue-detecting sword-damosel who was plotting to kill her own brother for having killed her boyfriend, helped by the Lady Lile of Avelion, and how Balin and his brother were true virtuous knights who were now doomed. Go figure.
The Tomb of Lanceor and Colombe
Balin killed Lanceor, and Lanceor's paramour Colombe killed herself with his sword. Balin found his brother Balan and both decided to attack King Rience (currently laying siege to Castle Terrabil) to make ammends with Arthur. Then King Mark of Cornwall turned up and built a tomb over the two dead lovers, followed by Merlin who defaced it with the names of the two greatest knights of the world he predicted would fight there one day (Sirs Launcelot and Tristram). Old Merl then added to the Balin/Balan prediction he made after the battle of Bedegraine, saying that Balin would one day strike a truly dolorous stroke (dealing the truest knight alive a wound that would not heal for years, and making 3 kingdoms poor for 12 years), before riding off with them both to Cornwall.
Good Riddance to King Rience
That midnight Balin and Balan ambushed King Rience on his way to shag Lady de Vance, and took him before Arthur, fulfilling part of the earlier prophecy . Which was nice. But not for his brother King Nero, who rallied the eleven kings Arthur had defeated before at the Battle of Bedegraine, and laid seige to Castle Terrabil (the site of Arthur's 4th and most decisive battle).
The Battle of Terrabil
To cut a long story short: Arthur triumphed and all twelve kings were slain (or simply defeated; Malory seems confused). Merlin kept King Lot talking while Arthur destroyed Nero and his host, then Pellinore killed Lot and Balin and Balan killed and captured all the rest as per Merlin's prophesies.
All were buried in St Stephen's Church in Camelot, in a lovely tomb built by Merlin. King Lot's widow Margawse was there with her kids the future Orkney Knights (except for Mordred who was still lost at sea, presumed drowned) and her two sisters Morgan le Fay and Elaine, and their husbands Kings Uriens and Nentres (who were still alive after all). Merlin there made further prophesies regarding Sirs Balin and Balan, Kings Pellinore and Bagdemagus (Arthur's cousin), Arthur's near killing by Sir Accolon, Merlin's own death, and the Sangreal.
Arthur's reign was now "secure".
The Knight Invisible
Sir Balan rode off adventuring and happened to slay a knight on an island by a castle, and came under a spell to take his place and similarly challenge all who passed by.
Meanwhile his brother Sir Balin promised to protect Sir Herlews le Berbeus on his way to Arthur under horse arrest to explain why he was sad, but an invisible knight called Garlon slew him and Balin was forced to take over his quest for a damosel.
Sir Perin de Mountebeliard joined them, but was similarly slain and buried in a graveyard where gold letters appeared prophesying Sir Gawaine's revenge on King Pellinore for killing his dad King Lot, then later the damosel gave blood attempting (fruitlessly) to heal a sick lady in a castle (where the Grail Knights would turn up about 50 years later in book 17).
The Dolorous Stroke
Eventually Balin and the damosel tracked Garlon to a huge feast in the castle of King Pellam of Listeneise, where Balin sucessfully "clave his head to the shoulders", but disarmed by his angry host and then pursued through out the castle he was eventually forced to defend himself with a dolorous stroke from the mysterious but convenient Spear of Longinus (the Roman who poked Jesus Christ on the cross). King Pellam collapsed, and so did the entire castle, killing the damosel.
After three days Merlin dug Balin out, explaining that Pellam was related to Joseph of Aramathea, and that they (Merlin and Balin) would never meet again.
Riding home, Balin discovered three countries somehow destroyed by his single stroke, fulfilling Merlin's prophesy.
King Pellam's wound festered for many years, until he was eventually healed by the virtuous Sir Galahad on his quest for the Sangreal.
Balin vs Balan
So off rode Sir Balin again on his adventures, such as trying to help Sir Garnish woo his duke's daughter away from her foul boyfriend , but just getting them all killed instead, until he came to a castle where he was told he may not pass without jousting with a local knight who lived on an island. Unfortunately neither he nor his brother Balan recognised one another because they were fighting with borrowed shields, so they hacked each other to death.
Merlin Tidies Up
Merlin buried them together on the island, and left the scabbard of the virtue-detecting sword there for Galahad to find, years later. He set the sword itself in a block of marble that hovered on the river, and it eventually floated off to Camelot, where Galahad would find that too half a century later in book 13.
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