ording to the fashion of the land.

_Chapter IX_

[Illustration]

Now when all had turned out thus happily for Fleur and Blanchefleur, the
Admiral proclaimed a great festival, and in pomp and splendour led to
church Clarissa, daughter of the Duke of Alemannia, and there took her
as his one and only wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better for
worse, to his life's end: in the same church also and at the same time
were Fleur and Blanchefleur united in holy wedlock. Then came the feast,
at which the Admiral sat enthroned with his bride Clarissa on one side,
and Fleur and Blanchefleur on the other, and after them all the lords of
the realm, placed in order according to their rank. When the banquet was
over the wedding guests diverted themselves with jousting, tilting,
wrestling, and jumping matches, not forgetting music and song, that
lasted for days together, and while the merry-making was at its height,
behold! there came ambassadors bearing tidings from Spain that King
Fenis and his Queen were dead, and the mourning country stood in sore
need of the absent Fleur, heir and successor to the King deceased: and
at these heavy tidings the joy of Fleur was turned to sorrow, and,
seeking the Admiral, he prayed His Highness for permission to depart to
his own country, which so sorely needed its King and ruler; but the
Admiral, loath to part with the guest he had learned to love, sought to
persuade Fleur, by promise of a greater and richer kingdom than his own,
to give up land and people and abide with him; but when Fleur, whose
heart was true to his home and Spain, would not be tempted from his
purpose, the Admiral, commending his departing guests to the care of his
gods, speeded him on his way with many a rich and costly gift. Thus did
Fleur and Blanchefleur take their journey back again to Spain, and when
they were come the people received them with great joy, and crowned
Fleur King in the place of his father Fenis, and Blanchefleur they
crowned as Queen, and so this happy pair lived on united in tender love
together to their hundredth year, and when Fleur was made King he
embraced the Christian faith of his Blanchefleur, and caused all his
people to become Christians and receive baptism, and soon after these
things Fleur inherited the land of Hungary from his uncle, who died
childless; but to Fleur and his Queen Blanchefleur was born a daughter,
Bertha by name, who became wife to King Pepin of France, and mother