"Do you know anything about Arthur's birth?"

The old man looked very wise and said:

"There are two men who do know; the younger of them is twice as
old as I am. They are Merlin, and Bleys, the master of Merlin.
Bleys has written down the secret of Arthur's birth in a book."

Then King Leodogran laughed a little and said:

"My friend, your words have not helped me much. If Arthur had
not helped me in my time of need more than you have helped me
now, I should have been lost indeed. Go and call Sir Ulfius and
Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere."

So the old man brought in the three knights, and Leodogran said
to them:

"I hear strange tales of your king's birth. Some say that he is
indeed the son of the late King Uther, but others say that he is
the son of Sir Hector. Do you believe that he is Uther's son?"

They said "Yes," and then told King Leodogran that Sir Hector had
brought up King Arthur as his son, for fear that those who wanted
the throne would kill the child; and that Arthur was undoubtedly
Uther's son.

Still King Leodogran could not make up his mind. He bade the
three lords remain with him for a few days.

Meanwhile the beautiful Queen Bellicent came to the Court, and
Leodogran asked her advice.

"Do you think Arthur is a great king?" he asked. "Will he always
be great?"

"He is very great," said the queen. "And all his people love him.
Perhaps he has not many lords, but their deep love makes up for
their small number."

"That may be true," replied the king.

"Besides that," added the queen, "they are good men. As you know,
the Knights of the Round Table are bound by vows to be kind and
true and merciful and helpful."

"I have heard it," said the king.

"Moreover," went on Queen Bellicent, "Arthur has powerful
friends: Merlin, the magician, and the Lady of the Lake, who gave
him his sword Excalibur, and the three fair queens, who will help
him when he needs help most."

"Yes, yes," said King Leodogran, "if all this is true, Arthur
must prevail over his enemies. But is he the son of King Uther
and Queen Yguerne? You are the daughter of Queen Yguerne by an
earlier marriage, and, therefore, Arthur's half-sister if Arthur
is really Uther's son. You ought surely to know the truth."

Bellicent waited a little while, and then said:

"King Leodogran, I do not know what the truth is. There are two
stories: the story Merlin tells and the story Bleys tells.
Merlin says that Arthur is Uther's son