A messenger arrives at court looking for King Pellinore. It seems that, without him, the entire region of Norgales is now in chaos. His brothers have been trying to keep order, but several of them were killed lately and the situation has become dire. The Three Cadwys are mountain chieftains who are forging a new alliance against Pellinore.
The messenger is exasperated by the king’s passionate pursuit of the Questing Beast. “He is enchanted,” says the messenger, “cursed by it. All magic is like that. It always has a dark secret attached to it.”
He asks all good knights to pass on his message if they do see Pellinore. Then he departs.