Book 21 Summary

Arthur's army is called back to Camelot because Mordred has told the kingdom that Arthur has been killed. He has attempted to marry the Queen, (his father's wife and his uncle's wife,) but she has fooled him by asking to go to London to buy wedding clothes and then shutting herself in the Tower of London. When the Bishop of Canterbury rebukes Mordred for attempting to marry his father's wife, Mordred wants to kill him. The Bishop of Canterbury escapes to a small hermitage (monastery).

Arthur's forces come against Mordred, but Mordred has slandered Arthur and turned people against him so that many of them want to fight against the King. Arthur's forces, however, beat Mordred's army, and Mordred flees into Canterbury.

Gawaine is critically injured in the battle against Mordred, but before he dies, he asks to write a letter to Launcelot...