RED KNIGHT FROM THE FOREST OF QUINQUEROI

As Arthur and his people are celebrating their victory over King Rion of the Isles, the Red Knight rides into the king's hall at Carlisle, seizes Arthur's gold cup so roughly that he sluices some of its wine upon Guenevere, then rides off with it, challenging Arthur either to send a champion or else surrender his lands and become the Red Knight's vassal.

Young Percivale, just arriving from his home in Wales, sees the Red Knight outside, then goes in and finds Arthur in a deep funk. The king calls the Red Knight from the Forest of Quinqueroi his worst [remaining?] enemy; moreover, the wine-stained queen has retired to her room, and the king, apparently underestimating his wife, says he fears she will die of the disgrace. [Strangely, around him, his knights seem to be laughing and joking over their banquet as if oblivious to the trouble.]

Finding in Arthur's words permission to take the Red Knight's armor, Percivale promptly goes out and challenges and kills him, thereby doing Arthur a favor.

One thing we might say in the Red Knight's favor: though angered by the blunt demand of a fifteen-year-old country bumpkin for his arms and armor, he strikes the boy with the butt end of his lance instead of its iron part, intent rather on teaching him a lesson than on killing him.