So Launcelot’s more or less sane again, and he’s up and about.  First thing, he has a sit-down with Pellam and Elaine wherein he apologizes for his bizarre behavior and asks if they can, perhaps, explain what exactly he’s been up to for the last few years.

“You were a frothing madman,” explains Elaine.  “The town sort of adopted you as the town idiot, and then through some coincidences you ended up in an aristrocratic outfit, and then I saw you and recognized you.  And then I told my father, and he had you brought before the Grail so you would be healed.”  Which is actually a pretty succinct and accurate summary!  I’m impressed, Malory!  That’s how low my standards have fallen.

“O Jesu, mercy.” Launcelot does not like this story one bit.  “Who else knows I was a crazy person?”

“Well, there’s me, and my father here, and Dame Brisen, my personal enchantress.”

“Okay, well, three people, that’s okay I guess, I mean, that’s fine.”  Launcelot struggles to remain on top of the situation.  “Just don’t tell anyone else, okay?  I mean — crap!  I just remembered, Guenever banished me from England.  Are we in England?  Also, why can’t I walk?”

No, Corbin is technically not part of England, apparently.  And the reason Launcelot can’t walk is that he’s been on his hands and knees living like a dog for a couple of years, so he needs to spent more than a fortnight or ever in some intense physical therapy.  But after a month or however long that’s supposed to be, he’s feeling better.  First order of business for the healthy new lifestyle: sitting down for a frank discussion with Elaine.

“Lady Elaine,” he says to her one day, “for your sake I have had much travail, care, and anguish, it needeth not to rehearse it, ye know how.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

“And that time when you raped me and then in the morning I threatened you with my sword?  The part where I threatened you with my sword, that was inappropriate and totally on me.”

“It’s cool,” Elaine assures him.

“And, you know, apparently that night you got pregnant, and so we have Galahad.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So I feel like you owe me, on account of you raped me that one time,” concludes Launcelot.

“And we had sex a second time…”

“You raped me that one time,” Launcelot repeats firmly.

“That is truth,” says Elaine.

“Now will ye for my love go unto your father and get me a place of him where I may dwell?  I can’t just stick around here forever, and in the court of King Arthur may I never come.  That ship has sailed.”

“Can I come with you?  I mean, I’m coming with you!  I love you, so much, for reasons that have never even been addressed much less adequately explained!  I would die for your sake, is how much I love you!  I will absolutely go pester my father for whatever you want, and he’ll do it, because he loves me.  But I’m coming with you, wherever you go.  And I guess our son, too.”

Launcelot may just be too nice for his own good, because he signs off on this plan.  Elaine goes to her father and explains that she needs a castle for her and Launcelot to live in together.

As she predicted, Pellam is an easy sell.  “He shall be in the Castle of Bliant, and there shall ye be with him, and twenty of the fairest ladies that be in the country, and they shall all be of the great blood, and ye shall have ten knights with you; for, daughter, I will that ye wit we all be honoured by the blood of Sir Launcelot.”

“Huh?”

“Try to get knocked up again.  The more sons of Launcelot du Lake we have, the better.”