And even as he spoke there flashed past him a huge lioness , followed by a lady and a beautiful young maid mounted on fairy horses . Almost fainting with joy he gazed after them , and then sank back trembling on the ground . ` Oh , lead me to them , lead me to them ! ' he exclaimed . And the ring , bidding him take courage , conducted him safely to the dismal place where his wife had lived for ten years . Now the Lion Fairy knew beforehand of his expected presence in her dominions , and she ordered a palace of crystal to be built in the middle of the lake of quicksilver ; and in order to make it more difficult of approach she let it float whither it would . Immediately after their return from the chase , where the king had seen them , she conveyed the queen and Muffette into the palace , and put them under the guard of the monsters of the lake , who one and all had fallen in love with the princess . They were horribly jealous , and ready to eat each other up for her sake , so they readily accepted the charge . Some stationed themselves round the floating palace , some sat by the door , while the smallest and lightest perched themselves on the roof . Of course the king was quite ignorant of these arrangements , and boldly entered the palace of the Lion Fairy , who was waiting for him , with her tail lashing furiously , for she still kept her lion 's shape . With a roar that shook the walls she flung herself upon him ; but he was on the watch , and a blow from his sword cut off the paw she had put forth to strike him dead . She fell back , and with his helmet still on and his shield up , he set his foot on her throat . ` Give me back the wife and the child you have stolen from me , ' he said , ` or you shall not live another second ! ' But the fairy answered : ` Look through the window at that lake and see if it is in my power to give them to you . ' And the king looked , and through the crystal walls he beheld his wife and daughter floating on the quicksilver . At that sight the Lion Fairy and all her wickedness was forgotten . Flinging off his helmet , he shouted to them with all his might . The queen knew his voice , and she and Muffette ran to the window and held out their hands . Then the king swore a solemn oath that he would never leave the spot without taking them if it should cost him his life ; and he meant it , though at the moment he did not know what he was undertaking . Three years passed by , and the king was no nearer to obtaining his heart 's desire .
He had suffered every hardship that could be imagined -- nettles had been his bed , wild fruits more bitter than gall his food , while his days had been spent in fighting the hideous monsters which kept him XXXXX the palace .
At Of With for from in on that to without