She answered : ` You may be satisfied , uncle , but I am not . One more proof I must have ; let the two young men now fight against each other . The man I marry must be the man who killed the robbers and the giant , and overcame my page . ' Geirald 's face grew pale as he heard these words . He knew there was no escape from him now , though he did not doubt for one moment that Rosald would keep his compact loyally to the last . But how would it be possible that even Rosald should deceive the watchful eyes of the king and his court , and still more those of the young queen whom he felt uneasily had suspected him from the first ? The tourney was fought , and in spite of Geirald 's fears Rosald managed to hang back to make attacks which were never meant to succeed , and to allow strokes which he could easily have parried to attain their end . At length , after a great show of resistance , he fell heavily to the ground . And as he fell he knew that it was not alone the glory that was his rightfully which he gave up , but the hand of the queen that was more precious still . But Geirald did not even wait to see if he was wounded ; he went straight to the wall where the royal banner waved and claimed the reward which was now his . The crowd of watchers turned towards the queen , expecting to see her stoop and give some token to the victor . Instead , to the surprise of everyone , she merely smiled gracefully , and said that before she bestowed her hand one more test must be imposed , but this should be the last . The final tourney should be fought ; Geirald and Rosald should meet singly two knights of the king 's court , and he who could unhorse his foe should be master of herself and of her kingdom . The combat was fixed to take place at ten o'clock the following day . All night long Geirald walked about his room , not daring to face the fight that lay in front of him , and trying with all his might to discover some means of escaping it . All night long he moved restlessly from door to window ; and when the trumpets sounded , and the combatants rode into the field , he alone was missing . The king sent messengers to see what had become of him , and he was found , trembling with fear , hiding under his bed . After that there was no need of any further proof . The combat was declared unnecessary , and the queen pronounced herself quite satisfied , and ready to accept Rosald as her husband . ` You forgot one thing , ' she said , when they were alone . '
I recognized my father 's ring which Hankur the Tall had stolen , on the finger XXXXX your right hand , and I knew that it was you and not Geirald who had slain the robber band .
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