Just as the princess had foretold , in three days the king set out for the war with a large following , and among them was the young prince , who had presented himself at court as a young noble in search of adventures . They had left the city many miles behind them , when the king suddenly discovered that he had forgotten his sword , and though all his attendants instantly offered theirs , he declared that he could fight with none but his own . ` The first man who brings it to me from my daughter 's room , ' cried he , ` shall not only have her to wife , but after my death shall reign in my stead . ' At this the Red Knight , the young prince , and several more turned their horses to ride as fast as the wind back to the palace . But suddenly a better plan entered the prince 's head , and , letting the others pass him , he took his precious parcel from his breast and wished himself a lion . Then on he bounded , uttering such dreadful roars that the horses were frightened and grew unmanageable , and he easily outstripped them , and soon reached the gates of the palace . Here he hastily changed himself into a bee , and flew straight into the princess 's room , where he became a man again . She showed him where the sword hung concealed behind a curtain , and he took it down , saying as he did so : ` Be sure not to forget what you have promised to do . ' The princess made no reply , but smiled sweetly , and slipping a golden ring from her finger she broke it in two and held half out silently to the prince , while the other half she put in her own pocket . He kissed it , and ran down the stairs bearing the sword with him . Some way off he met the Red Knight and the rest , and the Red Knight at first tried to take the sword from him by force . But as the youth proved too strong for him , he gave it up , and resolved to wait for a better opportunity . This soon came , for the day was hot and the prince was thirsty . Perceiving a little stream that ran into the sea , he turned aside , and , unbuckling the sword , flung himself on the ground for a long drink . Unluckily , the mermaid happened at that moment to be floating on the water not very far off , and knew he was the boy who had been given her before he was born . So she floated gently in to where he was lying , she seized him by the arm , and the waves closed over them both . Hardly had they disappeared , when the Red Knight stole cautiously up , and could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the king 's sword on the bank . He wondered what had become of the youth , who an hour before had guarded his treasure so fiercely ; but , after all , that was no affair of his ! So , fastening the sword to his belt , he carried it to the king . The war was soon over , and the king returned to his people , who welcomed him with shouts of joy .
But when the princess from her window saw that her betrothed was not among the attendants riding behind her father , her heart sank , XXXXX she knew that some evil must have befallen him , and she feared the Red Knight .
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