THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
Balant now decided to punish the rebel Giliant, and led his army across the Rhine. He was met by two of Giliant’s
relatives, the giants Carabrun and Amphiros, but Octavian slew them both. The army moved northward to Hull
,Giliant’s capital. There Octavian met Giliant in single combat. He unhorsed him, but began to lose ground in
combat on foot. The reason was that Octavian had been brought up as a Saracen and was invoking Balaam and
Apollyon, rather than the true God. When he was almost defeated, he saw the lion looking on and recalled that
Drusolina had warned him against trusting these idols. He renounced them and invoked the God of his mother. The
lion roared in approval and in an instant, the tide of battle turned. Unable to withstand Durandel’s terrible blows,
Giliant surrendered and was brought captive to Scandia.
Brother Against Brother
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Not many days had passed when King Balant, considering Octavian of the Lion’s prowess, thought
how to interest Octavian in a war against the King of France, to avenge his father and his brother, as
well as grandchildren and his daughter. One day he called Octavian to his chamber and told him,
weeping, of all that had befallen with Floravant, King of France—how he had slain his nephews
Finagut and Mambrin, and his brother Galeran, and had carried away his daughter Drusolina, and
many times defeated and wounded Balant himself. “Therefore, if through your valor I might be
avenged, I shall not only not hesitate to make you lord at my death, but shall make you king of my
realm even while I live, since I am old and have no heir but you.” Octavian answered: “O King
Balant, my lord and father, what pleases you in this matter, shall please me, and it will the time will
seem like a thousand years until I find myself in the field in Paris against Floravant to avenge you.”
King Balant thanked him and embraced and kissed him; then he sent out many ambassadors, and
summoned many friends and relatives, especially the Kings of Spain, Portugal, Granada and Aragon,
and such lords as were in Gascony, Tartary and divers parts of Germany, and to all those from
whom he believed to receive assistance. In a short time he assembled a Saracen host and descended
with two hundred thousand Saracen troops upon France, burning and pillaging. He brought the