That night the king took pity on the queen, and
calling down from a window in the tower, he said:
"Which of you is the knight I can surrender to?"
"Sir," said Tirant, "here is the commander, and a very virtuous
knight."
The king realized that this was the ambassador he had talked with
so many times, and he said to him:
"Since you have been sent to me as an ambassador, give me your
pledge of safety so that I can do my duty as a knight and a
crowned king."
Tirant answered:
"I will guarantee your safety for a month after you surrender to
me. I give you my word."
The king felt as good about that as if he had been given absolute
freedom. He came down from the tower, opened the door, and stood
in the entryway, his sword in his hand. And he said:
"Have them bring me that little child." (This was a boy of no
more than five years of age, the son of a woman who baked bread.)
When the boy was near him, he knighted the boy and kissed him on
the mouth. Then, handing his sword to the boy, he placed himself
in his power.
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