A brilliant nobility feasts on the Trinity in the chambers of the noble and good king Arthur. The knights have a pleasant conversation with the ladies. As everyone knows, in those blessed times, ardent tenderness and courtesy were valued above all else - now manners have become much more rude, no one thinks about purity, a genuine feeling is defeated by deceit, lovers were blinded by vice.
One interesting story replaces another, and the honest Kalogrenan takes the floor: he wants to tell his friends what he hid before. Seven years ago, a knight had a chance to get into the dense Broselyadra forest. Waking up all day, he saw a small cozy castle, where he was greeted very cordially. The next day, he came across more often on a shaggy fanged shepherd, and he said that there was a spring in the forest, near which there was a small chapel and a marvelous pine tree. A bucket is suspended between the branches on a chain, and if you pour it from a semiprecious stone, a terrible storm will rise - whoever comes back from there can consider himself invincible. Kalogrenan immediately jumped to the source, found a pine tree with a bucket and caused a storm, which he now regrets very much. As soon as the sky cleared, such a terrible roar was heard, as if ten knights rushed at once. But there was only one - a gigantic guise and a fierce disposition. Kalogrenan suffered a crushing defeat and with difficulty dragged himself to a hospitable castle - the kind owners pretended not to notice his shame.
The story of Kalogrenan amazes everyone. Messer Ivane vows to avenge his cousin's dishonor, but the evil-minded Seneschal Kay notices that it is easy to boast after a good dinner and plentiful libations. The queen cuts off the scoffer, and the king announces his decision to go to a wonderful source and invites all the barons to accompany him. Touched by the living, Ivain hurries to get ahead of the other knights: that very evening he secretly leaves the palace and jumps in search of the Broselyander forest. After long wanderings, Ivaine finds a hospitable castle, then a beast-like shepherd, and finally a spring. Further, everything happens in full accordance with the words of Kalogrenan: a terrible storm arises, then an angry giant appears and, with swearing, throws himself at a stranger. In a desperate battle, Ivain defeats his opponent: a dying knight turns his horse, and Ivain rushes after him. He bursts into an unfamiliar fortress, and then a secret ax-door collapses on him. Iron slides along Ivaine’s back, chopping the horse in half:
he himself remains unharmed, but falls into a trap. He is saved by a beautiful girl whom Ivane once greeted at Arthur's court. Wishing to give good for good, she puts a magic ring on his finger so that he is not found by the vassals of the mortally wounded owner of the castle.
The damsel brings the knight to the room, orders to sit on the bed and not move. Squires and pages prowl everywhere: they found the chopped horse instantly, but the rider seemed to evaporate. Ivane, frozen in bed, looks with delight at the lady of amazing beauty who has entered the room. They bring in the coffin, and the lady begins to sob, crying out to the deceased spouse. Blood appears on the dead man’s forehead — an obvious sign that the killer is hiding very close. Vassals rush about the room, and the lady curses the invisible enemy, calling him a vile coward, a miserable slave and a devilish spawn. When the funeral rite ends, the coffin is carried into the courtyard. A frightened girl runs in, who was very worried about Ivaine. The knight stares out the window. Ivane fell victim to love - he burns with passion for his hatred. Beauty always mortally wounds, and there is no shield from this sweet adversity - it is smashed sharper than any blade.
At first, the knight in love reproaches himself for folly, but then decides to win the pretty lady who pierced his heart. A sensible girl, having guessed about the passionate feelings of Ivaine, starts a conversation about him with her mistress: there is no need to lament the dead - perhaps the Lord will send her a better husband who will be able to protect the source. The lady angrily cuts off the confidante, but curiosity turns out to be stronger, and she asks what kind of warrior belongs to, having overcome her husband. The girl who brightened up the imprisonment of Ivaina, arranges everything in the best way: the beautiful Lodina agrees to marry the noble knight, the son of King Urien. The vassals unanimously approve of her choice: she needs a reliable defender - Ivaine's fame thunders throughout the earth, and he proved his strength by defeating the powerful Esclados. The knight is on top of bliss - from now on he is the legitimate and beloved husband of a golden-haired beauty.
The next morning the news comes that the king is approaching the spring with all his retinue. Kay, the evil-spoken, shames the missing Ivain and claims that he himself will fight the knight who humiliated Kalogrenan. In a short battle, Ivaine, to the delight of the court, knocks the scoffer out of the saddle, and then invites the king to his castle, to his beautiful wife. The happy and proud Lodin welcomes the monarch warmly. Having noticed a reasonable girl who saved Ivaine, Gawaine expresses a desire to become a knight of the dark-haired Lunette.
A feast lasts seven days, but all festivities come to an end, and now the king is about to return. Gawain begins to persuade a friend to live a life: you need to temper in tournaments in order to be worthy of a beautiful wife. Ivaine seeks permission from his wife: Lodin reluctantly releases her husband, but commands
return exactly one year later. Ivane longingly leaves his beautiful lady.
The year passes unnoticed; Gawain entertains his friend in every way, contemplating battles and tournaments. August is coming: King Arthur calls the knights to a feast, and Ivane suddenly recalls his vow. There is no limit to his despair, and here the messenger of Lodina appears to the court: loudly accusing the knight of treason, she tears off the ring from his finger and passes the order of the lady not to show her eyes anymore. Ivane loses his mind from grief: tearing his clothes on himself, he rushes into the forest, where he gradually runs wild. Once a sleeping lady finds a noble lady. Madame de Nurisson decides to help the unfortunate: she wipes the balm of the Morgan fairies from head to toe and puts rich clothes nearby. Awakened, the healed Ivain hastily covers up his nakedness. Suddenly he heard a desperate long roar of a lion, to which a fierce serpent clung to the tail. Ivane cuts the reptile into pieces, and the lion with a sigh of relief kneels before the knight, recognizing him as his master. The mighty beast becomes a faithful companion and squire of Ivaine.
After two weeks of wandering, the knight again finds himself at a wonderful source and loses his senses from grief; the lion, considering him dead, is trying to commit suicide. Waking up, Ivaine sees in the chapel Lynette - slandered and sentenced to death at the stake. There is no one to protect her, for Messer Ivane has disappeared, and Messer Gawain went in search of the Queen, kidnapped by vile enemies. A knight with a lion promises to intercede for the girl - he will battle with three opponents at once. In front of the crowd gathered in anticipation of the execution, Ivaine defeats the villains. The regal Lodin invites the wounded hero to the castle, but the knight says that he must wander until he atones for the beautiful lady - without recognizing her husband, Lodin complains about the cruelty of his beloved. Ivaine finds refuge in the castle of Mr. de Chaporoz - the father of two lovely daughters.
Soon the news of the exploits of the mysterious Knight with a lion spread throughout the country: he defeated the evil giant, saved the relatives of Gawain from the deaths and defended the possessions of Madame de Nurisson. Meanwhile, Mr. de Chaporoz dies and the older sister refuses
the youngest in the right to inheritance. An insidious girl in a hurry to get support, and she manages to win Gawain to his side, who has already returned to the yard. King Arthur, unhappy with such greed, can do nothing - the invincible Gawain has no rivals. The younger sister now trusts only in the Knight with the Lion and sends her friend in search of him. The damsel finds a defender of the weak and oppressed: having learned about the intrigues of the greedy heiress, Ivain eagerly agrees to help. On the way to the royal palace, the Knight with the Lion performs another feat: he frees three hundred virgins captured by two Satanail demons in the Castle of Misfortune.
The younger sister, meanwhile, is completely exhausted from sorrow and despair. The day of judgment is approaching: the elder sister demands that the matter be decided in her favor, since she has a defender, and no one wanted to intervene for the younger one. Suddenly, an unfamiliar knight appears and, to the great joy of King Arthur, challenges Ghawain to battle. The battle begins - a terrible battle in which best friends came together, unaware of it. They fight to the death: Ivaine wants to defeat Gawaine, Gawaine eager to kill Ivaine, However, the forces of the opponents are equal - they cannot win, but they do not want to concede. In vain do the king and queen try to appeal to the conscience of the older sister - the stubborn and greedy girl does not want to listen. But with the onset of night, the fight is still interrupted. Opponents enter into a conversation and finally recognize each other. Both are horrified: Ivaine insists that he is defeated by Gawaine, Gawain begs to recognize Ivaine as the winner. The king pronounces the sentence: the sisters must make peace and fairly share the inheritance. Suddenly, a huge beast runs out of the forest with a loud roar, and it becomes clear to everyone who the rumor christened the Knight with the Lion.
The courtyard welcomes Ivain with glee, but he is still saddened - he cannot live without the beautiful Lodina, and no longer hopes for forgiveness. Ivane decides to return to the source and again cause a storm. Hearing the thunder, Lodina trembles with fear. The vassals murmured her - there was no more life in the castle. Reasonable Lunette reminds the mistress of the Knight with a Lion, and the lady swears to accept him as a protector. The maiden instantly goes to
to the spring and finds Ivaine there. A knight falls prostrate in front of his wife. Recognizing the guilty husband, Lodin becomes terribly angry: it is better to endure daily storms than to love someone who boldly neglected her. Full of admiration, Ivane says he is ready to die in separation if the beloved’s heart is so adamant. Lodina objects to this, that the oath has already been made: Ivain will have to be forgiven so as not to destroy the soul. A happy knight wraps his wife in a hug. His wanderings ended - love triumphed.
