Sir Lancelot, lover of Guinevere and the greatest of all of Arthur’s knights, rides out into the world with his nephew, Sir Lionel, seeking adventures. They come to an apple tree in the middle of a field. While Lancelot sleeps, Sir Lionel challenges a powerful knight named Sir Tarquin, before whom three other knights are fleeing. Sir Tarquin defeats Lionel and carries him off with the other knights to prison.

Inspired by Lancelot’s example, Sir Ector also rides out in search of adventures and discovers Tarquin’s prison. After fighting Tarquin, Ector is also defeated and thrown into prison, where he reunites with Lionel.

Meanwhile, four queens (one of whom is Morgan le Fay) come upon Lancelot, still sleeping under the apple tree. Morgan casts a spell on Lancelot, and the four queens take him to the Castle Chariot, where they give him an ultimatum: either choose one of them for his lover or remain their prisoner until death. Lancelot chooses to remain a prisoner but later is visited by the daughter of King Bagdemagus, who offers him a plan of escape. Before Lancelot escapes, Bagdemagus’s daughter tells him to ride 10 miles to an abbey and wait for her and her father there.