Balin then meets his brother Balan, also in disfavour of King Arthur, who has come to Arthur's country looking for him. They agree to set off together to do battle with King Rience, who has refused to acknowledge King Arthur as his sovereign and is making war against him. Balin wants to do this as a way of winning back King Arthur's love, but before they can leave on this mission, a dwarf appears, lamenting the death of the knight whom Balin has just killed and the woman who committed suicide beside him. The dwarf declares that this knight's brother will seek revenge on Balin. King Mark of Cornwall appears and builds a tomb for the fallen knight and his damsel. Then Merlin appears and prophesies that Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram will do battle on this very same site and that because of the death of the damsel, Balin will strike the most Dolorous Stroke ever committed by man, except for the Stroke which pierced Christ's Side on the Cross. Merlin then vanishes. King Mark asks Balin his name before he departs and Balan answers that, because he wears two swords, his brother should be known as the "Knight with the Two Swords".