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Destiny is forged through heroic trial and concealed identity.

Born in tragedy and raised in chivalry, Tristan earns his honor by slaying the giant Morholt to free Cornwall from tribute. A poisoned wound forces him adrift, bringing him unknowingly to Ireland where Morholt's niece, Iseult the Fair, heals him. Sent later to retrieve the lady of the golden hair for King Mark, Tristan slays a terrifying dragon. Though Iseult discovers he killed her uncle, his noble record and saved life forge an undeniable bond.

PART THE FIRST

Incurable passion defies royal law and social order.

Bound by a magic potion, Tristan and Iseult maintain their secret devotion under the watchful eyes of envious court barons. Subterfuge by a spring and secret wood chips sustain their meetings until a flour trap reveals blood from Tristan's wound. Sentenced to fire, Tristan makes a miraculous cliff leap to rescue Iseult from lepers. Together they endure a harsh, wild exile in the Wood of Morois, preferring wilderness suffering over separation.

PART THE SECOND

Clever oaths and selfless sacrifices preserve devotion through separation.

Tristan surrenders Iseult to King Mark to restore her honor, exchanging a ring for his dog before departing. Disguised as a ragged pilgrim, Tristan carries Iseult across a muddy ford, allowing her to truthfully swear at her hot iron ordeal that no man held her save the King and the beggar. In exile, Tristan wins a fairy dog with a magic bell that erases grief, but Iseult casts the bell away to share his sorrow.

PART THE THIRD

Falsehood turns longing into death while love survives in memory.

Wounded by a poisoned spear in Brittany, Tristan sends for Iseult the Fair, instructing the ship to show a white sail upon her return. Overhearing the plan, his jealous wife lies as the vessel arrives, claiming the sail is black. Broken by grief, Tristan dies moments before Iseult reaches his side, prompting her to die beside him. King Mark buries them together, where a miracle briar grows between their tombs, forever intertwined.

THE DEATH OF TRISTAN

Book

The Romance of Tristan and Iseult

A legendary tale of inescapable passion, fatal devotion, and love that outlasts death itself.

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