Sections CCLXVIII-CCXCI

Alde, Roland's betrothed, arrives at Charlemagne's palace and asks the King where Roland is, expecting him to have taken her as his mate.

Charles sorrowfully tells Alde that Roland is dead and offers her his own son Lewis in marriage instead.

Alde declares she cannot live if Roland is dead, loses color, falls at Charlemagne's feet, and dies; her soul commended to God's mercy.

Charlemagne realizes Alde is truly dead, has four countesses carry her to a nunnery, maintains watch over her tomb, and honors her memory.

The traitor Ganelon is brought back to Aix in chains, bound to a stake with leather thongs, and beaten with clubs and whips while awaiting trial.

Charlemagne convenes a grand assembly at Aix on Saint Silvester's feast day to hold Ganelon's trial for high treason.

Charles accuses Ganelon of stealing a thousand Franks, betraying Roland and Oliver, and murdering the twelve peers for wealth.

Ganelon admits Roland caused him to lose wealth and he sought revenge, but denies committing treason, claiming he threw a public challenge instead.

Ganelon claims he served Charlemagne faithfully, that Roland hated him and ordered his death, and that his challenge was vengeance not treason.

The assembled barons, influenced by Pinabel's eloquence and military strength, recommend sparing Ganelon and allowing him to serve the King with love and faith.

Tierri, brother of Geoffrey of Anjou, stands alone in refusing to accept the barons' recommendation for mercy and opposing the plan.

The barons collectively petition the King to pardon Ganelon, noting that Roland cannot be restored and that Ganelon will serve faithfully.

Charles, deeply grieved, responds to the barons' petition by calling them all traitors and refusing to spare Ganelon.

Tierri comes forward to comfort the King, argues that Ganelon is a proven felon deserving death, and offers to defend this judgment with his sword.

Pinabel, Ganelon's powerful kinsman, denies Tierri's judgment and pledges to contest the verdict through trial by combat.

Charlemagne receives the gloves of both champions, gathers spectators, and the knights are made ready with confession, absolution, and full armor.

Both knights are fully equipped, mounted on swift horses, and present themselves before Charlemagne while spectators weep for Roland and Tierri.

The two knights charge fiercely at each other, shattering shields, tearing hauberks, and falling from their horses to the ground.

Both knights rise nimbly and continue fighting with swords, striking each other's gold-hilted blades against their helmets with great force.

Pinabel, tiring in the fight, offers to become Tierri's vassal and give him wealth if Tierri will make peace with the King over Ganelon.

Tierri refuses to make peace with a felon and insists that God will reveal the truth through their continued combat.

Tierri mocks Pinabel's strength and asserts his own courage, predicting that Charlemagne will soon befriend him and promising just punishment for Ganelon.

Pinabel rejects Tierri's confidence, declares his loyalty to his kinsman Ganelon, and vows he would rather die than face reproach.

The two fighters resume their sword battle with renewed ferocity, striking helmets until sparks fly, and neither can win without the other's death.

Pinabel delivers a powerful blow to Tierri's helmet, breaking it, wounding his face with blood flowing down, and tearing his hauberk.

Tierri strikes Pinabel's helmet, breaking it, scattering his brains, and kills him with one blow, winning the battle.

The assembled Franks declare that God has proven the right through Tierri's victory, confirming that Ganelon and his kinsmen deserve death.

Charlemagne comes to Tierri with forty barons, embraces him, tends his wounds, disarms him, and escorts him back to Aix in celebration.

Charlemagne orders his provost Basbrun to hang all thirty of Ganelon's kinsmen on the cursed wood tree, threatening death to anyone who lets one escape.

Ganelon is bound to four swift, mad stallions and drawn apart until his sinews snap and his limbs are torn from his body, bleeding to death as a felon.

Charlemagne calls the bishops and explains that the captive Saracen queen has heard sermons and desires Christian baptism to save her soul.

The bishops baptize the Saracen queen with noble women as sponsors, giving her the Christian name Juliane.

As Charlemagne sleeps in his chamber, the angel Gabriel appears and commands him to summon his hosts to aid King Vivien against pagans besieging Imphe.

Charlemagne expresses his sorrow at the divine command, saying his life is hard, and weeps as he prepares to fulfill God's will once more.