That morning King Gadifer and Queen Lydore left the temple of Mars and made their way in a magnificent procession to the place of coronation, where a great scaffold had been built so that the vast crowd who'd gathered there would be able to see clearly. And as they approached the scaffold they saw that a vine had grown above it, casting enough shadow all around to shade two thousand people, and so laden with grapes that there were as many bunches as leaves. The common folk wondered what this fruit could be, for there had never been a vine in the country before; and the nobility, who did recognise it, wondered even more how the vine could be so leafy and in fruit – not due before September – when it was the first day of April.

‘Truly,’ said Alexander, ‘the gods are performing miracles at our king's coronation: it's a sign of blessing and prosperity!’

In the shade of the vine all the princes and knights assembled, and Alexander led King Gadifer by the hand to his throne on the scaffold, while the queen was escorted to hers by Perceforest and Porrus.