Esther Reference in "The Poisoned Apple"

I was reading various Arthurian legends in Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur recently, and came across something that is quite plausibly an allusion to something from megillat Esther. In this story, Queen Guinevere throws a party and Sir Pinel attempts to poison Sir Gawain by poisoning several apples. Another knight eats a poisoned apple and dies, and the queen is suspected. She will be burnt if no knight rises to her defense and fights on her behalf. Meanwhile, she had sent away Sir Lancelot, and was under the impression that he was out of the country. She then appeals to Sir Bors, his relative, to save her life:

Alas, fair knight, said the queen, I put me wholly in your grace, and all that is done amiss I will amend as ye will counsel me. And therewith she kneeled down upon both her knees, and besought Sir Bors to have mercy upon her: Outher I shall have a shameful death, and thereto I never offended {=I am innocent}.

Right so came King Arthur, and found the queen kneeling afore Sir Bors; then Sir Bors pulled her up, and said: Madam, ye do me great dishonour. Ah, gentle knight, said the king, have mercy upon my queen, courteous knight, for I am now in certain she is untruly defamed.