Michal becomes the bride of king
David after he pays Saul's bizarre dowry demand of a hundred
Philistine foreskins (18:25) and a hundred extra (18:27). She heroically helps her husband to escape her murderous father (19:12) but later he gives her away to
Palti the son of
Laish (25:44). Poor Palti (or
Paltiel) bawls his eyes out when David demands Michal back, and follows her until
Abner forces him to go home (2 Samuel 3:13-16).
Michal's love for David (1 Samuel 18:20) cools off when David transports the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom of Gath and dances "with all his might" in front of it (2 Samuel 6:14-23). Seeing David carry on like that, Michal openly despises her husband. The story ends with the note that Michal remained childless, but it's by no means certain whether this was because God had "closed her womb" or because David preferred to lodge elsewhere. By this time he was also married to
Abigail, the ex of Nabal of
Carmel, and
Ahinoam of
Jezreel (1 Samuel 25:42-43).