Temple Sword

Chapter 127 Mikolai
1321th of St. Jacob's Month (July), 7

Eastern Dubica, Slavonia

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It was not the nightmare that woke her up again, but the dawn, which was always the time when Agnes woke up.

As a girl she was woken by her father at the Buda Inn and later by the crowing of a cock in a Dominican convent, and when she lived a more comfortable life as the wife of a knight, she did not. There is no way to get rid of the habit of getting up early.

She stretched, sat up, slid her feet on the cool slate, put on her shoes, and started the day.

When out of the corner of her eye she saw Bograka dozing off in an armchair, she almost screamed in fright, completely forgetting that it was the maid who had sent him back to the room hours before, and had been keeping an eye on the mistress's room. sleep.

Agnes picked up her blanket, walked quietly to her side, and covered the maid with the fur fabric.Then she dressed quickly, washed her face in the basin in the corner, and slipped out of the house.

She likes to walk around the estate at this time: the guards have not started changing, the servants and farmers are sleeping in their bedrooms and fields, and even the cows are staring at Agnes curiously, as if thinking of her. What are you doing outside so early.

The sun quickly dispelled the darkness of the night, covering the earth with a layer of lazy gray.Somewhere the rooster crows, and the dew on the blades of grass begins to dry.

She walked around the manor, admiring the light summer mist hanging over the morning scenery.The air was fresh, a little pungent, and the smell of hot bread wafted from the kitchen. It seemed that the baker also got up early.

Agnes was about to go back inside to see what was going on in the kitchen when Mikolaj suddenly ran out.The hostess' mind was elsewhere, she didn't notice the butler who appeared, and the two collided directly.

"Ma'am!" exclaimed the surprised man, who grabbed Agnes by the arm and kept her from falling. "Sorry, I didn't look the way, and..."

"Mykolai!" said Agnes, "God, Steward, you scared the hell out of me!"

"I didn't mean to, I was getting ready to go to work, I just..."

"Where have you been?" interrupted the hostess, her eyes drawn to the butler's traveling coat and muddy boots.

"I didn't go anywhere, I just walked around the manor to see if everything was normal."

"Interesting, I went around the manor just now," Agnes said, "but I didn't see you..."

"I……"

"Honestly," the hostess looked at Mikolai, "where have you been?"

"I... went to... the city," Mikolai moaned with difficulty, "to deal with some... troubles..."

"My good housekeeper, you are in trouble too?"

Agnes' genial voice and friendly smile dispelled his fears, and Mikolaj forced a smile and scratched the back of his head.

"Even the best housekeepers have their difficulties," he said, looking at the ground. "You can read my soul, ma'am, and I can keep no secret from you."

"You know, if you have a problem, you can tell me," Agnes said. "My husband respects you. If you need help, you just ask."

"I'm honored," Mikolaj smoothed out his dusty travel overcoat, "but I really don't want to be seen as a burden."

"You've taken a lot of weight off our shoulders over the past nine years. If you need our help right now, you really don't have to be embarrassed. I don't want you to keep it a secret from us either. Go ahead and go Where is it, what's wrong?"

The butler squirmed from one foot to the other, turned uncomfortably, blinked, and didn't look directly at Agnes.

"Well..." he said vaguely, "something happened to me a few months ago, and... I owe some people a little money..."

"what happened to you?"

"It's no big deal, ma'am, I just borrowed a sum of money and haven't paid it back. You see, I haven't slept all night, and I have been gambling in the taverns in the city..."

"My God!" Agnes frowned. "Gambling in a tavern, Mikolai? Why would you be so sensible as to try to lose all your money at the dice?"

"You've misunderstood me, ma'am, it's just the opposite!" explained the steward. "When I found that I couldn't raise enough money, gambling was my last resort. I did play a game of dice," he admitted shamefully. Said, "But I won, but... still not enough to pay off..."

Agnes shook her head as she listened, and finally sighed. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said in a soothing voice. "I will pay back the money you owe to that mysterious man, but these will be deducted from your future salary."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Mikolaj took her hand, got down on one knee, and kissed it. "You are a woman among women."

"Don't embarrass me," Agnes helped the butler up, "tell me how much money you need, and I'll get it. I want you to remember that if you encounter any difficulties, come to us, not high-interest ones Lenders! We are your family and all of us here should help each other."

"I remember," the butler promised, even squeezing a tear from the corner of his eye, "the exact amount is..."

-

The mist lifts and the warm westerly wind brings soft chimes as the tower of Dubica Church announces the beginning of morning prayers.The captain of the guard was preparing to go to bed in his humble hut, but there was a light knock on the door.He walked wearily to the door, opened it, and stared at the visitor with eyes that were barely open.

"Welcome, ma'am," he muttered hoarsely, fearing he would collapse from sleepiness, "what can I do for you?"

"Don't be mad at me, Varos, I want you to sleep well too, but I can't wait until the afternoon!" Agnes looked disturbed, "I have a bad feeling."

It's annoying, thought the Captain, who was too sleepy, though he had great respect for his master's wife.Look for my wife at night and me in the morning, doesn't she need to sleep, what does she want?
"It's about Mikolai," Agnes whispered. "I don't think he's telling the truth. He's hiding something from me. Did you know he's been in town all night?"

Varos woke up instantly.

"What?" he exclaimed. "How is this possible? The boys and I stood guard on the city wall all night!"

"Mikolai has keys to almost every lock in the estate," said the hostess. "He knows when the guards change, when and where your spearmen will pass. He can slip out easily at any time, and it's hard for you to notice..."

"This sneaky fellow," Varos frowned, "what does he say he's been doing all night in town? Falling in the arms of whores?"

"He said he owed people money and had to play dice to pay it back."

"Mikolai gambled?" the captain snorted sarcastically, "He and the dice are like fire and water, it's impossible."

"His story was crappy," Agnes said, "or rather, the way he presented it was suspicious. He couldn't look me in the eye, and his voice sounded strange, and there was a strange feeling... It's hard to think about it now. Feeling horrible, I don't know how he's changed over the years, but I have an uneasy feeling that he's involved himself in something that neither I nor Antares like."

"I have never liked him," Varos said. "Madame, do you have any orders?"

"I want you to keep an eye on him for now, and I can't blame him for something I vaguely suspect, and he doesn't know that I think he's suspicious..."

"Are you sure?" Varos asked. "I'd be happy to use more direct means."

"I'm sure," Agnes nodded, "I gave him some money to pay off his so-called debt, and if he has any intentions, he will definitely continue as before."

"You can trust me," said the captain firmly, "I'll watch his every move, and wherever he goes or what he does at night, I'll know. You have nothing to worry about, but now, if you have nothing else to do ..." The man's pleading eyes swept to the ground.

"Go to sleep," Agnes understood immediately, "I'm sorry to disturb you!"

"Not at all, ma'am," Varos smiled wearily, "thank you."

A moment later, the captain of the guard was already snoring in bed, but even in his sleep his thoughts were still on Mikolai.

"I'll expose you," he murmured in his sleep, "I'm watching you, you pig!"

(End of this chapter)