Temple Sword

Chapter 185 The First Month in Visegrad
Spring 1323
New Royal Palace in Visegrad, Hungary

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Despite winter's repeated rampages during the month of Ramadan, demonstrating its brutal force, it seems that the end will soon be over.

The snow began to melt, the streams and rivers began to rise, and some flowers poked their bold heads out of the ground.The sun is fuller and warmer, shining gently on people's faces.

The forest is filled with new life, and the months-long silence is replaced by the unique melody of thousands of voices.The pure white scenery gradually turned green, and the ancient Visegrad slowly put on new robes and became the royal capital of Anjou.

On the tenth day of the second month of Lent (March), the weather was fine, and the healthy Elizabeth regained her strength to travel with Charlie.So they departed from Timisoara, with new plans and hopes, and set out for the heart of the kingdom.

With dozens of carriages laden with their belongings, a full entourage of soldiers and servants took to the streets like a long winding snake for people to say goodbye to their beloved kings, queens and infant heirs .

It is true that they often gossip about their monarch, gossip and complain about the political affairs of the kingdom, and make unfounded guesses about what happened in the palace, but when Timisoara is no longer the capital of the kingdom, they Many still flooded the streets, cheering and tearful.

In fact, the king's court procession held similar processions in every village and town it passed through.

The news of Anjou's moving their capital was everywhere. They crossed half of the kingdom, surrounded by curious and excited onlookers, some even accompanied them to Visegrad.

Everyone wanted to see the new addition to the royal family, but to their dismay Elizabeth and his baby Charlie sat in a curtained carriage with their new and old nanny, while Charlie on horseback was surrounded by him. Surrounded by his guards, it was difficult to see the king himself.

But the procession, more than a mile long, the cavaliers in robes, the banner of the red and white golden lily fluttering in the early spring breeze was still a spectacle and a source of fresh talk for weeks, if not months.

For most of them, nothing stopped them from bragging for years to distant relatives or acquaintances what they had seen, that they had actually seen Charles Anjou on a horse, His beautiful wife, who was giving alms to the poor, and their lovely newborn baby.

On the No.20 day of the second month of Lent, the royal family of Anjou arrived in this beautiful city under construction and stayed in their palace on the banks of the Danube.

This new one-storey building is entirely built of stone bricks, its spire is covered with precious red tiles and its superb stained glass windows shine wonderfully.

Behind the palace is a towering castle, two hundred steps in front of you is the flowing Danube River, surrounded by green hills and hills, no matter which direction you look at, the viewer will be dazzled, and secretly lament the king's power. scene.

Elizabeth, who had settled down after more than a week's journey, had to admit that her husband had chosen his new home wisely, and that, as Charlie had assured her, she hadn't recognized the new Visegrad.

After arriving, she looked around and was instantly surrounded by an ethereal sense of happiness, which was a kind of boundless tranquility. She wished she could get up immediately and go for a walk in the surrounding forest.

Charlie was even more excited than Elizabeth when he dismounted, because Visegrad was not just a new capital for him.

For him, it was the beginning of a new era, and a slap in the face for those who still doubted him, as well as enemies lurking within his kingdom.

Charlie Anjou could do more than fight wars!His ability is more than that!True, it's taken him over 20 years, but he's right, some of his dreams have come true, and he can finally build his empire on the bloody ruins.

His organized iron army defeated all the governors and oligarchs, and enriched the entire kingdom with the wealth they looted.

At the cost of many wars and countless lives, Hungary has once again emerged from isolated and fragile fragments to become a whole, and the king knows better than anyone how difficult this fragile and sensitive peace is.

Now, at last, he stands on a real milestone.He already has a new plan in his heart, and he hasn't told anyone yet, but he only needs one last battle to completely end this era of civil war.

He, along with Demeter Nekser and other nobles of the kingdom, also ended the economic turmoil, and Visegrad is like a sign that the Kingdom of Hungary has opened the golden age of a new dynasty.

After arriving at the New King City, Charlie immediately began to make new plans.He wanted to overhaul his kingdom, to separate the wheat from the chaff, and his followers might dwindle, but those who were not carefully selected had no place at his court.

But before that, he had to deal with some other things.After staying in Visegrad for a while, Charles immediately set off with his cabinet and direct army to Pozzoni to deal with political affairs, and did not return until a full month later.

Not a day passed during his absence when the king did not think of his sweet son, and how much he had grown since he had kissed little Charlie's soft brow good-bye.

On the second day of St. George's month (April) No.4, Charlie returned to Visegrad with great pride.It even seemed to him that the birds were singing to him, and not even his knees, sore from the long journey, could dampen his high spirits.

So proud of his political success that he was now too preoccupied with seeing his little fellow again to notice the sombre looks that everyone at court was throwing at him.

On the way, Charlie realized that something was wrong, those gloomy eyes, those faces drawn by sadness, suddenly gave him an ominous feeling.

Soon he understood what this strange feeling of mourning was.

"Your Majesty!" His recently appointed Visegrad steward, who had been a very calm man until then, hurried to him. "Your Majesty! Please be strong..."

"What do you mean?" Charlie's face turned pale immediately, "Why is everyone so miserable? Tell me!"

"It's your son, Your Majesty," said the man, lowering his head, pressing his chin to his chest. "He's very sick and weak, and he can't take a bite of food. He either vomits up what he's fed. , or...

Priests, monks, and learned healers have been surrounding him for weeks, to no avail... They say all they can do now is pray, but the queen is ready..."

"Ready?" echoed the confused king, barely holding himself up so as not to collapse in front of everyone, "Ready for what?"

"Get ready for your son's funeral, Your Majesty," the steward replied softly, "Prince Charles won't live until summer."

(End of this chapter)