Temple Sword

Chapter 25 Margaret Island

1302, second month of Lent (March), sixth day
Buda, Hungary, Templar Monastery on Margaret Island -
—

The old knight and his young apprentice were waiting in the hall, and a servant of the abbey had informed the abbot.William's eyes looked sad, but Antal's were fiery and bright.He wondered what awaited him in the abbey, and Agnes' words still echoed vividly in his mind: "I wish I could see the bag again." The promise of a reunion meant more to him than a hundred knights Titles matter.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" William asked hoarsely.

"I'm sure," Antal nodded firmly, "God bless, I will be awarded the title of knight in two and a half years, and you have taught me everything you can."

"Yes," William agreed, "except for one thing: you haven't learned what discipline is."

Antal tried to pretend he hadn't heard his master, but William noticed a slight twitch in the boy's face.

"You heard me right," the old knight said with a smile, "In the past two years, you have indeed been a better apprentice knight than ever before, but you are still a rebellious child. I can tell from your every repressed words and Feel it in restrained movements, not to mention ones that you don't deliberately suppress..."

"What do you mean, brother?" Antal looked at him innocently.

"Tell me, why are we here now?" William asked back, and Antal blushed, knowing the answer: an obedient apprentice wouldn't brag to his master for months about the wonderful prosperity, the fantastic excitement of Buda And colorful, he only mentions a few words when appropriate.

"Here you will learn the last of the great virtues," announced William, "and if you can't learn discipline in a monastery, you won't learn it anywhere. And I'm happy to tell you, Abbot An old friend of mine, we fought together for a while in the Holy Land."

William had warned Antares in advance, let him give up the aristocratic lifestyle, forget about the wandering in the city and the boring sightseeing. If he can sum up the taste of living in the monastery in one sentence, it is that he will not be the same as before. Live a comfortable life.

It was with a heavy heart that he let his boy go to Buda, but when the boy declared his willingness to spend the remaining two years at the monastery on Margaret Island, he allowed it without hesitation.

Of course, William also thought about it a lot. He asked himself a lot of questions and answered a lot of questions before he nodded and agreed to the boy's wish.At first he thought Dubica's monastery would be suitable, but then he thought of himself at the age of 15, wandering all the way to the Holy Land and becoming a Templar.If Antares was raving about Buda day and night, he obviously didn't want to stay in the monastery in Dubica...

I'm not a perfect host, William sighed, and the boy's face showed confusion.I'm spoiling you, I know it's a mistake, but even so I can't help it.

Antar wanted to say something badly but didn't know where to start, and he suddenly felt ashamed: at first he promised his uncle that he would not make the same mistakes again, but as a future Templar, the purpose of his trip was itself. kind of evil.For more than two years, the oath of obedience had been the most difficult of the three, but now he thought differently.

Now that he could give everything for a girl, how could he accept eternal chastity?Or can it be like Poverty Vow?The knights in white cloaks all agree to be poor for life when they take the oath, but the order still has great wealth, and Grand Master de Molay has lent a lot of money to King Philip. Then... no, no, he can't think like that!
Before any more crazy thoughts could come into his head, the abbot arrived.A big fat man with shaggy brown hair and beard was walking towards them, with a wide, bright smile on his face, approaching the old knight and his squire, and wrapping his arms around William.

"Welcome, you old lion of the East!" His metal-like gruff voice echoed through the building, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but my servant didn't tell me that you were looking for me, if I knew William Bartow is coming to meet me, I swear, I'll grow wings and fly right here!"

The prankster hugged his long-lost friend as if he wanted to crush his bones into powder with his hands.

"You've changed since I last saw you, Ambrosius," William said, breaking from the embrace. "You've grown three times bigger, but shorter."

"You bastard!" Ambrosius laughed. "How dare you insult me ​​in my own monastery? Who is this?" He asked, looking towards Antal.

"My squire Antal," William introduced, "I'm here for him, and I hope he will become more mature here in the next two years."

Ambrosius was obviously taken aback by the request, but he made no objection.He took Antal a look, then stepped aside, pointing politely to the main hallway.

"Let's not discuss this here," he said. "It's more comfortable in my room, with a jug of good wine."

But Antal was not invited --- he had to wait outside dryly, while two former comrades-in-arms drank comfortably.The boy found that if he stood close enough to them, he could hear every word clearly, and even though the sound was small, it immediately soothed his uneasiness.

"Then," began Ambrosius, "why did you bring this boy here? Are you dissatisfied with him? I don't want failed apprentices within my walls."

"No," William explained, "Antal has been my disciple for almost 11 years. He was only five years old when I came back from the East. I took him in. He is the child of my late sister."

There was a brief silence between the two, and Antal seemed to be able to see the abbot raise his thick eyebrows.

"Hmm, interesting," Fatty admitted, "I didn't know you were training your nephew yourself."

"My son," interrupted William, "I consider him my son!"

Antal's throat clenched, but respect was replaced by surprise, and Ambrosius, who was still hugging William warmly just now, began to ask teasing questions.

"Which monastery did you apprentice at?" he asked exaggeratedly.

"Neither, we live in my manor."

"I had forgotten that some people have property to inherit."

"Did you also forget that some people fought in the Holy Land for 23 years, and some people came home after a year?"

"That's not what I meant," Ambrosius smiled awkwardly, "Please forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you!"

"You didn't offend me." William said, and then there was a muffled clink of glasses.

"Your child," the abbot cut to the point, "I still don't know why he was brought here."

"To test your mettle," William lied, "I want you to pair him with your best apprentices, and he'll beat them all."

The man laughed out loud.

"Just the little skinny guy?" he asked. "Do you think I look like a fool?"

"He'll beat them all," the old knight repeated persistently, "they raise softies in the monastery in Dubica, and I know them all, and I can't send him there. I'll be back in two and a half years, Then you'll tell me if he's ready to be knighted."

"You've always been queer, William. Tell me, what can I gain by having your boy a novice knight in my monastery?"

"Is this how knight mentors measure friendship?"

"Calm down, old friend, calm down," Ambrosius said in a gentle voice, "It's not just friendship. As the abbot of the monastery, I must first think about this place."

"Well," replied William, "the future of Antares is brighter than that of anyone who grew up within these walls, and when he passes his ordination, he will lead an army, and he will then serve you The monastery brings you the reputation you've always dreamed of!"

"It sounds good, very good, but unfortunately it's just an empty promise."

"Is my words just an empty promise to you?" William asked, but strangely, there was no resentment in his voice, as if he had expected the conversation to turn out this way. "Empty or not, it's a promise, a knight's promise to another knight."

Antal couldn't see what was going on in the room, but soon there was the jingle of money bags from the door.

"I have never doubted your words, my dear friend!" shouted the abbot, "no more business, come, let me show you around!"

Antar jumped aside just in time, and when the door opened and two knights came out he had already leaned his face against a far window with his elbows, but he didn't know why William was looking reproachfully. with him.
-
—

"My name is Peter," one of the servants nodded to William leaving Antal in the monastery, "allow me to show you to your room."

"Thank you," he followed the man, through the quiet corridor, he took a good look at the servant, he has short dirty blond hair, a smooth face, maybe smaller than himself One or two years old, his every movement reveals a calm obedience.

"We're here," Peter announced after a moment, before opening a simple wooden door.The room was smaller than Antal had expected. There was room for nothing but a straw-bag mattress, and there was hardly any space next to the bed, but at least the windows were large.

As soon as the front foot stepped through the door, Antar smelled a suspicious stench.

"What's this smell?" He asked Peter, and the servant lowered his eyes shyly.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "they don't usually live here, but they told me to bring you here."

Antal didn't understand at first why his room smelled so bad, but as he walked to the window, he had an immediate answer: the monastery's dunghill was just a few yards below him.When he leaned out, a servant was dumping a bucket of the stinking concoction onto an even more stinking dunghill.

"I can't believe it," he growled pale, pulling his head back, "I have to live here for two years?"

The boy was clearly upset about this, but there was really nothing Peter could do, trying to talk about something lighter, to see if he could distract the newcomer from the smell.

"This room still has some advantages," he walked in, and the room was immediately filled with two people. "You can see most of the island from here: the Franciscan and Premonteri convents are there, the Dominican convent is a little farther away. Archbishop Esztergom's The castle is here too, but you can't see it from here because it's on the north side of the island and we're on the south side."

"Peter, I know you want to make me feel better, thank you." Antar looked at him with a wry smile, "But even if I can see the archbishop's castle, I can't bear the stench."

Peter shrugged when he heard that, "I think the smell will be the last thing you need to worry about."

"……Why did you say that?"

"Trust me, every time you lay down and sleep in this stinking place, you'll be blessed!"

"What else do you know, tell me!"

Peter poked his head out to look around at first, for fear that others would hear his words, then he lowered his voice, "Promise me you won't say anything!"

"I promise."

"you swear?"

Antal rolled his eyes, "If necessary, I can swear, say it quickly!"

"Well," the servant said in a low voice, "I shouldn't tell you, but for the sake of knowing that you are about to receive more bad treatment, I will tell you this, Lord Zoutermont will be your master."

(End of this chapter)