Temple Sword

Chapter 33 Supporters

There are no stars in the night sky of Buda, and the cool summer wind blows, and the small trees by the river dance along with it.She parted her lips for a soft hug, but she missed the boy's arms even more.Even though they had parted last time with a bitter taste in her mouth, when she thought of her lover the next day, that tormented feeling always haunted her, gnawing at her soul.Finally she decided to swim across the river again, even if she died, she would at least hug her beloved one last time.

But just as she was about to take off her flimsy cloak, a hooded stranger walked up to her.He grabbed her arm and put his hand over Agnes' mouth before she screamed.

"Don't be afraid," whispered the stranger, "I won't hurt you."

"Who are you?" Agnes asked in astonishment after he took his hand away.

"A friend you can trust."

"what do you want from me?"

"You can't swim to the island tonight. Antal was caught a week ago. They know you are having a tryst, and they are waiting for you to come here and throw yourself into the trap."

Agnes' blood has turned cold, they have always been careful, every detail has been carefully considered and designed, how could Antal be discovered?
"Caught?" She took a deep breath, still unable to believe the words of the strange man in front of her, "What are you talking about?"

"If they catch you, they'll have the evidence, and then you'll both be dead," the hooded stranger continued calmly. "For your own sake, and for the sake of that unfortunate boy, now Just go home quietly, and stay away from shore during this time."

"How long is it?" Agnes asked tremblingly. "How do I know if he's okay?"

"Pray for him, there is nothing you can do to help him except this."
-
—

Antal listened to everything that happened outside the room in the echoing corridor. In the past seven days, except looking up at the starry sky at night, this was his only pastime. He was locked in this small hole and could do nothing.

Every day they gave him a piece of dry bread and some dirty water, and a small wooden commode for his use, and he was now dirty, smelly, and hungry, and he tried to forget it all by listening, praying, and staring out the window.

He clearly heard Zoutemont's men reporting to his superiors that they had searched the entire island last night but had found no one.Then Zortmund's angry and hasty footsteps quickly approached him, and the oath-breaking knight opened the door and rushed in, pushing Antal who was standing against the wall.

"Where is she?" He was so excited that he splashed his saliva on the boy's face, "Answer me, you little bastard!"

Antal grinned at the flushed Zoutermon, even though he was squeezed until tears flowed out, he still had to mock the man in front of him.

"Who are you... looking for...you idiot?" he squeezed the words out of his mouth, and Zoutermon became even more annoyed at hearing that, and grabbed Antar by the scruff of the neck and threw him onto the straw sack.

"You and I are not finished, boy, I will let you die."

"They will kill you too, and you will go to hell soon, God is watching you, my dear master."

"Answer me!" cried Zoutermund, almost growling, "tell me where she is!"

"I told you, I just slipped out for a walk," Antal lied bitterly. "I'm suffocating under these walls, and my friends are either dead or gone."

"And then you want to find God on a long night walk," continued Zoutermont, and the boy had repeated the story a hundred times, "and it happens to be at the same time every week."

"If you are a good Christian," Antal replied, "you will know that prayer is always at the same time."

Zoutermund was speechless with rage, and it was clear to both of them that Antal had been kept here for the past seven days because Zoutermund had promised to catch the girl with whom he was at their next tryst. The enchanted witch he had fornicated, with this as evidence, he will definitely be severely punished by the Knights.

But there is nothing to back up Zortmund's confident assurances right now, and he is now in a dilemma.Antal didn't know why Agnes hadn't been waiting for him at the usual place last night, but it had saved his life and delayed the trial for at least a week.

"You don't look very happy," Antal said, rising from the straw bag. "You want me to be punished right away, don't you? But now you will prove your accusations right at trial, but you have no evidence, It's going to be hard on you...and don't forget, it's my turn to speak, and I'm going to expose your life of crime in front of everyone."

Zortmund's face turned from red to purple, and even the blood began to fade. Antal stared at his blood-red eyes, but his heart was trembling. He completely annoyed the knight in front of him, even if he pulled out the dagger to attack himself the next moment Not surprising either.

Trembling from head to toe, Zortmund turned and closed the door, disappearing into the corridor.The boy was relieved at last, he had never seen anyone so angry, they had hated each other before, but this was the first time Antal was convinced in his mind that he had no choice: if he didn't kill Zot Meng, he will kill himself.
-
—

In the middle of the night, the door of Antal's room was opened again, and he was no longer surprised. They would open the door many times a day, and always at different times, with various questions, trying to torture Him, let him break down, so he wouldn't be surprised even if it was late.

But this time the visitor did not start an interrogation, nor did Zoutermon come back to strangle him. Antal saw his familiar face clearly, it was a young servant Ubull.

"What do you want?" Antal asked wearily, "I stink so badly that they don't want to come in person, should I send you to help them?"

"I'm here...to make you look human again," the servant frowned after smelling the scent coming towards him, "I have to wait until everyone is asleep, but if you want to wash up, you can do it now." Come with me."

Antal couldn't believe his ears.He was so used to the state, the smell and the itching that he thought it would last forever, or at least for a long time.

"God must have sent you, my friend." Antal, dizzy with hunger, stood up and followed Ubull to the corridor, where the latter prepared a wooden bucket for him to bathe in and brought him Clean clothes, carefully folded, came, and he could finally take off his rags and throw them into the fire.

Antal first buried his face in the bucket and took a gulp of water, then washed it thoroughly in it.It was not easy to get rid of the stench sticking to his skin. He grabbed every part of his body vigorously, snapped off the itchy and oily bumps on his head, and gave his hair room to breathe again.

He was right about his dirty clothes, the servants did burn them all, and he handed Antar the clean clothes with a fresh scent, and the boy broke his silence and asked questions.

"Why did you prepare these for me?"

"After the prayer time tomorrow morning, you need to go to the Knight's Hall." Servant Ubull explained.

"Hall? So they're going to interrogate me publicly?"

"You'll be confronting Zoutermont, and they'll decide which of you is right."

"It's time." Antal said to himself, he knew that his words might not be worth mentioning compared to a formally knighted knight, and he had no illusions about this, but this trial will at least Let this miserable state of affairs come to an end.

"Wait, my sir." Uble stopped the boy who turned and walked towards the room. Antar was startled by this address, he stopped and raised his eyebrows to stare at the servant.

"Sir?" he asked.

"You are not alone," the servant said with a twinkle in his eye. "Some of us know very well what you are... and what Zoutermon is. What he did to you is outrageous, although we I didn't dare to speak out...but I still did something for you within my ability."

As he spoke, Uble handed him a sackcloth handkerchief, and Antal opened it, and the contents inside warmed his heart.

"Some cheese, some meat, some fruit," Uble said. "It's not much, I know, but hopefully it will give you the strength to fight again."

"Thank you," the boy's eyes were moist, and there were people behind him supporting him, "but who are you referring to 'us'?"

"Servants and squires, sir. We have heard of you, you are the son of William Barto, you know the language of the Arabian war-horse, you ride the black king's horse, you killed ten before you came to this monastery enemy."

Antal didn't understand the meaning of the last sentence of this enthusiastic young man, but his eyes sparkling with admiration filled him with new strength and hope.

"We have agreed," said Uble with some emotion, "though our words have no weight, but if your punishment is too severe, we will defend you and intercede."

"What do you mean?" Antal frowned.

The servant's voice trembled, "They want the death penalty, sir."

(End of this chapter)