Temple Sword

Chapter 58 The King's Plan

Charlie opened his eyes excitedly, looking at the church dignitaries and his most loyal soldiers and commanders gathered in the secret hall.His fist was still on the map spread out on the table, hammering on the location during his hasty and passionate speech just now.

"Well, what do you guys think?" he asked, taking his hands off the Buda Castle. "Can we do it?"

"That's an interesting idea," the Bishop of Gyre replied first, "Your Majesty, you know very well that my men and horses are all fighting by your side and ready to give their lives for you. But this time... it's a little different... "

"The bishop is right," the bishop of Eger affirmed, nodding sadly, "I think this idea is too bold."

"Too bold?" Charlie Robert curled his lips in disappointment, "Then tell me what I should do! Are we going to go to the city of Buda and resign ourselves to fate? We have tried to do this before, but it is doomed To fail, if poor Biscay were here now, he would tell you that the siege of Buda was a foolish strategy."

"But we took Esztergom," Bishop Gyor insisted, and Bishop Eger nodded, as if he would do nothing but agree. "Trust us, good king, and give up your ideas!"

Charlie fixed his gaze on the man's eyes, as if about to throw him out the window.

"I'm talking about Buda," he growled angrily, "not Esztergom, I refuse to besiege the city again!"

"It can be done," the voice of Zac's son Janos came from the corner, "It's a bold idea, but it's not impossible. And I'm not too willing to march to Buda, I don't want to waste money needlessly My subordinates don't want to destroy this city either, if you allow, Your Excellency..." He nodded to Bishop Geer, "We don't need to deny His Majesty's idea in such a hurry."

Charlie's face changed from anger to a satisfied smile again, and the two bishops who stubbornly rejected the king cast a contemptuous glance behind them.

"The rector of Buda, Laszlo, son of Werner, has been rescued from Czech captivity," continued Janos, "and, as everyone present knows, he is already under our care so that Restoring his former dignity when he meets us, I cannot imagine what this kind rector has gone through in captivity, so we must ensure that he regains his strength and peace of mind first."

"Get to the point, good sir!" Eger's bishop urged, "What is your plan when you mention him?"

"I am very familiar with Lord Laszlo," said Zak's son Janos, "I believe he will also think this is a good idea, and will be willing to follow His Majesty's arrangement and help him."

"What can a failed rector do?" asked the bishop of Gyor contemptuously. "His people have been driven out long ago. The citizens of Buda no longer support him. He is like a dead tree. Lonely as a fallen leaf..."

"Be respectful, my lord bishop." Charlie Robert warned, he probably guessed what Janos' proposal was. "The secret tunnels, exits, and entrances of all buildings in Buda, Laszlo, son of Werner, knows them all."

"Your Majesty is wise," Janos nodded, "I need a month, and I assure you that by the beginning of summer, Buda will belong to us. This will require the mobilization of all the troops, but don't be afraid, my lords ’” he winked at the bishops, “they’ll stay outside the walls, keeping a safe distance from the dangers ahead, and we just have to be ready. I need twenty reliable and agile men who must never Carry out our plans with hesitation."

"I will personally lead my twenty elite soldiers." Antal, standing away from the window, suggested and joined the discussion.

"It's an honor, my lord knight." Janos bowed to the Templar, "I'm glad you volunteered, because I'm about to ask some details about you."

"Let's talk about it," Antal said.

"They say you know the city well."

"Buda is like the back of my hand," the knight admitted. "When I was a young squire, the city was pretty much all I had in life."

"Very well, according to others, you are familiar with the roads there, you know the routes of the night watchmen, the alleys, the streets..."

"I can walk around Buda blindfolded if I need to."

"It's not necessary," Zac's son Janos said with a smile, "but you need a total of fifty best subordinates, and I will provide the remaining thirty."

"They must be ready to fight anytime!"

"Of course, don't worry."

Charlie listened to the conversation between the two, his heart pounding.In his mind's eye, his future self is riding slowly and gracefully through the streets of Buda, wearing the crown of Saint Stephen, surrounded by a joyously celebrating crowd and accompanied by his court knights. Ride to Kammerkhov Palace and be crowned king with honors.

And he had decided long ago that he would place in his court strong knights with steely wills and the courage to defy death, instead of fat nobles forever disputing, he would give them lands and titles, and they might They will not become his brothers like Antal, but everyone will have their own tasks and responsibilities, and the court knights will not complain that their tasks are too difficult, they will just nod and do what they should do .

"Janosh, son of Zac!" The king came back to reality from his dream. "I give you full command of Buda's covert operations."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"What?" shouted the bishops of Jell and Eger, but Charlie Robert shut them up with a look.

"I don't want to hear another word about the siege of Buda." The king ended the meeting and left the secret hall with Archbishop Thomas and Antal.

—

Buda...

These two words have been echoing in Antal's mind since that secret meeting.He tossed and turned without sleep, and he could only think of the most beautiful city of his life, of the beautiful, sinful, and dangerous months he had spent there.From the inn to the woods beside St. Paul's Creek, to the trusty bush of Margaret Island...and those stolen times he and Agnes spent together, he could embrace his love, which he didn't The girl to meet.

Thanks to Umberto, he has been able to exchange letters with her every two months for the past year and a half.Both of them were careful in their writing, their words reserved, yet more than anything else these letters kindled the fire in their souls.

Buda...

If the crazy plan of Charlie Robert and Zac's son Janos is successful, the king will enter the Kamokhov Palace in early summer, and then he will move to this city with Charlie, and then...

No, it would be a sin just to think so.

I am a member of the Knights Templar, he told himself, a chaste knight in armor and white robes, I am not even allowed to see a woman, and Agnes is now living in a Dominican convent, she is not allowed Allowed to think of a man, and...

"It's so stupid!" He yelled, sat up, picked up the wine glass placed by the bed and took a big sip, and then crawled out of the bed, it was too hot there.

He put on a clean woolen sweater and a snow-white hooded cloak with the red cross of the Knights embroidered on the shoulder strap.He didn't like the coat of arms of the Anjou family, nor did he like the helmet worn as a status symbol.Just to be safe, he put on his belt and rushed out of the room, down the corridor, through all the doors.His cloak and almost black hair fluttered behind him, rushing past guards who reluctantly saluted in surprise.

Antar's footsteps became faster and faster, and finally he ran and came to Sarecher who was resting in the stable. The horse's gaze made him stop, as if it was looking at a fool.

"What would you do if you were me?" asked the knight, touching the horse's nose. "Do you remember Buda? The people there? Agnes?"

Sarecher lowered his head and nuzzled his master's chest.

"what do you want?"

The black horse snorted and nudged him again.

Antal suddenly understood, and he led Sarecher out of the stable and climbed onto its back without the saddle, just as he had done in Dubica-sur-Savoie. "Do you remember?" He leaned close to the horse's ear. "When there was no saddle between us, we had the whole world. Now it will be like this again, just the two of us... drive!"

Sarecher honked happily and started running towards the city gate.The gate guard looked up in amazement at the Templar riding away from Esztergom, not wearing his usual clothes and helmet, they did not recognize the king's chief knight, they could only see him from his cloak A member of the Knights Templar.

"Where are you going so late, Lord Knight?" one of them asked.

"I am Antar, son of William Barto," announced the knight, "open the door!"

"It's almost midnight, sir," said the guard, "it's not a good time to walk in the streets..."

"It's not advisable to hang out outside the city gate!" Another person added, "Speaking of which, what are you doing out at this late hour, my lord knight?"

"I said, open the city gate, you superstitious soldiers!" Antal scolded, "Christ's soldiers don't believe in ghosts or demons at midnight, and I have nothing to do with you! Or should I tell the king, What kind of disobedient and superstitious heretics are the soldiers guarding the city gate for him?"

"He's a heretic, I'm not..."

"Open the door quickly, you idiot!" One of them pulled his companion aside, and he finally recognized who the knight in front of him was, and quickly shut the guard's mouth, lest the knight of the lily flower should not think about it, wake up the king, and let They sleep forever. "You may not know who he is, but I do," he whispered, clearing his throat.His partner opened the city gate on one side, then looked up at Antar with a smile, "Please don't be angry, Sir Knight, we are only performing our duties."

"Okay," Antal nodded to him, and he rode out of the gate without looking back, shouting, "Don't worry, I'll come back when the city gate opens at dawn."

He could still hear the more docile guard yelling at the other and starting to scold him with accusatory words, and the door leaf squeaking shut.He leaned over the horse's neck and whispered something in Arabic in its ear, and horse and rider galloped through the night like a storm in early spring.

That night Antar was free again as he had been in his childhood, alone with his Arabian steed, alone with the moon and the stars.They ran wildly, leaving behind all their worries and troubles, all their responsibilities and distractions.

Unfettered freedom lasted only a few hours.The rising sun illuminated the land again, casting dazzling brilliance on the gently swaying Danube. Antares lay peacefully on the grass by the water, with a black horse grazing beside him.

He was lying on his back, staring at the floating lamb cloud, his eyes were red but not sleepy.He wanted to see Agnes's face on every cloud, he wanted to hear her smile in the sun, her sweet voice in the breeze.He was now sure that when he returned to Buda he would not be able to contain his feelings.

(End of this chapter)