Temple Sword

Chapter 66 Three Teeth
In the next few days, Antal shrank his neck and walked around Buda, carefully ensuring that he did not meet with the king or the archbishop much, and of course avoided the occasional visit from Margaret Island. Knights Templar.And so, after two weeks passed, with no news of disappearances, murders, or bodies floating on the water, the knight began to calm down.

By the end of the third week, time had healed his physical and mental wounds, so much so that he decided to return to the island on the night of the full moon, he couldn't take it anymore, he had to meet Agnes, he wanted to hug her , he wants to feel him.He missed her, and he was sure the novice missed him too.Besides, he should reassure her that poor Agnes probably doesn't know what's happened to him since then.He needed to tell her that no one found anything and they were safe.

On the same day that the tourney was held in honor of Charles Robert, Antal sent one of his men to old Stephen.The king wanted to mount himself on this bright summer day and stand before the jousting fence, and he wanted to challenge the champion at the end of the jousting.Despite several people trying to convince him, Charlie didn't heed the wise counsel, wanted to beat the champion and was convinced he could do it.

"When the time comes," Charlie Robert led a group of horses to the stands next to the arena, his eyes shining. "No one will doubt my strength!"

"Even now, they won't doubt your strength, Your Majesty." Archbishop Thomas said, but Charlie just waved his hand.

"Is the kingdom mine?" he asked. "No! I don't have half the kingdom! It's an exaggeration to say I own one-tenth."

"Even if you win the game, you won't have more kingdoms."

"My dear archbishop," the king turned to him with a smile, wanting to put an end to this completely unnecessary discussion. "Tell me, how many times have I told you not to stand at an altar and preach to people?"

Archbishop Esztergom remained expressionless. "You never asked for that, Your Majesty," he said.

"And you know why I don't ask you not to, and never will?"

"Because," replied the Archbishop without hesitation, "because it is my vocation, my sacred and inviolable duty before God."

"That's exactly the answer I want to hear." The king stepped onto the high platform and nodded. "As a knight in armor, it is my equally sacred duty to lead my people. That's why I must beat the champion today, and that's why I must beat him next time, and next time, and next time... "

The young monarch ascended the high seated throne and waved to the audience with a proud smile.Seated on his left is his young wife Maria of Galicia, and on his right the smaller but equally ornately carved throne of the Archbishop of Esztergom.The other members of the court stood behind him, and the Lily Knight also stood there anxiously.

The gathered Buda people waved to the king, cheering one after another, as if they were worshiping a living god.

"Did you see, Sire?" They sat down, and Archbishop Thomas whispered in Charlie's ear, "That's why I must preach."

"Just wait and see, Archbishop," Charlie said, laughing. "When I win the game, there will be real cheers here."

—

Antal couldn't concentrate on watching the knights' contest at all, he kept counting the time in his heart, not knowing when the old gatekeeper would come.He instructed his men to notify Stephen as soon as they found him, even at the height of the tournament's excitement.Since not everyone was allowed to ascend to the Royal Stand, the knight kept his eye on the bottom of the stairs to see if his men would show up there.

But no one came.

The not-so-fun scenes leading up to the game were over, and the knights returned to their tents to get dressed for the most anticipated part of the game with the help of their servants and squires.Charlie waved his arm and waved to Antal.

"Aren't you going to play today?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not in the mood, Your Majesty." The knight smiled reluctantly, "I've had enough."

"What a thrill it would be if we all ended up in the saddle, on the opposite side of the lance fence!" cried the King. "Think what a duel we'll have!"

"Next time, Your Majesty." Antal promised, "I don't want to deprive you of the chance to win today."

The Sovereign laughed out loud as the Templar returned to his seat, the smile fading from his face, his eyes fixed on the bottom of the stairs leading to the grandstand.

Where the hell are they?

—

After the herald announced the champion, old Stephen appeared, and the king challenged the champion before all eyes. Armor and helmet, Antar also took advantage of this time to temporarily leave the stands.

"I've waited for you, old man!" He pulled the gatekeeper to a quiet place aside, "I have something to tell you, Brother Stephen."

"Oh, my lord knight, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," Stephen twisted his wrinkled hands, kneading the things in his hands, "I also have something to say..."

"Please let me speak first!" Antal interrupted him, "I will return to the island when the moon rises again."

"That's exactly what I'm going to say, my good knight," said the old man in a bitter voice. "I tried to reason with her, but she doesn't want you to go back at all!"

All color disappeared from the Templar's face.

"What are you talking about, are you fooling me?"

"I didn't lie to you, I swear to God!"

"What's that in your hand?" Antal asked, and the old man handed him the battered, blood-stained lavender bag.

"She asked me to give this to you, my good knight." Old Stephen said in a reserved voice, "She asked me to bring a message..."

"What words?" The knight said in a dry voice, but his eyes were already wet. "What did she say?"

"She told me she wasn't lying when she said she'd be waiting for you forever," Stephen Sr. recalled, trying to repeat every word Agnes said, "she'd be waiting for you forever, she loved you more than life. Still, the Lord doesn’t want you to belong to each other, and you haven’t passed the test He has set before you.”

"Any more?"

"She kisses you," said Stephen, bowing his head. "She kisses you and holds you a thousand times, and that's all. May I go, good sir?"

"You can go." The knight whispered hoarsely, and then stopped the old man and told him that he forgot to pay him, but Stephen just shook his head and walked away slowly.

A frustrated Antal stepped into the stands, heartbroken, as Charlie prepared to attack the champion.

At the moment of the confrontation, the king roared and thrust his spear forward, and the opponent raised his shield to block him.But Charlie's lance slipped over the shield and struck the oncoming helmet with such terrible force that the crack was heard even from the stands.

The champion dropped his lance, his shield fell from his hands, he fell to the ground with a thud, and then all was quiet.

The audience waited with bated breath to see what would happen.Charlie stared blankly at the blood gushing from the gap in the champ's dented helmet. He had no intention of killing a great warrior, he only wanted to defeat him, but the warrior might never rise again.

Time seemed to freeze, and in the silence one could even hear flies buzzing around the horses.

"For God's sake, how long am I going to lie here before someone comes to help me?" A painful grunt came from the helmet, bringing the frozen silence of the audience back to life.

There was a deafening cheer, and Charlie raised his jousting lance aloft, and rode a lap along the fence, so that everyone could once again see the victorious King of Knights.

The attendants and servants who were stunned by the fright rushed forward and helped their master up from the ground.The king himself sprang from his saddle, and helped the defeated champion into his tent.

When they finally managed to knock the dented helmet out of the man's head, they found that he was all right, except that three teeth had been knocked out by the king's lance.

Charlie immediately solemnly announced that the champion he defeated would get three villages as compensation for losing three teeth, and the people cheering for the king broke out in unprecedented cheers.

Little did the frenzied spectators know, that the knight had actually only received a saddle bearing the names of the three villages inscribed on it by Archbishop Thomas' diligent servants.

(End of this chapter)