Temple Sword

Chapter 69 Choice
1307, Saint Andrew's Month (November)
Buda, Hungary
—

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally alone in the room.For weeks he had had no peace, in fact, every night he threw himself into bed and fell asleep, waking hours later with all the troubles and anxieties of the kingdom pouring over him immediately.

He knew that none of this came easily.From the time when he could not speak, everyone was preparing for his sitting on the throne of Hungary.His grandmother Marie told him bluntly that he would face an extremely difficult task, because the Hungarians were a savage people who could not be tamed with fine language.

Charlie Robert didn't care about it, and after a while he even became passionate about his future mission, completely in love with this savage life.He has always wanted to show the Hungarians that he is also of the same kind as them, because in addition to the blood of the Italian nobles, he also has the blood of the Alpad family.

He knew what he was doing, he was very clear from a very young age.But the turmoil and chaos that followed Andrei III's death still left him both shocked and dismayed.Even at the end of [-] A.D., the kingdom did not have a unified heart that controlled the whole body with its confident beat.On the contrary, there are many small hearts in the body of this huge kingdom, almost each of which is beating in a different way and frequency, and most of them don't even want to give blood to other members, because they don't care about the life or death of other hearts, As long as they can have more of themselves...

Despite how difficult the task seemed, Charles Robert Anjou always had a clear goal in mind: to unify and centralize power, strengthen the economy and military, decapitate petty kings, and establish a new aristocracy.He felt with all his heart that this was the divine mission which God had given him, which he must fulfill in his lifetime, and which he must leave to his successor a prosperous and powerful kingdom.

"I must first bring about an age of iron and blood so that an age of gold and silver can follow," he repeatedly told his loyal followers, including Antares, Archbishop Thomas, and the recently appointed Person A, Thomas Semsei, son of Frank from Szepes. "Our blood will not be shed in vain. When our sacred mission is accomplished, new flowers, more beautiful flowers, will bloom from the field where the dead are buried!"

It was no ordinary decision, it was everything Charlie had fought for.He has always been a man who works for his goals and can wait for years for the right moment to make a move.But since his speech in Brno, Charlie seems to have grown more fanatical, more driven by a sense of duty.

In the winter of 19 A.D., at only [-] years old, he already had dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles on his forehead. In this regard, he was strikingly similar to his brother Lily Knight. place.

On the eve of the Christmas month, as he was thinking alone in his room at the Kamokhov Palace, his ears suddenly began to ring.In the past period of time, so many people talked to him non-stop that he almost forgot what it was like to be quiet.He ordered his servants out, he didn't want anyone around him, he wanted to be alone.

After confirming that there were no other eyes and mouths in the room, he produced two letters from the secret compartment, both from Rome.

One had been sent by Cardinal Gentile Partino di Montefiore, the pope's right-hand man, who had assured Charles that when he ascended the throne in Hungary early next year he would act to help the young The king eliminates all his enemies.

The other was personally signed by Pope Clement V and affixed with his seal.This is not a simple letter, let alone turn a blind eye.Charlie wanted to tear it up and throw it into the fire and trample it underfoot, but he knew he couldn't.He could not ignore the Pope's papers, which he received not only, but all the kings of Christendom.

This document is dated No. 20 of St. Andrew's month and is a papal bull.

—

"Umberto!" Antal shouted happily when he saw his old friend.

The knights saw him passing through the Judea Gate, from which the army entered the city when they recaptured Buda.He was wearing his old black overcoat, holding the reins of the horse, walking very slowly, like a person who never wants to reach his destination.Antal rushed in front of him and hugged the singer tightly with open arms.

"Let me see you!" He patted Umberto on the shoulder. "You've lost weight, my friend. Did you and my uncle eat well?"

"Well, of course." The singer nodded, even so, the knight did not notice the deep sadness in the eyes of Umberto of Bologna.

"Who is this?" Antar stroked the snow-white horse's head, "Where did you leave Adso?"

"Poor Adso has served me long enough, my dear friend," said the Italian, "he is too old to come this far with me. He is staying at Dubica's house, which It's Sybes, my new horse."

"A fine horse!" cried Antal, "you can't tie him up anywhere, and I'll leave him the spot next to Sarecher! Then we'll go to my favorite Hotel, where the baker's wife will cook you a leg of pork so good you'll lick your plate off! I can't let you starve when you come to Buda, understand, my friend?"

"I understand, of course I understand." Umberto sighed, and Antal continued to speak enthusiastically.

"There is nothing better than a barrel of aged wine to go with roast pork leg! When you are full, you must tell me everything at home, and you must not miss a single thing!"

"That's why I set off in the freezing cold so we could talk." The singer looked into his eyes, and Antal finally realized something was wrong, "Eating and drinking can be left behind..."

"What's the matter?" Antar grabbed his arm, "Is there bad news from the south?"

"Bad news," Umberto nodded, "but not from the south, but from the west."

—

Seeing the knight approaching quickly, the guards stood up quickly and crossed their halberds in front of the king's door.

"Let me in!" Antal roared, his face flushed and bloodshot eyes, "I need to talk to him!"

"The king has ordered that no one is allowed to enter." A guard said.

"Bastard!" the Templar cursed, "how dare you fight me?"

But the guards did their duty strictly, and however much they respected the Knight of the Lily, they could not let him in until Charles Robert changed his order.

The guard mustered up his courage and met the knight's fierce eyes.

"King..." Just as he was about to explain, the heavy iron door was opened.

"What's the matter with this riot?" Charlie asked at the door, his voice was very soft, his face was tired, and he looked like he hadn't slept well for a few days. "Why are you yelling at my people, Antal?"

"We need to talk, Your Majesty," Antar said, "now."

The King looked at the worried and emotional Knight of the Lilies and knew he could no longer hide from him.Antal may have discovered the secret he's been keeping for the past month and a half.

"Let him in." He waved to the guards, who immediately made way for the knight.

Antal walked in, and the door slammed shut behind him, leaving only him and an exhausted Charlie Robert.

"Can you sit down?" The king sat down in an upholstered armchair. "I think it's better for us to sit down and discuss this."

"When are you going to tell me?" Antal trembled with anger, standing in the middle of the room like a stake. "How long do you think you can hide it from me?"

Charlie put his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, then slid down his chin, and sighed heavily.

"I didn't think about it," he admitted, "but I don't think it's going to get any worse. I'm sure Philip's plan will fail."

"Failure? There are no more free Templars in the Kingdom of France!" Antal yelled, but then regained his temper and continued more quietly. "Even the grand master was taken away, the master of France was tortured, the abbot of Normandy, the abbot of Aquitaine, everyone was taken away!"

"I know." Charlie replied curtly.

"Since when?"

"Starting from No.10 of the month of Halloween (October), two days after the incident, someone has reported the incident in the Chamber of Secrets."

Antal was so dizzy that he had to sit down, so he grabbed an armchair and sat opposite the king.

"How many people know this besides me?"

"Only a few," said Charlie Robert, "or rather, only a few knew before, but now the news is apparently spreading like wildfire from one abbey to another, you...?"

"My uncle told me." The knight replied first. "He says they're keeping a low profile in the South and are expecting the worst. He wonders what's up with the other abbeys, but—"

Antal stood up, kicked the chair away from under him, and walked angrily to the window for some fresh air, trying to feel better.

But he hasn't gotten any better.

"If I don't even know about my arrest, how can I answer my uncle's question!?" He bellowed in despair, "I've disgraced him, I've disgraced everyone, I can't even call myself a temple anymore knight!"

Charlie's patience was running out.Too much bad news and too little rest was making him increasingly dizzy, but he wouldn't allow himself to be overwhelmed by anything.He also stood up, walked to Lily Knight, and shook his shoulders desperately.

"Stop your bloody yelling, God!" he yelled at Antares, "you're wailing here like a bad Neapolitan whore! Take heart, you're worse than that." I don't know where it's serious..."

He didn't finish the sentence, and Antal looked at him with wide eyes.

"Is there anything else I don't know?" the knight asked in a low voice, "Is there anything worse than these?"

The king let go of Antal's shoulders, walked to the wooden table, picked up the papal bull, and handed it to the Templars.

"Look for yourself," he nodded towards the letter, "I don't want to tell you any more bad news, look for yourself, you have the right..."

Antal's eyes fell on the huge wax seal of the Pope, followed by Clement V's signature.This alone was enough to make his stomach shrink into a small ball, and his heart pound like a battle drum.

"Everyone has received this," said the king, "all the rulers of the Christendom."

The wording of the oracle was still as usual contrived and critical, but what was expressed was clear: the pope ordered the mass arrest of the Templars and made all the rulers of Christendom obey the order.

The letter fell from the lily knight's hand, his face was white, he was speechless, and he had nothing to say.

ended.

It was the only word he could think of.

everything is over.

"Philip's order," muttered Charles Robert, "the Pope's seal, the Iron King's order."

Antal still couldn't find the right words, he stumbled to the chair he kicked away just now, lifted it up, and then collapsed helplessly on it.

"I'm not going to do that," Charlie announced after a moment, "I'm not going to catch the Templars."

"What do you mean?" the knight stared at the gray carpet, and said in a dull and haggard voice, "Rome has favored you, and you became king with their support..."

"The Pope acts under pressure," the King's voice grew louder, and he rose from his chair, knelt before the Templars, and took his friend's right hand. "It's an open secret that the Pope was supported by Philip, and now Philip is imposing his will on him. Clement is afraid of him, afraid of losing the Pope's throne, and even more afraid of being killed like Boniface die!"

"It makes no difference..."

"All of this is not the idea of ​​the Holy See, nor the will of Rome!" Charlie explained, "If the Iron King is dissatisfied with my actions, just bring his army over!"

"You can't be serious, Your Majesty."

"There is nothing they can do with me," the king stood up. "I will not obey their orders, but... I will not refuse either."

Antal finally raised his head, "I don't know if I understand what you mean," he looked at Charlie, "If you don't persecute my knight order, then..."

"The flames are already burning," said the king, looking away from the knight. "If these fires spread to Hungary, I... I cannot publicly protect the Knights Templar, I cannot protect those who will keep their oaths, but if they……"

"Break the oath? Your majesty, the oath lasts forever, we cannot break the oath," Antar said with a wry smile, "We are servants of God."

"I understand," Charlie nodded, "I understand, no matter what you decide..."

Antar's mouth was bitter, he knew what would happen.

"You must choose, my friend," the king came up to him, "whether you will be the knight of the lily, my knight, or..."

"Templar." Antal finished for him. "From now on, I can't be both."

"You must understand me!" The king's voice was pleading. "Next year, the papal envoy, Cardinal Gentil, will come to help me fight for the throne. If he finds a Templar in my court and is my right-hand man...if he finds that I have disregarded the Pope's decree... ..."

The knight seemed to have been slapped severely.

"I see," he stood up, slow and measured. "You won't imprison us, but you can't protect us either. You can't have a Templar in your army or by your side."

Charlie of Anjou looked at him in silence, waiting for something.

"You don't want me to keep my oath," Antar saw the thoughts hidden in the king's eyes, "do you?"

"Remember," said Charlie softly, "you swore to me too!"

The knight couldn't believe what he heard.

"I'm alive thanks to my uncle," he said, approaching the king. "I've been a Knight Templar since William pulled me out of the mud when I was five years old. All of my ... all this is because of him!"

Charlie Robert also took a step forward, and they could almost hear each other's heartbeat.They looked at each other in dead silence until the king spoke again, soft as a whisper.

"Stop fooling yourself, Antal!"

In addition to anger, there was something more terrifying in Charlie's eyes. The knight was startled and took a few steps back.He had an uncomfortable feeling that the person in front of him was looking directly into his heart, and he knew the secret he was most afraid of being discovered.

"Listen to your heart, if you will stay at court," said the king, "you will not only have manor and wealth..."

Antal looked at him suspiciously, Charlie Robert smiled, even the dark circles under his eyes seemed to disappear, and the expression on his face was like winning a duel.

"I will personally hand over the innkeeper's daughter, the Daughter of Uglin, into your hands, and give me my blessing." He promised, and then squeezed the shoulder of Antal, who was listening in amazement, with his right hand, "You will no longer be bound by precepts and laws."

—

Did he have to break one oath to fulfill another?Did he have to abandon a lofty ideal for another goal?Was he obliged to abandon another master in order to serve one master wholeheartedly?Will the scale tip in the right direction?Is this the right choice again?

When Christ was tempted by Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane, he refused to accept the temptation and died a tragic death on the cross instead of submitting.

"Is this kind of thinking correct?" Antal murmured in the dark and cold room, watching the steam from his mouth and wondering if they would be like the power and honor of the Knights Templar Dissipates, from one moment to the next.

He feels like he has to make the hardest decision of his life, but no matter what he decides, there's no way he'll make the right choice when the sun rises, it's just not possible.His mouth will be bitter and speechless, his heart will be so painful that it will not beat normally, and his soul will be separated.

Charlie's words echoed in his head.

"You will no longer be bound by precepts and laws..."

The law of men, perhaps it is true...but God cannot be deceived, and however much he ignores the taunts of the oath-breakers, no matter how much he changes the color of the cloak and the coat of arms, he cannot change his heart.

his heart...

A heart that has been beating for years for a good being, for a man who would not hesitate to enter a monastery, just to set him on the right path; People who have broken countless oaths together before taking the oath of chastity...

However, there was one man who poured all his hopes and every heart and soul into him: William.

Antal recalled a long-ago conversation in which his uncle first told him candidly about his years in the Holy Land.That night, the night they learned of the death of the last of the Arpads, William Bartow poured out his heart to his squire.

"Only you saved me from the final madness, Antal," he told his boyish self through tears, "You are the only reason I didn't give up everything and why I wasn't killed with your father The reason for burning to death in that stinking hut. I feel like you are my salvation, my last chance to do a good thing in this life..."

He wondered how the old man was doing now. He hadn't seen the Lion in the East for many years.He realized how much he missed the man who was not his father but who was more than his father.

"I want you to be a knight, not a murderer." The master's words emerged from the hidden corner of his soul, like a crystal spring gushing from the depths. "A true Templar, a knight who does not forget the commandments of God and his own oath. Remember what will happen in this world at the end, and in the end we will all face the Lord naked, and let Him measure the worth of our lives doing...

I believe in the Knights Templar, if they follow the ancient rules and morals, they can still save the souls of the Christian world.But to do this, you need a knight with a heart, not a power-hungry, lying butcher.Maybe now we have lost the Holy Land, and these centuries of Eastern wars have proved that no matter how much we want Jerusalem, we are not omnipotent.Maybe now we can instead make more conscious decisions and reflect instead of laughing and violating the rules of our church. "

"I've never been able to be a real Templar," he said aloud, and the words hit him like a bolt of lightning, and tears welled up in his eyes. "I've never lived like you taught me..."

"...Why do I exist in this world..."

Is it for love?In order to give birth to an heir who can win glory beside the king in the future?Or to help the king revive a kingdom slowly drowning in chaos?Or to keep his oath to God and become the last perfect Templar?

If he stayed and took off his white robes, he would have betrayed his oath to the order and William.

If he leaves, abandoning the kingdom, he breaks his oath to the king and leaves Agnes alone.

There is no right decision and no right path.

The spit-on crucifix flashed before him, then Zortmund's smashed face... the first gash on Sarecher's back... 43 lavender sprigs... the first in the woods by St. Paul's Creek. A Stolen Kiss Scented with Honey...and a First Night on Margaret Island with Hooting Owls...

By the time the sun came up, the Cavs already knew which way he was going to continue.

(End of this chapter)