Temple Sword

Chapter 78 New Life
1309, Moon of the Holy Virgin (August)
Çalokoz, east of Serdahli, Hungary
—

The black horse appeared in the glade with his white-clothed master, and galloped forward.It lowered its head, tapped its hooves on the ground, and slid over it, so fast that it barely touched the narrow dirt road.

"Madam, come quickly!" The old spearman in the yard shouted cheerfully when he saw the Arabian thoroughbred, "Your husband is back!"

He rose himself from the three-legged stool, and greeted the knight with a broad smile.

Sarecher stopped at the fence, and Antar jumped out of the saddle, sweating, exhausted, but utterly happy.

"Welcome home, my lord!" Old Stephen greeted, "Is your journey going well?"

"Warm, long but happy journey, my brother Stephen," Antal hugged the old man sincerely, "help my horse unsaddle and feed it!"

"I will, my lord."

"And you, Sarecher, be obedient by Uncle Stephen's side!" He stroked the mane of the black horse, "I'll take you to the river to drink water in the afternoon, but before that, I want to take a dip myself. It's hot as hell!"

Antal took off his helmet, took off his traveling cloak, went to the big basin in the yard, dipped his head in warm water, he straightened up, and shook the water from his long hair, and Agnes also left from the cool house come out.She wore a long blue dress, and her hair had been braided by someone—supposedly, old Stephen's wife—and tied with a leather bow.She smiled and was more beautiful than ever, however, something was different.

Agnes didn't rush at him, didn't throw herself on his neck as usual.She walked patiently across the yard, keeping her husband's eyes and smiling mysteriously.

"You haven't cut your beard," she said with a smile. "Hasn't there been a barber in Buda who pleased you?"

Antar touched his wet beard, it was indeed longer than usual, he just didn't bother to take care of it all the time.

"If I'm going to rely on someone else to cut my beard, what do I need my beautiful wife for?" he asked jokingly, taking a step towards her.

"Your clothes are covered in dirt," Agnes said. "I can't believe you're so careless!"

"I can't," Antal took another step towards her. "I didn't have to go home again until two full months later, and I didn't have time to pay attention to whether there was dust from horseshoes on my body."

Agnes also took a step towards him. She reached out and gently grasped her husband's right hand, pulling it to her lower abdomen.

Antal didn't know what she was doing, he didn't feel anything unusual about her abdomen, it was just as comfortable and soft as ever.Then, he suddenly understood the meaning of this action, and his eyes widened.He wanted to say something, but his throat suddenly went dry and he couldn't make a sound.He just gapes silently, until Agnes finally speaks, confirming his thoughts.

"A new life is being born in me," she whispered radiantly. "We're going to have a baby, Antal."

—

This day was different from other days. Antar entered the house holding his wife's arm, and then did not come out of the room for more than an hour.When they finally reappeared, old Stephen and his wife Katrin couldn't help but smile at each other.

"What is this doing?" Antar sniffed the kitchen and asked, but the old lady kicked him out directly. She didn't look like a servant, but more like the second mistress of the house.

"You will know tonight, my lord knight," she said, putting her hands behind her back.

"Okay, Brother Stephen!" Antal turned to the old spearman, "Is she also so unfriendly to you?"

"If she could be half as nice to me as she is to you," the old man muttered jokingly, "I'd be thanking God every moment!"

The old woman disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a large loaf of bread, a piece of smoked ham, and a shallot, and thrust the food into the knight's hand. "Bring these, it's easy to get hungry swimming in the river. But don't stay out for too long, dinner will be ready in no time!"

"Woman, that's enough!" said old Stephen to his flushed wife, who was not used to servants talking to their masters like this, nor did it take him long for his wife to get used to the unusualness. A favor, of course, Antal and Agnes take this approach to people for granted.

"Please, Brother Isstvan," the Lily Knight pulled him aside, "don't always look worried! Come on, help me lead the horses to the river!"

There are a total of four horses in the stable next to the Chalokoz stone house. They are all stallions, three of which are used for riding and one is a pack horse.Like his uncle, Antal disliked owning many horses, and while a Templar was allowed three horses of his own according to the rules, William always kept one army horse and has always insisted on doing so.In the stables of Dubica there were Adso of Umberto, Sareche of Antares, and several pack horses, and the stallion called Charul, which William had brought from the Holy Land, He had only ridden that horse since Antal had known him.

The Knight of the Lilies kept the same custom, but the king did not agree: after the wedding, besides the Arabian steed, he gave the knight three horses as a wedding present.

Sarecher occupied the best place in the stable without a roof like a prince.The sun shines on it during the day, and the moonlight and starlight shine on it at night.

But while Sarecher was the highest in the stable, Caesar was the strongest.Next to the muscular stallion, Sareche looked almost like a foal, although he was big enough for a thoroughbred Arabian.

The white stallion Snow has been vying for Sarecher's place, he wants to be the owner of the stables, but whenever he gets a chance to take on him in the field or on the river bank, he always loses to the much older Sarecher .They were also the furthest apart, and the only way to get them to drink at the same time was Antal carrying Sarecher and old Stephen carrying Snow a few paces away.

With his wheat-colored manes falling well over his eyes, draft horse Samson lives up to his biblical name and is strong.It's a somewhat dull and calm animal, usually bored watching black horses and white horses fight, but seems to enjoy making friends with the equally calm Caesar.

That day by the river, Snow White and Sarecher did not attack each other, who knows, maybe the white stallion sensed that the Arabian prince would not stay for long, and it would not be long before he could become the master of the stable again.

Antal had a good wash in the Charokoz, but old Stephen didn't venture into the water, preferring to stay on the bank, scooping up the water, washing his face and tending the horses.

Antal shared with him the bread, ham and onions brought from home, and the old man conjured a jug of palinka from his clothes.They lie on the grass, talking about life, like two people who have lived their whole lives.

Old Stephen told the knight that he and his wife had never had children.No matter how much they wanted one, God didn't give it to them.Then, perhaps under the influence of the palinka, or perhaps the unusually cheerful atmosphere, or both, old Stephen confessed to Antal that he had considered the knight his own son since he had known him Similarly, he will love Antal's child and love him as his own grandson, hoping that the knight will not be angry with him for this.

"In that bloody night, many people died, almost all the Buda guards died." Antal recalled the scene of taking Buda, "I didn't understand why I saved you, Brother Stephen, but I Knowing I had to do it, and now I know it's because God wanted me to, and I love you too, old man."

They talked for a long time.

Antal didn't even notice that his eyelids became heavier and heavier, and the sound of birdsong became smaller and farther away.He realized that the old man was pushing him gently, and when he opened his eyes, the sunlight shining on the seventh branch seemed no longer so glaring.

"We must go, sir," said old Stephen. "The wind has blown the bell here many times since you fell asleep."

Lily Knight yawned big and got up from the ground.He must have slept a long time, he thought, and he could feel it in the tingling of every inch of his skin, something that only a few hours of sleep in the afternoon sun would give him.

"I can't tell you," the knight stretched, "how much I miss this undisturbed sleep."

"But it's time for us to go home," the old man whispered. "We're going to be late for dinner, and I don't want to take that woman's wrath..."

"It's okay, Brother Stephen," Antal patted the old spearman's back, "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything!"

—

"O Holy Wound of Christ!" Lady Catherine ran up to them in alarm. "Where have you been? It's been so long since you came back? We thought something happened to you!"

You see, sir, I told you so.Old Stephen spoke with his eyes, but Antal stood up.

"Nothing happened, Aunt Katrin!" he said. "We just walked along the bank, drank wine, and talked stories, and then I fell asleep, and nothing happened..."

"Is that so?" Agnes also came out of the house, "You went out to drink secretly, and then there was no news for a long time?"

Antal has clipped his ears and tail.

"Here we are, right next to the Little Danube!"

"Listen, Antar, son of William Barto!" said the hostess, clenched his fists, "I can bear you to be gone for months, you're at war, I don't know if you're still alive...but but you finally When you come back to me, I want you to stay and not disappear without a word! Do you understand, my dear husband?"

The knight swallowed, and looked at old Stephen who was shrinking his neck with him.

Such is the fate of men, my lord.The old man expressed helplessness to him.

In desperation, Charles Anjou's fearless chief knight quietly led the horse back to the stables, waiting patiently for his wife to transform back into a quiet angel.

"How peaceful life would be without love!" said old Stephen, after making sure the women couldn't hear him. "Peaceful, safe . . . but boring!"

—

They sat down at table at last, and Lady Catherine prepared a festive meal for them.She had enough time to prepare, because she knew the head of the house would come home a few days ago.Venison in saffron, lamb in garlic, baked apples, carp with dill and freshly baked pies are on the table.

"Shall we start?" Antar said with a smile, his eyes flicking over the food, his mouth watering.

"With your permission," Agnes pressed a kiss to his cheek, no longer visibly displeased with her husband, "I have invited Hector's son Saipan to dinner. Since his wife After he died, he was left alone, and he didn't have much fun in life."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sound of galloping horseshoes outside.Saipan of the Polka family was alone, without escort, standing in the yard with his head down, with a sad expression on his face, as if he was a little overwhelmed by the invitation.

"Master Saipan!" Antal ran out and hugged the man passionately, just like hugging his own father.He has not forgotten, and will not forget, that bloody, haggard but resolute knight told him many years ago that if his dead son was Antal's brother, then he would regard the boy as his own son, Anything can be asked of him.

"Come in, good sir!" Agnes stood in the doorway, smiling at them. "While the food is still cold!"

Saipan nodded, forced a wrinkled smile on his face, squeezed Antar's shoulder, and entered the stone house with him.

They sat at the table in silence and ate a sumptuous meal without saying a word.When the venison, apples, carp, and pies were all gone, and only the remains of the leg of lamb remained on the table, the master broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry," Antar looked at the gray-haired guest, "Lord Saipan, forgive me for not coming to your wife's funeral."

Agnes looked at Antal in surprise that he had brought up such a sad topic, but the old man just smiled faintly.

"Not at all, my boy," he reassured the knight, "a king's man cannot always go where he wants to go. Responsibility comes first, and you and Your Majesty must have planned your future actions."

"Hmm... about this," Antal reached for his wine glass, "the king himself is not sure what to do at the moment. He still dare not take the risk of going to war with the nobles, and Cardinal Gentil's measures seem to have subsided Noisy, but..."

"But?" Saipan listened carefully, "Is there any problem?"

"What's the problem?" Antal asked rhetorically. "There are too many problems, too many troubles to solve. The Kossergis are bloodthirsty, like madmen, they mess up everything, killing and killing as they please." looting."

"Just like their goddamn father," the old man's face tightened. "They're just continuing his legacy."

"No, Lord Saipan," Antal shook his head, "Even Ivan Koseiji was not so reckless, as if they were trying to anger the king. And Governor Las of Transylvania Lo Can...he has the Holy Crown in his hands, and only by force can it be taken back. Cardinal Gentil declared that it is futile to take away the power of the Holy Crown, so long as the Holy Crown is in the hands of Laszlo Kan, and King Charles's Legitimacy is questioned. And Mate Chuck..."

Antal waved his hand, but the old man didn't understand.

"Hasn't Matt Chuck bowed to Charlie?" he asked, frowning. "He's no longer a threat."

"It's too easy to bow your head." Antal took a sip of his wine, "Mate Chuck didn't give up, he was just waiting for the opportunity. He will create more chaos, just wait and see."

"I hope you're wrong."

"I hope so too, Saipan-sama."

(End of this chapter)