Warrior King, page 19
“It’s not insurmountable,” added Hywell, “but it means we’d no longer report to superiors elsewhere. In fact, we would become those very superiors, forcing us to take on additional responsibilities. There is also the ethical question of the temples themselves, which are the property of the Church of the Saints.”
“That is not something you need to worry about,” said Charlotte. “Were you to break with the Antonine, the Crown would seize those buildings and then gift them to you in perpetuity.”
“Well, at least that’s one thing off our plates.”
“I’m curious about the disbandment of the Temple Knights. Why would the Church do that?”
“It was, I’m told, primarily a financial decision, but I have my reservations. I’ve written to our patriarch seeking clarification on that point, but the Antonine is a long way from Harlingen, and events are moving swiftly. I suggested to Temple Captain Hamelyn that he maintain his presence in Hadenfeld until he receives orders to the contrary.”
“And if I may ask, how was that news received?”
“He was relieved, to say the least. He assured me he’d sent a courier to their regional commander in Deisenbach, but once again, we’re waiting for a reply. I’ll let Archprioress Bernadine answer for the Temple Knights of Saint Agnes.”
“Their Temple General resides in Eisen,” said the archprioress. “I should think that puts an end to any question about their intentions. I imagine she’ll send riders to every Agnesite Commandery across the Petty Kingdoms.”
“Speaking of which,” said Charlotte, “what is your opinion of that? That is to say, what effect will the order’s disbandment have across the Continent?”
“Once more, difficult to say. No doubt, some kingdoms will refuse the order to disband them. Take Arnsfeld, for example. The sister knights helped them defeat the Halvarian incursion. I can’t imagine the king expelling them there, can you? And Reinwick is in a similar state. Come to think of it, most northern kingdoms would do the same.”
“Why is that?”
“On account of the Temple Fleet that our sister knights command. I’m told sea trade has flourished under their control of the Great Northern Sea, and I don’t imagine there’s a ruler anywhere along the coast who’d see a return to the days of rampant piracy. The middle kingdoms, however, are a different story, as are the southern.”
“Would you care to explain?”
“The Temple Knights of Saint Agnes don’t typically maintain large contingents in most kingdoms, preferring instead to concentrate on their primary duty of guarding the places of worship. Having said that, a dozen sister knights are hardly going to be seen as a threat to the hosting realm, so their presence may be ignored.”
“Interesting you should say that,” added Hywell. “I’ve heard the order has expanded in recent years, thanks in no small part to the efforts of their new Temple General. Not that she’s held that position for long, but her accomplishments thus far have resulted in an increase in women wishing to serve.”
“It has certainly led to more enquiries about them,” agreed Bernadine. “Of course, all that’s on hold for the present. We can’t very well send women off to be trained until we know which facilities are still in operation.”
“I hadn’t considered that,” said Charlotte. “How many training facilities do they have?”
“Three. One each in Eidenburg, Corassus, and the last only recently moved to the Antonine, so we can safely assume that will no longer be available to them.”
“I doubt Corassus would be either,” said Hywell. “That’s a Cunar stronghold, not to mention the home port of the Holy Fleet.”
“In your opinion,” asked Charlotte, “can they continue to exist without the Church’s support?”
“Provided they can still recruit and train, I don’t see why not. I suppose the same could be said about the Temple Knights of Saint Mathew. There will always be a need to keep our temples safe, and prior to these recent orders from the Council of Peers, they had no problem recruiting others to join the cause.”
“And now?”
“I suspect some of the disbanded Temple Knights will join the Cunars, but a significant number would prefer to abandon their vows or choose to operate as individual chapters. Then again, the Mathewite regional commander in Deisenbach agreed to help put the king on the throne, so he’ll likely be of a similar mind. I’m surprised he wasn’t called to the Antonine for his audacity. Of course, officially, his position no longer exists, so they may have chosen to ignore him.”
“Perhaps,” said the archprioress, “but we are working on outdated information. Word travels slowly amongst the Petty Kingdoms, particularly when at the mercy of the Antonine’s notoriously slow bureaucracy. For all we know, word is only just reaching him now of what happened with the fighting orders.”
“Would he order his knights to participate in a crusade against Hadenfeld?” asked Charlotte.
“I doubt it, especially considering the assistance they lent you during the war. There’s also a matter of history. Their Temple Knights have never participated in any of the countless crusades of the past, and I see no reason to expect them to do so now, even if commanded by the Primus himself.”
“Thank you,” said Charlotte. “You’ve been of immense help to me.”
“These are difficult times,” replied Archprior Hywell, “and one must tread carefully to ensure they take the proper path.”
“And what, in your opinion, is the proper path?”
“I am not the ruler of Hadenfeld, thank the Saints.”
“And if you were, would you bow to the Church to avoid conflict?”
“An interesting question. Conflict is to be avoided whenever possible, but where would we be if Saint Agnes had not stood up to Jaramel, the High Lord of Herani? The best choice is not always the easiest.”
“How does one tell which choice to make?”
“By having faith,” replied Hywell. “You are a remarkable woman, Your Majesty, and an even more remarkable queen. Let your faith be your guide.”
“Even if it involves defying the Church of the Saints?”
“Let me ease your mind,” said the archprioress. “It is the teachings of the Saints you should venerate, not the whims of mortal men. I may be marked as a heretic for saying so, but the Antonine no longer represents the true wishes of the Saints. Were that so, they would live in humble homes and conduct services on behalf of the common folk, not hide behind the massive walls living their lives in relative comfort and extravagance.”
“Clearly, you’re not enamoured of your superiors.”
“The farther away we get from our worshippers, the less we understand what it means to be one of the faithful. To put it another way, as one grows in power or influence, they begin to prioritize their own interests to the exclusion of others. How can a person so out of touch with their worshippers make decisions concerning them?”
“Could the same not be said of kings?”
“Most definitely, and history provides us with plenty of stories of those who succumbed to this temptation. Even the Church has suffered on occasion, but in the past, such behaviour was punished; now it has become acceptable, perhaps even encouraged.” Bernadine paused, shaking her head. “Don’t mind me, Majesty; I’m just bitter. It’s a result of the indifference of the Antonine. They’re very supportive when it comes to collecting tithes or donations, but when we ask for something in return, all we receive is silence. It’s enough to drive a person mad.”
“I would agree,” added Archprior Hywell. “What I don’t understand is how we got to this point? Ten years ago, no one would’ve predicted this… situation.”
“That doesn’t mean this behaviour wasn’t present at that time,” said Charlotte, “merely that no one was looking for it.”
“Wise words, Majesty. I think you may have hit upon the truth of the matter.”
“Yes,” agreed Bernadine. “A slow rot eating away at the Church unseen.” She adjusted her cassock. “Is there anything else we can do for you, Majesty?”
“Not at present. Thank you for your time today.”
“In that case, we’ll take our leave of you. Please feel free to contact either one of us if you need to.”
“Thank you. I will.”
With that, they were escorted from the room.
* * *
Charlotte and Gita watched as Kenley sat in the saddle. The boy was nine now, almost ten, and had grown comfortable on ponies, but this was his first experience on a horse. The stable master stood nearby, ready to rush forward should the lad make a mistake, but he needn’t have bothered, for the beast was a mild-mannered creature that responded well to the boy’s commands.
“He’s a natural horseman,” offered the queen.
“Just like his father,” replied Gita. Kenley made a circuit of the training area. “How did it go with the archpriors?”
“It was educational.”
“And by that, you mean?”
“They have a lot of concerns, not the least of which is how their priors and Holy Fathers will act, given all that’s occurred.”
“In other words, they’re sitting on the fence?”
“I think they’d both prefer to remain in Hadenfeld,” said Charlotte, “but they can’t do that without the Holy Fathers agreeing or Holy Mothers, in the case of the Agnesites. They’ve called a conclave of their respective orders to decide how to proceed.”
“And how long is this to take?”
“Weeks to gather those needed, and then there’s no telling how long to reach an agreement.”
“And all this when our time is running out,” said Gita. “Not the best of news.”
“True, but not the worst either. They could’ve obeyed the orders of the Council of Peers and left Hadenfeld altogether.”
“This Holy Crusade could be over by the time they come to a consensus. You don’t think that’s their intention, do you? To wait out the crisis and see who emerges victorious?”
“Neither one impresses me as the sort to avoid trouble; I think they’d prefer to face it head-on.”
“This entire situation is so frustrating, and all because one man wanted to build a commandery in Harlingen.”
“I doubt this was all Temple Commander Amarand’s fault,” said Charlotte. “Like most men of the fighting orders, I suspect he was following orders. Who knows, perhaps the Primus himself suggested this course of action?”
* * *
Temple General Charlaine stared out from the walls of Eisen Keep to the south, where the great lake fed the Erlen River. The sight of so much water reminded her of her time in Ilea.
“Peaceful, isn’t it?”
She turned to see Sister Nicola, who’d been the grand mistress’s aide and now helped oversee what remained of the order, a difficult task now that they were no longer in the Antonine.
“I was thinking about my first assignment,” said Charlaine. “Of course, that was the Shimmering Sea, not a lake, and the weather was much warmer, but it’s still a relaxing sight.” She turned back to the water. “Have you heard from any of our other detachments?”
“Not yet, General, but our letters are likely still en route. I don’t expect we’ll hear much till autumn.”
“True, but the weather is already turning cooler, which means it’s coming early this year. Anything from the Elves?”
“Yes. The High Lord sent word she’s assigned someone to act as an advisor.”
“Anyone in particular?”
Nicola smiled. “Yes, Talon Fariel. The High Lord thought it best she send someone we’re already familiar with.”
“When is the talon due to arrive?”
“We’re to expect her by the end of the week. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing quarters for her here in the Royal Keep.” The Temple Captain hesitated. “Do we still call it the Royal Keep? It seems a strange name, considering it now belongs to us.”
“Perhaps Temple Keep might be more appropriate, although logically, it’s more of a castle than a keep.”
“Do you remember Sister Rhea?”
“I remember Temple Captain Verushka commenting that she was full of initiative. Why do you ask?”
“It seems she comes from a long line of stonemasons.”
“And?”
“She’s of the opinion we could strengthen the outer castle walls.”
“How?” asked Charlaine.
“By building small towers that allow archers to attack the flanks of attackers.”
“We’d need archers for that.”
“About that. When we first arrived in Eisen, I did a cursory inventory of the place.”
“I’m guessing you found something,” said Charlaine.
“Yes,” replied Nicola. “A cache of crossbows, along with a significant number of bolts. It appears that, back in the day, the ruler of Neuhafen sought to raise a couple of crossbow companies to complement his archers.”
“And yet they remained in stores. I would’ve thought he’d have taken them to Harlingen during the war.”
“I can’t explain why he didn’t, but they appear to be in good shape. Sister Genevieve also found a ledger containing a record of their purchase, including the signature of King Ruger.”
“Ah, that explains it,” said Charlaine. “Ruger died before the invasion. His son, King Diedrich, led the attempt to conquer Hadenfeld.”
“Why wouldn’t he have used the crossbows?”
“From what Ludwig told me, he was an impulsive man, and likely didn’t want to take the time needed to train with them. We, however, have plenty of time on our hands. How many did you say there were?”
“We haven’t opened every crate,” replied Nicola, “but according to the records, there were more than a hundred.”
“It’s uncharacteristic for you not to have the exact numbers,” said Charlaine.
“The room where they’re stored is jammed full. We’re still doing a full inventory, but I thought you’d like to hear of our discovery.”
“This is excellent news. Now, do we train our own sister knights to use them or hire people from Eisen to man the walls?”
“Have you a preference?”
“Danica trained all the sister knights of the Temple Fleet in the use of crossbows, which proved to be of great benefit. I’m not suggesting all our knights learn to use them, but it wouldn’t hurt to find out who might prove proficient with them.”
“I’ll arrange for some targets to be set up in the courtyard so we can test everyone.”
“Yes,” said Charlaine. “While you’re at it, send someone into town to make enquiries. If we intend to employ crossbows, we need to ensure we know how to look after them, and most likely, they were made in Eisen.”
“They could’ve been imported.”
“From where? No one else in Hadenfeld uses them, and Zowenbruch was never on friendly terms with Neuhafen.”
“You keep mentioning Neuhafen,” said Nicola. “Is that the name for this area of Hadenfeld?”
“It was a breakaway kingdom. The eastern barons of Hadenfeld rebelled more than fifty years ago, declaring themselves the Kingdom of Neuhafen. The two realms were reunited after the Second Battle of Harlingen, back in 1104.”
“Was that the first civil war, or the second?”
“Technically, the first was when they broke away.”
“And the second?”
“That was when Ludwig seized power.”
“But wasn’t the kingdom reunited after fighting Neuhafen?”
“Yes, but there were two kingdoms in that conflict, so it’s not seen as a civil war.”
“All that fighting in so short a period,” mused Nicola. “I’m beginning to think Hadenfeld wasn’t our best choice.”
“It was our only choice,” replied Charlaine.
19
Temple Knights
Autumn 1107 SR
“I fear this will not end well,” said Charlotte. “Autumn is now upon us, and we’ve yet to hear from the archpriors concerning their decision.”
“We must be patient,” replied Ludwig.
“Have we any news from the borders with Deisenbach or Zowenbruch?”
“Not as yet. Cyn has her warriors in Drakenfeld, but reports nothing out of the usual.”
“And Sig?”
“The northeast is quiet. He’s sent people up to Zwieken and Valksburg, but none report the massing of troops on our border. Not that I find that surprising. To my mind, if you intend to assemble an army to invade your neighbour, you wouldn’t do it within plain sight.”
“So we’re no better off than we were before.”
“It appears not, but I have hopes that if there is indeed a Holy Army massing in Zowenbruch, we’ll soon have proof of it.”
“How so?”
“Lord Darrian has taken to riding around their countryside in search of Temple Knights of Saint Cunar. His missive indicated he’d yet to see any, but rumours are they’re massing to the east, well out of sight of the border. If that’s true, it means they plan to march on Eisen.”
“You must warn Charlaine,” said Charlotte.
“At this point, they’re only rumours. We also can’t rule out the possibility they might try a two-pronged attack, with a second army coming from Deisenbach, marching on us here in the capital.”
“Still, you must inform her of the possibility.”
“I shall send a messenger to both her and Sig, but until we have proof, I’ll refrain from ordering our warriors to march.”
“Is there nothing further we can do?”
“Esmerelda’s been mingling with the nobility of Zowenbruch in the hopes one will reveal what King Konrad’s up to.”
“But he took an oath not to invade,” said Charlotte.
“He did, but he’s likely got the Church breathing down his neck. I can no longer count on his neutrality.”
