As the retreating army passed by the village, the cold rain slapped the soldiers' armor and cheeks, and the sky was filled with dark clouds that would not clear up for days.
The old King Charles was lying in the carriage, his face pale and exhausted. He was seriously injured in the breakout battle in the valley that just passed. It was the Knights of the Holy Grail and the Duke of Barstow who worked together to rescue him. Now, the tear on his chest
The lacerations were clearly visible. Even if the best ointment was applied, they still could not recover in a short time. The bumpy road made the old king physically and mentally exhausted. He looked at the still young prince Victor and hesitated several times.
"Tonight, we will rest here."
Outside the carriage, the Duke of Bastowie shouted loudly. The team stopped in an orderly manner, silent in the rain. Everyone quickly began to work, and only the prince ran from the center of the motorcade. He stood in front of the highly respected Duke of Bastowie.
The horse's hooves stopped in front of him.
"Why stop? We should keep going and get back to Cologne as soon as possible!"
The prince's words were full of dissatisfaction and questioning. As the eldest son of Charles, his status was so prominent that even several grand dukes would respectfully address him as "His Royal Highness." If Charles hadn't deliberately suppressed him, Victor, as the prince, might have already commanded the entire country.
A large army.
"The weather is bad, the roads are muddy, and the soldiers are almost exhausted. Also, your father needs to recuperate, even if it's just for one night."
Faced with the doubt, Duke Bastow did not compromise at all. He did not even dismount, but answered the prince directly on horseback in a concise and concise manner.
Victor's eyes were full of resentment, but he had nothing to say. As a prince, he had not yet been recognized by the Fairy of the Lake, so he could not rule over several dukes.
…
This is a dilapidated village with only a few simple farmhouses. In normal times, it is absolutely impossible for nobles and knights to live in such a place. But the situation is special. The defeated legion has nowhere to rest, and it is at least 100 meters away from the capital Cologne.
There was a week's journey, and the nearest castle, Brights Castle, was still two days away. In desperation, we had no choice but to camp here.
The owner of the farmhouse was "invited" out of the house and made room for the king to rest. The soldiers cleaned the farmhouse and laid carpets before carrying the king in. The villagers in the village were placed in military units.
In the account.
In the farmhouse, the Duke of Bastogne finished arranging the affairs and sat next to King Charles' bed.
"My brother, I'm dying. I feel like my life is slipping away every moment. You know, it's not this shallow wound that's really taking away my health, but years of fatigue and worry.
.I'm already old……"
On the bed, King Charles spoke strenuously. He raised his pale hand and placed it on Barstow's hand to pinch Duke. Just like when they fought side by side when they were young. They are the relationship between the king and his ministers, and they are brothers.
Relationship with comrades.
"Don't say that, my brother. You'll get better, I'm sure."
Holding the old king's hand, the Grand Duke answered so calmly. His face also looked a little older, but his whole body was still full of strength.
"Oh, I said this to myself every time before. But this time is different. I can feel that my life is coming to an end. You don't need to comfort me. I just have one thing that I can't worry about."
Charles said almost in a soliloquy tone.
The Duke looked at him with sadness in his eyes. He knew what the king wanted to say, but he couldn't bear to listen to him.
"Heinrich's Rebellion is not over yet, and it has become more serious. The undead are raging in Bretonnia. But I have no ability to stop him."
"My life is coming to an end, and there will be a new heir to the throne. But, you know, Victor is not qualified...his character is not good..."
In a room with no other people, the king no longer hid his thoughts and confided his true thoughts to his brothers and comrades-in-arms.
"In normal times, we might have time to slowly train and correct him. But now the situation is special and we don't have time to wait for him to grow up."
The king raised his other hand—
"But Bretonnia needs a king, and when I die, Bretonnia needs a new king!"
Charles emphasized that although he was exhausted mentally and physically, he still cared about the kingdom and its future. For Charles, his life not only belonged to himself, but also belonged to the Lady of the Lake. On his shoulders, he carried Batoni
Thousands of people in Asia.
"Stop talking about this, brother. I know what you are thinking. But now is not the time to think about this."
Barstow squeezed Charles' hand and said calmly.
"The King of Bretonnia has never been decided by a few dukes and kings. Even if you and I agree to let Victor inherit the throne, it still needs the consent of the Lady of the Lake. She will send an envoy to convey her will to us. I believe, the goddess
She will not let a weak and mediocre person become the king. Just like when she chose you, we also tried our best to assist you."
Duke Barstow looked at Charles on the bed and said sincerely. Charles knew his old friend's loyalty, and he had never doubted him, because no one in Bretonnia could deny the Lady of the Lake.
will.
"Well, I hope it's the same this time."
Charles waved his hand tiredly——
"Go and help me call Berto in."
A few minutes later, Berto arrived at the room where the king was resting. The king was still amiable, but the old king, who was pale and seriously injured, looked very weak, and even his lips were a little purple.
"Your Majesty the King."
As soon as Berto entered the door, he bowed seriously.
Until the king waved his hand, indicating that he should come in and not be so formal.
"My king."
Berto walked to the king, then lowered his body and sat next to King Charles.
"The legendary hero of Bretonnia."
King Charles said with a smile.
Berto couldn't help feeling a little ashamed and smiled slightly.
"It's a bit of a legend, forget it as a hero. Even though I'm middle-aged, I still haven't been recognized by the Lady of the Lake. I don't think there is a more failed knight in Bretonnia than me."
Berto laughed at himself.
Unexpectedly, the old king Charles just smiled, "It's not the worst failure, at least you saved the king's life." Charles said jokingly.
"It's a pity that I couldn't save you a second time."
Berto said, his words full of self-blame and guilt.
"It's just bad luck that you didn't find me this time."
Charles laughed so hard that the injury caused him to cough up blood. The servants quickly stepped forward, wiped away the blood, and brought some decoction.
Charles just waved his hand and motioned for his retinue to go down first.
"You are very brave, which is obvious to everyone. But sometimes you can be a little unruly. To be honest, Talinnam, does that attendant have any special relationship with you?"
Charles made a pun and asked with a wicked smile.
I saw Berto's face was gloomy, and he didn't know how to answer.
"Don't blame yourself, don't be shy, my knight, everyone makes mistakes when they are young..."
"The situation is not what you think, Your Majesty."
Berto interrupted Charles bluntly.
Unexpectedly, the old king was not angry, but just laughed——
"Bratonia, throughout this kingdom, many people claim to uphold the spirit of chivalry. However, I know that many people do not do it at all. Bertol, I don't mean to blame you. In fact, I can't control that much.
I am just a mortal with limited energy. Of course, I believe in you, you are a trustworthy person."