Chronicles of the Brittany Kings Part 7

 7

King Constantine sat up on the bedding with the head-pounding drums inside him. He had celebrated with the other Lords and missed the send-off of the army under the command of Lord Vortigern. He pushed his weary frame from the bedding. The wench there moved while mumbling on the bedding, but the King ignored her. She was just one whom he took a fancy to regardless of her status. She could be a maid or a lady in waiting for some Lord. He looked at his hands; covered with the callus there. These set of hands have sinned In his thoughts. He had used them to grip the throats of the enemies or to grip the extended limbs to swing the body to impact some hard areas.

“God, I killed those children.” The King moaned out his grief. “I did not mean to do it but I did.”

The King had regretted his action then, but the regrets will not suppress his nightmares. He had not slept soundly since then, with the dreams of his hands gripping the heads of the child to slam onto the flooring.

“Why…. oh…why?” The King clasped his hands to his head. “Why?”

“My King, did you call me?” The wench on the bedding sat up. The bed covers slipped down to her waist displaying her perky wares which at some moments before had excited the King but not then.

“Leave me now!” King Constantine shouted at the wench. “Get out!”

The wench jumped off the bedding and grabbed her clothes from the flooring before she bolted to the door. She left the door ajar and was soon taken entry by the figure seated outside. King Constantine did not need to look at the one who entered.

“Monk, are you to always be seated outside my chamber every night? Do you do that to record to whom I sow my seeds? Or do you hold a fetish to overhear the noise of my humpings?”

“I am not keen on your illicit mating nor my vow of celibacy be tarnished by your fornication.” Gildas grabbed a robe to hand to the King. “Best you covered yourself before you create rumors of your nakedness. Kingly persons should not parade naked anywhere.”

“Monk, your perseverance will not be tolerated very soon.” King Constantine put on the robe and stepped to the wall opening. “Have the army marched?”

“They did at dawn, and now we are at midday,” Gildas replied. “Your son left with the Lords.”

“Good for him. He will one day be a good King.”

“Better than the father, I may agree.” Gildas had then picked up the chamber pot. He saw the content was murky with signs of blood. He looked to the King and asked.

“Do you have discomfort in your belly. my King?”

“Are you to look at my piss now, monk? I am fine and if I am dying, you will be the last to regret of it. Your God will glad to see me then.” The King strode over to the bowl of water where he drenched his face with the water. He used the cloth there to wipe his body.

“I do concern for you and we all will die one day, but let us be forgiven on our sins before we do. It may not be God that awaits us then but the Devil.” Gildas reminded the King.

“Monk, how many lives have I removed with my hands? More than I can count. I used my bare hands or whatever I had then. Did I concern on their death?” The King looked back at the monk. “No, I was not. It was me or them. That was the code of survival.”

“It may be true there for you lead a life of violence but now that you are at peace, why don’t you redeem on your previous killings? Give them the closure and also for yourself.” Gildas pressed on. “The children needed that.”

The mentioned of the children paused the King in his washing. He placed down the cloth and picked up the robe.

:I want to be alone now.” The King said. “Leave me.”

“I may and so was the wench but the children’s souls won’t.” Gildas pressed on. “You have ignored the calling of their souls for too long. They plagued you in ….”

“Monk! Your presence is ….” The King was in anger.

“I am not what you need, but to guide you. Repent, my King.” Gildas shouted back. The shoutings had the guards outside the chamber rushing in with their swords drawn. They confronted the monk but the King dismissed them.

“Leave us .I want to speak to the monk alone.” The King told them. They left and the door to the chamber was closed. The King walked to the wall opening and looked outside while Gildas stood there waiting.

“I am the King of the land. I ruled many Lords, and their subjects. None will defy me or they will fa ed death by my sword….or hands.” The King looked down at his hands. “Lord Brian was a good friend to me. A loyal ally until that day we argued on the matter regarding…. Lord Vortigern. He told me that the Lord was not to trusted anymore.”

“We were the trio that started off many years ago, and here he was saying that the one I trusted with my life was not to be trusted. I was …. No, we were indebted to each other for the years we have fought together. We saved each other lives and killed each other’s enemies.” The King turned to look at Gildas. “Brian was telling me of the army of Vortigern, and the hidden treasures. I … I knew of them, or rather had words of it too, but Vortigern was my strongest ally, and never once had he denied me of any request.”

“Vortigern was trusted but then I felt that Brian was in envy. We argued and he left for his own castle with the threat of mounting a revolt against me. I cannot tolerate that and called on Vortigern to march with me against Brian.”

“We met in battle and victory was mine. He was there that day, still in defiance and in my ….. anger, I ordered him killed. I saw the children missing and asked that they be found. I had no quarrel with the children. They were hiding at the monastery. I rode there.” The King turned to look out the wall opening, as if he was looking for the monastery. It cannot be seen fore it was far in the distance but the image of it was on his mind.

“I wore the simple robe of the monk but I kept my dagger hidden inside. I was wary of any others who may be hiding there. I knelt next to the children and prayed with them. I was to forgive and take them for my own until…” The King then sighed. “The youngest looked at me and said he will not rest until I am dead by his hands.”

“Even if you dead, I will still stab my dagger into your heart. Those were his words. His brother had tried to appease the other but I was not. I was in rage. I was accused of ….the killings by a whelp. I reacted in rage. I killed them with my bare hands. The palm of my hand was bigger than their face. I ….”

“Mink, I killed them there. I did not mean…. I just wanted to take them home. I wanted…” The King sobbed into his hands. Gildas was to approach the King but the latter held up his hand to stop the monk.

“I have sinned.”