Chronicles of the Brittany Kings Part 11

 11

The young Constan took to his new living well, except that life as a monk does not mean only praying and discussing the works of God, it meant also doing the works which were once done by the servants in the castle.

“Brother Constan, there are the night post to be cleaned. The Abbot disliked the overnight stench.” It was one of the daily chores and being the novice to the order, he was to do it. That was beside the chore of washing and sweeping on the monastery grounds.

“My young Lord, as a novice to the monastery, we are to ….do the works as one. I could spare you the ….” The Abbot was explaining the daily chores to the young lad when the lad asked to join them.

“I will be fine, Abbot. Please let me come in and be treated as one. I want to live life as a monk.” Constan had remained firm with his commitments. The other elderly monks pleaded with the Abbot to send him to other monasteries but the young lad will not go.

“I am here to serve my father’s penance and there on to seek my salvation.” Constan had told the congregation.

“Young Lord, we can accept you here but it will take some years for you to be ordained to the monastery. You will serve as a novice for now.”  It was how then, Constan took to the new life there. The observation of his new lifestyle was then by Lord Vortigern.

“My Lord, we tried to send him back but he refused. He wants to be here.” The Abbot reported to the Lord when he came to visit there. “We begged of you to take him back. We do not want any woes on us.”

“Let him be, Abbot. He will live with you while the King remains …at the throne. I will be back to check on him.”

While the eldest toil at life as a monk, the other two siblings were at their father’s side.

“Aurelius, tell me of your training.” The King is seated at his chamber facing the wall opening, asked without looking at the young lad. Both his sons are growing but with the departure of Constan, he had to look at the remaining two.

“I am fine, my King. Today, I learn how to shoot with the bow. I am improving.” Young Aurelius told the King. “Uther is learning to ride the horse. He is clumsy at it.”

“I am not. I can ride it. I did race you across the meadow.” Uther who was younger denies his lack of skill on horse riding. “I could shoot the arrow better than you.”

“You will both be fine.” The King laughed then. He looked to the Lord assigned to coach the two young lads. “How did they fare, Lord Vortigern?”

“They are young and learning fast. They will be better than you and me one day.” Lord Vortigern told the King. He admires both of them. Unlike Constan, the two are more like their father. Aurelius has a keen mind on the strategies of war, while younger Uther has far more to learn. He also noted that Aurelius was learning the arts of sorcery and magic. A warrior, in the mind of Vortigern, relies on the cold steel of the blade than the mystical arts.

“Be gone, children. I need to talk to the Lord.” The King shooed the young ones off.

“How is Constan?”

“He lives well, my King. My scout tells me that he is asking to be ordained to be one with them and the Abbot had agreed to it but I intervened. I told the Monastery Abbot he was not ready. The ritual have been delayed.”

“Constan …can be a mink but his rightful place still belongs here in the castle. He must return here.” The King stressed that to the Lord who nodded in agreement.

“I am ill, and may not last the end of the season. I need him here to be King, Aurelius is too young.” The King looked at the Lord. “You have served me well., Do serve the new King as loyally.”

The King was on the bedding most days, and the healers are already stating the obvious; “The King is dying.”

Lord Vortigern had watched the King and left the new campaigns to the other Lords. He does not want to be away when the King dies. It may mean some Lords may mount a revolt or place one of the two lads in the castle as King. That will erode his influence and is not something he wants to happen. He had thwarted some moves by the other Lords to meet the King, with their intention known to him as treachery toward him. It was one occasion that he had to call on his army to deny the Lord.

“Lord Sebastian, the King is unwell to meet you. Or anyone for the time.” Lord Vortigern had met the small army of the other Lord approaching the castle. He had assembled a bigger army that surrounded the castle.

“Do take leave back to your castle, Lord Sebastian.” The other Lord saw the huge army gathered there but he stood his ground.

“I demand to see the King. I will tell him that you are the one who will replace him on the throne.” Lord Sebastian accused the other. “The words are out and your reputation is in dispute.”

It was then for the words of his alleged intentions reached his ears. He had long denied it, alongside his allied Lords but the words were damaging. It also stirred up the raids that resumed at the borders, and some Lords refused to partake in the campaign.

“It’s from you that I now know who was to tarnish my name.” Lord Vortigern glared at the other. “Your accusation is untrue but the words are more than a sting to my name. I shall challenge you in a personal joust to clear my reputation.”

Both the Lords were given a clearing to do the duel; it was to be a duel with long swords. Lord Sebastian took the lead to attack Lord Vortigern. The latter backed with his defensive moves to drink the opponent to continue the attack. When he saw the opening, Lord Vortigern turned his move to slash at ord Sebastian on the left thigh. The blade of the sword cut past the armor and into the flesh beneath.

Lord Sebastian retreated while hobbling on the wounded leg. Lord Vortigern pressed on his moves then to attack the wounded Lord. He swung the sword with an overhead blow and then turned to strike from the left side, and did a thrust from the front. Lord Sebastian backed from the attack but he was unable to mount any attack then. He did a move to strike from the left but the move added pressure to his wound, and he staggered in the attack which Vortigern took the advantage to deflect the slash and turned his hands to do an upward thrust into the lower forearm of the other. It was an exposed area of the armor and the blade cut in deep there at the arm.

“Argh..” Lord Sebastian screamed out but he left his defenses open for Lord Vortigern to do the final thrust into his shoulder blade near the neck. The metal mesh there was cut through by the blade and pierced the arteries to the heart.

Lord Sebastian fell on his haunches to see the blade of the Lord hovering at his headpiece front.

“Desist, Lord Sebastian. Your life is endangered.” Lord Vortigern told the other Lord. It was then the rider was seen from the castle. The rider was bringing the sad news from there.

“The King is dead.”

“And you shall.” Lord Vortigern pierced the blade into the other’s face shield.