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King Aurelius as officially known, rode the
lands to look at the damage by the Anglo-Saxons, during the occupation and war.
He saw the villages and towns reduced to charred remains with the dwellers
displaced. The sanctuary then were the churches and monasteries but, many were
also burned to the ground.
“Rebuild the houses and churches.” King
Aurelius gave the command to the Lords. “Spare no efforts on it.”
“My King, do you regret sparing the lives of
the Anglo-Saxons now since you saw their works on us?” The King was asked.
“I spared their lives to that no more bloodshed
was added. The works now do not require sacrifices but the works of our people
to rebuild what is theirs.” King Aurelius looked at the clergy who asked him.
“Would you want the sweat of the others in the
rebuilding?” King Aurelius added. “The House of God will be better built by the
ones who believe in it.”
“The Egyptians had their slaves to …” The
clergy was adamant but the King cut in.
“Those slaves were of blood and flesh. Like
them, the Anglo-Saxons are also not slaves. They are given sanctuary at the
northern borders. They will protect us when there.” The King looked to the
skies. “They are building roofs over their homes as we speak. We should do the
same ourselves.”
The King rode on to look at the other damages.
He knew in his mind that his decision to spare the Anglo-Saxons was not well
received but he wanted to stop the war. The war with the Anglo-Saxons was never
ending and with his move, he hoped that they will learn to live together.
The King also sat to listen to the disputes
among the locals. Most of it was on the ownership of land.
“He has taken all the land. I am still the son
of my father who is ours.” The dispute was told to the King. “I demand my
portion to contend.”
The King ruled what was fair; the previous
owners had their lands back or shared by their heirs, or if there is none, the
land will be given to the deserving ones like the warriors who fought for
Briton.
“The law of the land shall prevail with the
Lord to preside, and if there is further discontentment, they can reach to me
as King.” King Aurelius told the people he met.
“You may have undermined the authority of the
local Lord.” The King was advised by the Lords.
“The Lords without the support of their people
will not stay long as one. I am being fair to ensure that all is done in
accordance. Let no one greed over the land. After all, what the land yields,
the Lord will have his share of it.” The king looked at them. “Would you prefer
unattended lands or the growing fields of grains?”
The king traveled far from London to Winchester
to look at the restoration works there, and finally, he arrived at Kaercaradoc;
the place where the Lords were massacred by the Anglo-Saxons.
“My King, we can move on.” The Lords told the
King then.
“No, I want to see the hall.” King Aurelius
rode to the monastery. It was still in the air and silence prevailed there.
Aurelius dismounted and was met by the Abbot from the Monastery.
“I will break the vow of silence to speak, my
King.” The Abbot addressed the King. “The others are in prayers with their
mind. We still come here to appease the lost souls of the departed Lords.”
Aurelius had heard that the bodies of the Lords
were burned in a pile after the killings. He had seen other killings near the
monastery; acts of vengeance by the locals on any Aglo-Saxosn seen there. The
retaliation had stopped with the King’s arrival.
“Let me in.” King Aurelius walked past the
Abbot to step into the monastery. He saw the rows of monks there; three hundred
were their numbers who had lined up to see the King, They bowed to him when he
walked past but his attention was toward the hall. The doors were opened and
Aurelius stepped in. He saw the long tables and benches, with the roasting
places in between the tables.
The place smelled of nothing. There were no
tapestries there, only the bare furniture.
“We cleaned it daily…the hall.” The Abbot told
the King. “We air the …”
A crow’s calling was heard then. Its quaking
noise resonated in the hall.
“Chase the crow!’ The Abbot told the monk, but
the King was approaching the tables. He looked at the surface of the table and
placed his right hand there. He could touch the uneven surface caused by the
knives or whatever that were used on it.
“My King, you may want to wash your hand.” The
Abbot had then offered the wet cloth to the King. The king moved along the
tables to the beginning of it. He stood there watching how the Lords could have
been slain then
“Was this where Vortigern stood?” The King
asked,
“I am unsure, my King. I only arrived later.”
The Abbot replied. The King then took leave but before he left, he had the
Abbot told to continue the services.
“We shall retain this place as a….monument to
us for we were not united then. One man betray us when we should all be
united.” King Aurelius spoke to the Lord there. “Let it be a lesson that all it
can take was one of us to destroy the united.”
“Judas was the one we need to avoid having
among us.” King Aurelius borrowed the betrayal tale of the one named Judas.
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