At this time, the lights were still flickering in one of the rooms in the corner of the palace of Linlithgow, and from time to time there were several sounds of men laughing and talking. I saw four or five men dressed as sergeants and a middle-aged man with a beautiful beard and dressed in English jazz clothes sitting around two gothic stand tables side by side, happily playing cards and dice.

Sir Andrew Melville, Chief of the Palace Guard and Captain of the Chamberlain, was very unhappy with the outcome of tonight's dice bet. Because he had lost almost £10 (Scottish pounds) in the game that had started after dinner until now. It was almost 12 o'clock in the night, but he still didn't win back the money he lost.

The captain of the guard, who was about to lose the red eye, stared at the few sergeants at the table with wide eyes, "You bastards, did you already discuss winning my money before dinner?" ”

A young longbowman with long black ear-length hair, a linen mid-length smock, and tight trousers looked up at the captain of the guard and said with a smile, "Captain, you asked for the game tonight, and these dice are your own, and you think we'll know in advance that you're going to lose tonight?" ”

Sir Andrew stared at the longbowmen belonging to the squire, and said angrily, "No, I must win back the money I lost tonight." ”

After the other halberd sergeants who had already taken off their breastplates and wore only a combat jacket on their upper bodies looked at each other a few times, one of the men with a thick beard looked at Sir and said, "Captain, after 12 o'clock, a few of us will be on guard duty." Well, you can set up another game tomorrow afternoon to win your money back, can't you? ”

"No, no, maybe I won't wait until tomorrow afternoon, and you'll run out of money."

"Okay, Captain, then, our guard mission ......"

Sir Andrew glanced at him coldly, "Who else would be here in this place but us to stay here?" Even our Queen and Queen Mother have long been accustomed to the days at Stirling Castle. ”

Seeing that the captain had said this, the squire sergeants and longbowmen who were present could only continue to play dice with him until he had won back all the money he had lost. Later, Sir Andrew placed the three dice in a covered wooden vessel and shook them as he said to the crowd, "Buy big, buy small, hurry up and bet." ”

Just as Jazz had just placed the vessel on the table, which had been shaken several times, he heard a soft knock on the door on the left. Ignoring the knock on the door, Jazz said to the people at the table, "Have you all decided?" Big or small? ”

At this time, the person outside the door knocked on the door three more times. A little anger burst into Jazz's heart, and he hurriedly yelled at the longbowman at the table, "Go open the door." ”

"Captain, I've already bought a small one." The longbowman didn't move, he meant to wait for Jazz to roll out the number of dice.

"Bastard, do you want me to open the door myself?" Jazz scolded the other.

The longbowman shook his head, leaving the table and opening the door to the room. Looking up, a priest dressed in a black monk's uniform and wearing a hood stood outside the door with his head bowed and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, the bishop wants the captain to visit his room." ”

"Haha, I won!" Sir Andrew's laughter and speech came from the table behind him. When the longbowman, who was holding the lock of the door in one hand, looked back sharply, he saw that his captain was smiling and picking up the money from everyone's front of him, and then stacking it in front of him.

"My God!" The longbowman sighed slightly, and turned his head back to look at the priest outside the door, "Well, does the bishop have any urgent business with the captain?" ”

The black-clad priest raised his head slightly and glanced at the gaming table inside the door, but said calmly, "The bishop said that he found some suspicious people near the church. ”

"Hey, what's the matter?" Sir Andrew, having won back a dozen pennies, asked as he turned his face to the door.

"Captain, the bishop has sent someone to report to you that some suspicious people have been found near the church." The longbowman turned and stood respectfully by the door and said aloud.

"Suspicious people? Didn't the bishop say who it was? ”

"The priest said the bishop needs you to go to his room."

Sir Andrew was reluctant to leave the table as he saw some money back. So, impatiently waving his hand, he commanded the longbowman, "Let the priest go back and tell the bishop that I will come at once." ”

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It was nearly 12 o'clock in the night that Sir Andrew, the captain and captain of the palace guard, reluctantly left the gambling house and led a chamberlain to a small gate on the east side of the palace. Afterwards, he left the palace with his attendants and walked on the square leading from the palace to the church. As he walked, he asked the attendant, "You say, what suspicious person could be near the church?" ”

The attendant who was walking on the left side with an oil lamp slowly shook his head, "Captain, I don't know. However, this is a royal borough, and St. Michael's Church is a church where members of the royal family often come to worship. I think these suspicious people are probably the poor people of the north (Scottish Highlands). ”

"You mean, these suspicious people came here through the town of Stirling?"

"Captain, the only way to get here from the north is through the town of Stirling."

The squire's words were not unreasonable, and Sir Andrew did not say anything more after thinking about it. Soon, when the two came to a small door on the north side of the church, they saw a man dressed as a priest wearing a hood standing outside the door waiting for their arrival. When the priest opened the door for the two of them, Sir Andrew felt that the half of the priest's face under the hood was a little unfamiliar, and he walked in briskly without speaking.

When I came to the hall of the church, I found several priests dressed in monk's clothes standing all around, each standing motionless with a very solemn expression. At this moment, the priest who had opened the door for Sir came over, and Sir immediately asked, "Where is the bishop?" Take me to him. ”

"Captain, you see, the one standing in front of the altar is the Bishop." The priest pointed to the altar in front of him.

"yes, I see." By the flickering candlelight in the hall, Sir saw a man dressed in bishop's garments facing him with his hands behind his back.

Sir left his attendant and walked quickly towards the altar, and when he came to the bishop, he nodded, "Bishop, you have an urgent matter to see me?" ”

The man in the bishop's uniform slowly turned around and looked at Sir Andrew with a cold smile on his face, "Captain, the matter I have to discuss with you is very urgent. Therefore, it is essential that you come to the church in person. ”