In the bright dining room, everyone present was wearing their best robes and costumes, especially the more than 40 knights present, and several high-ranking generals wore cloaks behind them.

William, who sat on the throne, was dressed in great luxury, wearing a jeweled gold crown on his head, a blue robe thread made of silk, on which the gold thread outlined a gorgeous pattern and the Normandy family crest, a gold-rimmed jewel-encrusted belt around his waist, a long ruby red cloak behind him, a sword in his left hand and a gold scepter in his right hand, a majestic appearance.

During the Middle Ages, neither guests nor hosts were allowed to wear full armor, iron gloves, upper armour, forearm armour, front and rear breastplates, and helmets, as well as helmets, as such clothing was a clear indication of being prepared for assassination and a blatant affront to the reputation of others.

However, weapons could be carried, and generally the knights and officers present here carried a personal knife, knife or dagger to cut food.

After all the dishes were ready, William nodded with satisfaction, raised his glass and said, "Everyone, everyone raise their glasses and drink to their heart's content." ”

As he spoke, William took the lead in raising his head and drinking the glass of wine.

After William drank the first glass of wine, the knights and officers in the seat began to toast each other and enjoy the food.

William turned his head, held up a glass full of wine, and said, "Come, Sir Hubert, our hero, dry this glass!" Come, Uncle Adolf, Steward Osborne, and pay homage to him. ”

At William's suggestion, Uncle Adolphus and Steward Osborne also raised their glasses and toasted Sir Hubert enthusiastically.

"His Royal Highness William Xie, Baron Sheadolph, Steward Osborne, I'll do this toast!"

As he spoke, Sir Hubert raised his glass, which was full of wine, and the three Williams clinked glasses, and drank it together.

In the Middle Ages, a toast was made and both sides had to toast to the end, and there is no such thing as a slight sip now. After all, this principle is common in both China and the West.

As the atmosphere grew lively as everyone toasted each other, the knights and officers enjoyed cutting meat from plates with knives, scooping thick soups and pieces of meat from the saucepan with spoons and spoons, or grabbing the food with their hands and putting it on their own plates, which could be made of hard bread, wood, or white wax.

However, the dinner fork, which was commonly used in European cuisine in later generations, did not appear, and it became popular in Europe from the end of the Middle Ages to modern Europe in the late 16th century.

In the early years, Europeans were uneasy about forks, as evidenced by the 11th-century Byzantine princess Theodora. She was married to Domenico, the Doge of Venice. After Servo, he insisted that a eunuch cut the food for himself during the meal, and then picked up the food with a fork and chewed it carefully, to the surprise of the diners. Bishop Ostia criticized her for being too arrogant and elegant, and for her stale manners.

The atmosphere of the banquet gradually reached a climax, and the guests present had a great appetite, eating an average of one chicken, several large pieces of roast meat, several pieces of white bread, several glasses of wine, and so on.

They ate and drank and talked about Sir Hubert's heroism in the dueling ring, and some even sang some songs from their hometown.

Of course, loud noises and quarrels are not allowed, and guests should leave the table immediately, regardless of who is responsible.

Among all the guests, one of the tall and muscular knights carried a large plate containing the hind leg in one hand, and cut it piece by piece with a short sword in the other, and in a short time ate the whole leg.

Laying down the large plate, which was only bone, the knight lifted the barrel of wine again, held it in both hands, and poured it into his mouth, and after a few clicks, he drank it all, and wiped his mouth with satisfaction.

In the West, where chivalric culture dominates the mainstream, the common concept is that being able to eat and drink is a symbol of strength and courage. It's a bit of a "horse for a thousand miles, a meal or a stone".

Therefore, William lightly said that when he saw that this knight was so strong and had an amazing appetite, he saw that he was overjoyed, looked at the knight and said loudly: "This knight, you have a good amount of food and a lot of wine!" Tell us a little bit about yourself. ”

"His Royal Highness William, whose name is Guy, is a knight loyal to the Earl of Evreux, and is now part of the Heavy Cavalry Battalion of the Knights' Legion." Knight Gay stood up, bowed with his left hand to his chest, and saluted.

"Good! What a hero! William got up and came to the knight and said, "Knight Guy, I give you this shield and want you to serve the Normandy family faithfully. ”

"Thank you, His Highness William."

As he spoke, Knight Gay knelt down on one knee and took the iron-skinned iris-shaped shield with the pattern of two lions on a red background with both hands, and his face was delighted.

Profound... Profound...

Everyone present cheered, and gave the lucky knight a round of applause, and did not stop until the two returned to their seats.

These days, William has been seizing the opportunity to win the favor of the knights in these knight legions, trying to win these knights into William's allegiance.

Although they did not openly agree, they did not object to anything, after all, in the Middle Ages, it was common for knightly nobles to be loyal to multiple lords.

It is possible for a count to gain a kingdom through his allegiance to the King of France, and at the same time to the King of Castile or the King of Aragon in Spain to gain another domain.

As the feast drew to a close, one of the attendants behind William came over, bowed his head and respectfully handed him a scroll of letters.

William waved the waiter to step back, picked up a scroll of letters written on papyrus imported from Egypt, and read it.

"To William. Morality. Normandy:

This is the third time I am writing to you, and here I reaffirm once again my sovereignty over the Barony of Alençon, which cannot be doubted. If you do not surrender the sovereignty of the Barony of Alençon to me, next time you will face the army I lead.

......

Richard. Morality. Vasilius"

"Hmph..."

After reading the letter, William snorted and threw the letter on the dining table in a random volume.

"Little William, has something happened?" Uncle Adolf, who was sitting on William's side, turned around and said with concern.

"This is a letter from Baron Richard of Agenthon, who rudely demands the sovereignty of the Barony of Alençon, and threatens to attack us with an army if he does not agree." William looked at Uncle Adolf, shook his head slightly, and said with a wry smile on his face.

"This is a tricky matter, Baron Richard is not only brave and warlike, his territory is wider than that of Baronso Alençon, and his soldiers are elite and numerous." When Adolf heard about this, he also said worriedly: "We don't have any chance of winning the war with Baron Richard!" ”

"Yes, if you fight with Richard, there is no benefit if you win, and if you lose, you will go bankrupt, just ignore him, if you have the ability, you can attack Alençon City!" William nodded in agreement.