It's cold when the lilacs are in full bloom, but Highland Norman is located in the north, and the cold of the night still makes you want to curl up in front of the hearth. As you can imagine, it is not pleasant to be pulled out of a hot white bearskin mattress and a rat mink blanket at this time.

Especially for a king, and at every time he raised his glass, he drank all the rotten sweet wine or winter wine in it.

But he could not scream and have his soldiers beat or hang the man who dared to disturb him, for the tormentor of him was none other than his own sister, and Princess Diane pulled him out of the bedding in a fit of rage—the kind of pulling method of one arm and one leg, after all, His Majesty was the size of four of her.

"What's the matter?" asked the king, holding his head to think that there was a group of brightly dressed gnomes beating gongs and drums and bouncing to their gods.

"Your good lord, and your good brother!" said Diane, dissatisfied, and she was aware of His Majesty's thoughts, but she really did not understand why he had to get such a shitty thing--Morton Donclay was not without distant relatives, and if poor old Morton was unwilling to let Dylan inherit his domain out of his own petty selfishness, there would not be a second Doncre among the Twelve Families- She was saying that the genealogical kind, though Diane didn't look down on them much, was better than a little bastard who didn't know what came out of under the prostitute's skirt.

The king grabbed the silver jug that was placed on the cabinet and took a sip, which contained honey mixed with water and mint leaves, a cold light wine used to relieve hangover and the after-effects of hangovers, and he sobered up a little, shook his body, grasped the manservant's shoulders and the bedpost, and with the help of the other two servants, he put on the woolen jumper that he had taken off not long ago, and wrapped it in a large coat of silver ratskin, and one of the servants wanted to put a gold necklace on him, but he waved his hand and refused.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked as he stumbled down the stairs.

"I don't know exactly what to do," Diane replied, "It seems like that...... The man wanted to kill Earl of Cash, but you know, Earl of Cash's protector was Fouquet, and Fouquet happened to be with John, and then John stopped him, but that man ...... Thank you for your grace to him, who was apparently carried away, and he went so far as to say to a duke, uh......" she swallowed "the heir of a kingdom": "Raise your arms. ”

"I was confused. The king said, "Why did Baldwin kill Kell? And how did Fouquet get with John?"

"John wanted to ask Fouquet if he could help him buy more slaves—two thousand soldiers would be hard for even a duke, and as for that man, who knows?" said Diane, indifferently, "Inferior people are always mad." ”

Even though the servants rushed over and lit the torches, the cold in the corridor still made the king shiver, and he tightened his shoe, but fortunately, as the king's younger brother, Duke John's residence was not far from the king's chambers, to be precise, the towers that were closely adjoining by a road. According to the written and unwritten rules of the Norman of the Highlands, they belonged to the king and the king's heirs, and if the king could get the support of the nobles to change the inheritance law so that his daughter could also inherit her father's title and land, then it would not be Duke John but Princess Leona who would live here.

It didn't take place in the Duke John's bedroom, which was not a young girl, and John was more inclined to fall in love with a gentle lady, and they talked on the second floor of the tower, a more secluded parlor with a burning fireplace.

The room was large, and there was not much furniture - a round table, three chairs and a writing desk, a storage box, and two statues holding brass bottles were all equipped here, so it was even more empty, but not shabby, and the floor was covered with a pure black wolf skin, with a head, The limbs and tail, the eyes were replaced with yellow beeswax, the walls were hung with colorful silk carpets, and although fluorite could not be hung at the ceiling, the cetamine candle lit on a chandelier with forty-eight arms could still illuminate the whole room. The Earl of Cayle hid himself behind Fouquet and Duke John, and Viscount Berdwin, the master of Thundercastle, stood opposite them, and as Princess Diane had said, he held a broad sword, the one given to him by His Majesty, which the King recognized, because it had a pattern like a small black and white snake, and a solid stone embedded in its counterweight.

And Duke John held a one-handed sword, well, it wasn't that the king didn't like his brother, and in all fairness, it was impossible to defeat Berdwin by this - in order to cater to Duke John's arm, the one-handed sword was forged from the expensive Mithril, inferior in width and length to its kind, and in order to further reduce its weight, the dwarven craftsmen did not even dare to set gems on it, but only carved patterns into the hilt and filled it with gold.

In this way, Duke John's hands were trembling, but it didn't matter, he just wanted to show his attitude, and when he saw the king walk in, he immediately lowered the tip of his sword, and Berdwin followed, in front of the king, the nobleman could hold a weapon in his hand, but if he dared to raise the tip of his sword, it would be an outright rebellion.

Baldwin looked terrible, his face was pale, his hair was unkempt, his clothes were soaked with blood, and he was blooming everywhere, but the wounds seemed to have healed - he must have prayed a little healing to Tyre, the king looked carefully, and then turned his gaze to Duke John and Earl of Kel, who he did not think could make Baldwin so embarrassed - the bard had praised the lords of Thundercastle for their dexterity and agility and equilibrium like argali.

When he saw King Baldwin, he couldn't help but think of what Diane had said to him...... Ridiculous stupidity, it couldn't be, he said to himself, but he did get upset about it for a while, and just as he had fallen asleep, he was pushed awake by Diane - he couldn't even blame her, for it was true that only he could deal with the situation, but he had to say that Berdwin had gone too far, that a viscount wanted to kill an earl, and pointed his sword at a duke, and that was not his right, and that right belonged to the king.

Is it true that he has given too many privileges to Baldwin, as Diane said--but he really can't find a second one--there are few people to trust around him, they are either from that family or from this family, only Baldwin is a loner with no background and no ambition, he is still a loyal follower of Tyre, the god of justice and justice, and his knight, Morton Don Clay, says so, he is the one who can be used - but if Diane is true, Leona is really ...... The King's mind tossed and turned, looking for someone who could replace Birdwin, but in the end he found nothing, which made his heart involuntarily agitated, as if some devil had dug a piece.

The Norman ruler of the Highlands had to once again try to calm the chaotic thoughts in his head, and he almost succeeded, if it weren't for the hasty arrival of his daughter Leona.

Leona rushed into the room, searching in a panic, her eyes flickering over Duke John, Earl of Cash, and Fouquet, before finally landing on Berdwin.

Now Baldwin was not good-looking, no, not even dignified, he looked like a murderer possessed by a demon, the king thought, but he saw only heartfelt, tender pity and sympathy in his daughter's eyes, though she quickly looked away.

His heart sank violently.

"Tell me," the king asked, "what has happened? Let my brother, my courtiers, those loyal to me, let the most valiant knights of the Norman Highlands try to kill each other?"

"I don't know," Duke John bowed shallowly to his brother, "I just wanted to talk to Fouquet about something, to play chess, and all of a sudden, Earl of Cayle rushed in, knelt at Fouquet's feet and prayed for protection, and then ...... The Viscount broke into the room with extreme impudence...... and demanded that Fouquet hand over the Earl of Cash, and Fouquet refused, and then, as you can see," he said, not without irony, "a viscount raised his sword to two counts and a duke." ”

"Do you have anything to say?" the king turned to Baldwin.

"I ask for a duel with Earl of Cave. Berdwin said.

"Why?" said the King, puzzled, for the Earl of Cayle was a beautiful young man who had never been to battle, and he had no territory, so it was impossible for him to have any grudge against Berdwin.

"Penny is dead. ”

The king frowned and thought about it, oh yes, Penny, Birdwin's wife, the king has no impression of her at all, when he was in Thundercastle Penny was in the village where Birdwin once lived, after he became king, Birdwin sent Penny to the royal capital, but how could a king be interested in a woman who was not even as good as his floor-mopping maid in terms of appearance and cultivation, he had never summoned her, and even the reward for Birdwin was sent directly to Thundercastle instead of his home in the royal capital.

"I'm sorry, Birdwin, but what does this have to do with Earl of Kel?"

He seduced her. ”

"Oh?" the king looked at the Earl of Cayle in astonishment, it was hard to imagine that this seemingly normal young nobleman could have such a strange hobby,...... Of course, I'm a little sorry for this, but it's not uncommon in the royal capital, yes, he seems to have heard that Penny is dead—then let's die, he thought with a little distress, a jealous husband killed his wife who was with someone else's **, if his wife was a nobleman, it might be a little troublesome, but Balwin's wife was just a spinning girl.

He sighed, "Earl of Kel...... I think you should probably apologize to Viscount Bordwin......"

"I have done that," said the Earl of Cayle earnestly, "the problem is that he doesn't seem to want to accept it." ”

"That's not an apology!" Berdwin roared, "It's humiliation! How dare you...... How could you! She was pregnant with your child and wanted to kill me for you! She loves you!"

"Oh, is it?" said Earl Kel, smiling and spreading his hands, "but what does that have to do with me?"

The King glanced reproachfully at the Earl of Kel, but it was Baldwin, the damn stubborn old cow, who gave him even more headaches!

Without hesitation, the lord of Thundercastle bowed his knees to whom he was loyal, "I beg you," he said in a hoarse voice, "I beg you, my lord, my king, to take back all the rewards you have given me, all ...... Everything, gold, land, castle, title, armor and sword, I don't need them anymore - my only request, Your Majesty," he looked at Earl of Cash, "I only want to fight Earl of Cash, and only his blood can wash away the shame, mine, my wife's." ”

Now the king was really distressed, and the Earl of Call, an earl with only a title but no fief, and there were many such young men in the royal capital, because their domains had been taken back or taken over by the king for various reasons--the king had made them live in the capital or in the outer cities, and had given them gold, and slaves, and houses, and estates, and allowed them to squander as they pleased, and to ensure their well-being, and he could not let Berdwin kill the Earl of Cash--the king The king did not want to be surrounded by terrified nobles early tomorrow morning, demanding the return of their lands or leaving the capital.

"You will have a wife," said the king, after a long silence, "I will give you the title of earl as soon as possible, Birdwin. You will get a young and beautiful wife, a woman of noble blood, of good character, intelligent and lovely, whose blood will be shed in the bodies of your children, and you can choose for yourself, and as far as I know, many earls and marquis have brought their daughters or nieces, and I promise you, her father and uncle will gladly marry her to you, with a rich dowry, and Birdwin, whichever one you have your eye on......"

"No," said Baldwin, categorically, "I will not withdraw my request—no matter how beautiful, noble, or intelligent that girl may be, you may have only one wife, and that is Penny. I beg you to ......" He Ping raised his sword: "Only this request, please allow me." I can swear to Tyre that this will be a fair duel. ”

But it's not damn fair!, the king thought to himself, and the result of a delicate boy like a petal confronting a knight of Tyre who had been fighting with the orcs for fifteen years did not need to be imagined.

"No!" the king sternly refused, "That's just a lowly inferior! The gods are above!" he raised his voice, "Birdwin, she's short, ugly, stupid, she can't even keep her chastity for you!"

"She's my wife!" Baldwin replied with the same firmness, "I love her, Your Majesty, and only her!"

"Don't disappoint me!

I'm disappointed with you!, Berdwin didn't push the words out of his lips, but his pained look and expression spoke for itself.

Further to the king's annoyance, he could feel someone behind him take a step forward—Diane to his right, and Leona to his left, who arrived later, and Leona, and the king panicked, and if it was as he thought, his daughter was trying to intercede for Berdwin—not to appease his anger, but to satisfy Baldwin's wishes, and if she really ignored the point of the matter, and allowed a viscount to serve a woman— Even though she was Berdwin's wife, she was just a serf, and she duel with an earl and kill the latter...... So, in the future, after his daughter became the master of the Norman in the Highlands, would he be given something more?

It wasn't that there was no queen who was stupid enough to take off her crown and put it on her husband's head. The king wondered with horror, would Leona do?

She would, thought the King, she would, her love for Baldwin could even obliterate a woman's nature, she should be jealous of Penny, but she could control herself only because she loved her—but he couldn't give her a chance to make it public.

"If you insist, then ...... I replied......" said the king hurriedly, and the Earl of Cayle's face suddenly turned blue and pale.

"Princess Leona!" he suddenly shouted. "Princess Leona!—did you just watch your lover kill someone who loved you dearly, just because you wanted to please him?!"

......

The room suddenly fell into a terrible dead silence.

The king's face slowly turned red with anger.

"What are you talking about?" said the Norman ruler of the Highlands, slowly, full of threats, but the Earl of Cayle seemed to suddenly become a blind man and a fool.

"Princess Leona," he said unhurriedly, "...... Do you want me to go on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Leona said that Earl of Cayle's gaze was like that of a frog staring at a bug, which made her feel sick.

"Go out," said the king, "you." ”

The two mages stepped out of the shadows, bowed to the king, and walked out of the room.

"And yours. The king looked gloomily at John and Fouquet, and after a brief nod of their greetings, the other two mages came out from behind the silk carpet that covered the wall, and Diane followed, though curious, she thought it best to stay away from the game.

She also closed the door intimately.

"Say, Earl of Cayle," said the king calmly, "...... Leona, before I say yes, shut your mouth. ”

"I went to get close to Penny, the poor little fool, on the orders of Princess Leona, for the princess was in love with her husband. Earl Cayle twisted his fingers, "She ordered me to bewitch the woman, to keep her away from her husband, to elope with me, to hide, or whatever, and not to appear in Birdwin and her again......"

"This can't be!" called out Berdwin in horror.

Princess Leona threw him a grateful glance.

Earl of Cayle shrugged his shoulders: "Whatever you may say, but tell me, why do I want to fall in love with a lowly serf? In fact, I vomit when I touch her, and when I hear her name—she's a round piece of sheep, and don't you feel greasy and smelly when you hug her?"

Berdwin roared and stood up.

"Enough," cried the king, if his head was like a dwarf sacrificing to a god, now it was like a hundred dwarves digging a mine in his head: "Proof!?"

"My reward is nothing but a gaze," said the Earl of Kel, "how could the wise Princess Leona leave a conclusive proof, and unfortunately I happen to know a little secret related to it, Princess Leona, that golden locket around your neck that you will not take off even if you are bathing and sleeping—can you open it for us to see?"

Leona tried to retreat and flee, but her father, the Norman king of the Highlands, turned abruptly and grabbed the locket, which he pulled off with a tear and opened the lock, which was supposed to be the emblem of Sheennoth, but when opened, only a strand of red and gray hair was seen entwined by Mithril threads.

lt;/agt; lt; agt; lt;/agt;