Stand a Knight!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Kingdom of Heaven universe, they are the property of their creator and as such I make no money from this or any other story that I write for this site.
Summary: There are no knights in the city so Balian creates new ones.
A/N: One of the things I loved the most in this film was the knights oath that Balian took and which he gave at the end, the feeling of passion and the desperation of the time that spoke to me and hopefully you will like this story. This is my first story for this fandom!
Balian walked through the city after giving his speech to the massed people within the walls of Jerusalem, many thoughts crowding his mind in how he and those within the city was going to defend against the horde that was advancing upon the city. Despite his thoughts he was still aware of those who crowded around him as he walked, the men at arms and more irritatingly the Bishop, who was grating on in his ear hole in his agitating manner about there being no one to defend them as there were no longer any knights within the city.
"My lord, my lord, we have no knights, how are we meant to defend this city without any knights."
Balian stopped at his words, and turned to look at the odious little man, a man who he felt nothing but contempt for the man of the cloth that stood before him.
"We have no knights you say?" he asked him, glancing around at the others who stood around him and the Bishop.
He could feel the despair within the city, the fear emanating from the people, not least the odious bishop before him, who fear he could not only see rolling off of him but also he realised, smell. Unfortunately he knew the Bishop was right, they did have no knights to defend the city and it was a concern he felt deeply, for it was something that he knew also concerned the queen. His eyes fell upon a young man standing to the right of the Bishop, his clothing were roughly spun but had the look of a worker to them.
"You, what is your condition?" He asked him.
The young man stuttered that he was a servant of the Patriarch, which the Bishop then confirmed with a rather dismissive tone. Balian had an idea, a mad one perhaps but one which might just work.
Balian studied the young man before him for a moment before looking around at the others gathered there, as if trying to come to a decision, he turned back to the Bishops servant again and ordered him to kneel. The young man did so, his eyes curious at what the man before him was about to do as did all the eyes of all who watched the scene before them. Balian turned his eyes to the other men surrounding him and yelled for all of them to also kneel.
"KNEEL, ALL OF YOU KNEEL!"
As each man knelt before Balian, some if not all of them unsure of what was about to happen, it was a few moments before all but the Bishop were knelt before him. His eyes once more fell upon the young man in front of him as he started to speak.
"Be without fear in the face of your enemies,"
Balian moved looking at all who knelt before him as he spoke, his voice strong and loud enough for all to hear him.
"Be brave and upright so that God may love you,"
His eye wandering over the men knelt on the ground, wondering briefly if for a moment that what he was doing would work. He glanced beyond them to the people who had stopped to watch what he was doing and he was aware that there were others above him on the walls also listening in and witnessing what was happening below them.
"Speak the truth even though it might lead to your death,"
'This had to work,' he thought to himself and as his eyes continued to watch the men knelt before him he saw the looks in the eyes changing, from being unsure and afraid to being sure and brave, even though a few still looked a bit unsure. 'They are not the only one,' he thought to himself, he still felt a small amount of unease but he knew he could not show it or what he was doing would not work.
"Safeguard the helpless, that is your oath."
He saw a few smiles as the men knelt before realised that they were now no longer the men they were just a few moments before, he saw the pride in their eyes and he pulled his arm back and backhanded the former Patriarchs servant before him.
"And that is so you remember it!"
Turning once more, looking at all around him as he ordered the new knights of Jerusalem to rise.
All rose but one, some with shock on their faces but all with a determined look in their eyes, they would defend this city to their deaths.
Balian glanced at the one still on the ground, he knew him.
"Master grave digger, rise, you are now a knight!"
The former grave digger rose, pride beaming from his bearing and his eyes as he too felt his new station in life. The Bishop was not happy, all standing there could tell, he was unnerved by what Balian had done and shouted at him as he walked away. Balian turned back to him and with a determined voice told him exactly what he thought.
The new Knights of Jerusalem followed him as he turned once more back to preparing for the defence of Jerusalem, the look of determination on their faces that they would not let down the city or the one leading them!
A/N: That's all folks, apart from Balian's speech to the kneeling men, which I know was in the film, hopefully none of the rest of the speech in this story resembled too much of the film. But the knight's oath was one of the things I loved about this film and I wanted to keep it. I tried to change as much of it as I could without losing the background of the story, obviously the walking through the city with the bishop and the others following was one thing I could not change and for that I do not apologize but tried to make it as different as I could.