Chapter Four
Departing For Battle
September 1092
Transylvania
Opening his hazel eyes, Mathias turned and looked at his wife, who was peacefully sleeping beside him. These past two months of martial solitude were wonderful, but alas, this was the day he had been dreading. Today he would have to set sail with his regimen back to the east.
There was a time when battling those cursed heathens would fill him great pleasure. Their beliefs were sacrilegious. Only those with the Holy Roman Empire were chosen by God, not those heathenish bastards. But for the sake of returning the sacred land to the Holy Roman Empire he would temporarily part from the woman he loved.
The rain was streaming down outside, it was a miserable day to depart. Secretly he had hoped that the rain would delay the journey, by at least a day, so he could spend the rest of the day with Elisabetha. But considering several battalions had ventured to the east and none have retuned, the trip would not be delayed any longer. It was time for the invincible army to once again return to battle.
Mathias leaned over and kissed his wife softly on the lips. Slowly, she began to awake from her slumber.
"Good morrow my Lord." She said smiling brightly at her husband.
"Good morrow my Love." He said brushing aside the tiny strands of golden hair that were stuck to her brow. "How are you fairing this day?"
"I am not well my Lord." She said sorrowfully.
"What is the matter?"
"This is the day you shall depart for the east." She said. "I do not wish you to go."
"I know my love." He sighed. "I do not wish to go either. For if I had my way, I would stay here with you and you alone."
Elisabetha smiled.
"Let us speak no more of my departure." He said quickly changing the subject. "Let us only speak of pleasant things."
"Yes my Lord." She said with a bright smile.
"Ah my beloved," Mathias said burying his head into her breast. "What shall we do to pass this horrible morn?"
"I know not my Lord." She said blushing brightly as he began to suckle gently at her nipples.
"Oh you do not?" He questioned deviously.
"My Lord." She was about to speak when Mathias kissed her lips.
"Yes my Lady." He whispered softly.
"I love you with all my heart and soul."
A few hours later, Leon had arrived to collect Mathias for the departure celebration. Mathias was in the small chapel offering prayers to God for the safety of Elisabetha and his other family members, when in walked Roderick.
"It is time son." He whispered softly.
Mathias sighed, finished his prayer, and stood up.
"Thank you uncle." He said mournfully. "Is Leon here?"
"Yes. He is waiting for you in the main hall."
"Well," Mathias said. "It is time to return to battle."
Roderick and Mathias walked out of the chapel, down the darken halls, finally into the main hall. There Ann-Marie, the children, and Elisabetha were waiting for him. The children instantly crowded around Mathias and hugged him tightly.
"We will miss you cousin." Mathew said tearfully. "May God protect you."
Cecilia jumped into Mathias's arms and kissed him on his alabaster cheek.
"I shall miss you cousin." She said sobbing.
"I shall miss you too little one." He said kissing her tiny cheek and putting her back down on the floor.
"Cousin Mathias?" David said. "I will protect Cousin Elisabetha while you are gone."
"Thank you my darling boy." He said smiling. "I will trust you to make sure no harm befalls my bride while I am parted from her."
"You have my word as a gentlemen." David said.
"Good lad."
Mathias walked over to Ann-Marie, who had a feeble smile about her lips.
"My young lad." She said softly. "I pray for a speedy victory and return home."
"Thank you Auntie." He said softly hugging her. "Please hug the children each night for me."
"I will Mathias." She said sternly.
"I will return home soon."
Finally Mathias had come face to face with Elisabetha, who was quietly sobbing. Mathias's heart sank to see his beautiful bride sobbing. He wanted to console her, but time was fleeting.
"Please my bride." He said lifting her chin up so their eyes could meet. "Do not be sad. I will return to you soon."
"Yes." She said sniffling. "I know my Lord."
"Be brave for me Elisabetha." He said. "And pray for the hasty return of your Lord and Master."
"I will my Lord." She replied softly.
Mathias kissed her softly and walked over to Leon who was waiting patently for him to say his goodbyes.
"I am ready my friend." Mathias said sternly.
"Shall we depart friend?" Leon asked sorrowfully.
"Yes."
The Cronquist family waived goodbye as Mathias and Leon disappeared out the door. Outside there was a horde of people who had come to see the brave soldiers off to another glorious campaign in the east. The other brave soldiers were ready and waiting for the second in command to join them, when Mathias came out they all gave a cheer for the two great leaders that will bring them all to victory once again. Mathias and Leon joined the men and began to march triumphantly down the road and finally onto the ship that will eventually take them back to the sacred land.
September 1092
Transylvania
Opening his hazel eyes, Mathias turned and looked at his wife, who was peacefully sleeping beside him. These past two months of martial solitude were wonderful, but alas, this was the day he had been dreading. Today he would have to set sail with his regimen back to the east.
There was a time when battling those cursed heathens would fill him great pleasure. Their beliefs were sacrilegious. Only those with the Holy Roman Empire were chosen by God, not those heathenish bastards. But for the sake of returning the sacred land to the Holy Roman Empire he would temporarily part from the woman he loved.
The rain was streaming down outside, it was a miserable day to depart. Secretly he had hoped that the rain would delay the journey, by at least a day, so he could spend the rest of the day with Elisabetha. But considering several battalions had ventured to the east and none have retuned, the trip would not be delayed any longer. It was time for the invincible army to once again return to battle.
Mathias leaned over and kissed his wife softly on the lips. Slowly, she began to awake from her slumber.
"Good morrow my Lord." She said smiling brightly at her husband.
"Good morrow my Love." He said brushing aside the tiny strands of golden hair that were stuck to her brow. "How are you fairing this day?"
"I am not well my Lord." She said sorrowfully.
"What is the matter?"
"This is the day you shall depart for the east." She said. "I do not wish you to go."
"I know my love." He sighed. "I do not wish to go either. For if I had my way, I would stay here with you and you alone."
Elisabetha smiled.
"Let us speak no more of my departure." He said quickly changing the subject. "Let us only speak of pleasant things."
"Yes my Lord." She said with a bright smile.
"Ah my beloved," Mathias said burying his head into her breast. "What shall we do to pass this horrible morn?"
"I know not my Lord." She said blushing brightly as he began to suckle gently at her nipples.
"Oh you do not?" He questioned deviously.
"My Lord." She was about to speak when Mathias kissed her lips.
"Yes my Lady." He whispered softly.
"I love you with all my heart and soul."
A few hours later, Leon had arrived to collect Mathias for the departure celebration. Mathias was in the small chapel offering prayers to God for the safety of Elisabetha and his other family members, when in walked Roderick.
"It is time son." He whispered softly.
Mathias sighed, finished his prayer, and stood up.
"Thank you uncle." He said mournfully. "Is Leon here?"
"Yes. He is waiting for you in the main hall."
"Well," Mathias said. "It is time to return to battle."
Roderick and Mathias walked out of the chapel, down the darken halls, finally into the main hall. There Ann-Marie, the children, and Elisabetha were waiting for him. The children instantly crowded around Mathias and hugged him tightly.
"We will miss you cousin." Mathew said tearfully. "May God protect you."
Cecilia jumped into Mathias's arms and kissed him on his alabaster cheek.
"I shall miss you cousin." She said sobbing.
"I shall miss you too little one." He said kissing her tiny cheek and putting her back down on the floor.
"Cousin Mathias?" David said. "I will protect Cousin Elisabetha while you are gone."
"Thank you my darling boy." He said smiling. "I will trust you to make sure no harm befalls my bride while I am parted from her."
"You have my word as a gentlemen." David said.
"Good lad."
Mathias walked over to Ann-Marie, who had a feeble smile about her lips.
"My young lad." She said softly. "I pray for a speedy victory and return home."
"Thank you Auntie." He said softly hugging her. "Please hug the children each night for me."
"I will Mathias." She said sternly.
"I will return home soon."
Finally Mathias had come face to face with Elisabetha, who was quietly sobbing. Mathias's heart sank to see his beautiful bride sobbing. He wanted to console her, but time was fleeting.
"Please my bride." He said lifting her chin up so their eyes could meet. "Do not be sad. I will return to you soon."
"Yes." She said sniffling. "I know my Lord."
"Be brave for me Elisabetha." He said. "And pray for the hasty return of your Lord and Master."
"I will my Lord." She replied softly.
Mathias kissed her softly and walked over to Leon who was waiting patently for him to say his goodbyes.
"I am ready my friend." Mathias said sternly.
"Shall we depart friend?" Leon asked sorrowfully.
"Yes."
The Cronquist family waived goodbye as Mathias and Leon disappeared out the door. Outside there was a horde of people who had come to see the brave soldiers off to another glorious campaign in the east. The other brave soldiers were ready and waiting for the second in command to join them, when Mathias came out they all gave a cheer for the two great leaders that will bring them all to victory once again. Mathias and Leon joined the men and began to march triumphantly down the road and finally onto the ship that will eventually take them back to the sacred land.