Chapter Six
Mathias's Tragic Return Home
January 1093
Transylvania
Several months had passed since the Belmont Battalion had departed for Syria. Much had been accomplished by them. They had managed to procure a city in the name of the Holy Roman Empire. Once the company seized control of the city, they had to make certain that no one would bother the inhabitants of the peaceful metropolis. After a few months, their mission was accomplished; the regiment had returned home.
Mathias wasted no time in retuning to the Cronquist manor. When he had first gone to the east, it was under the assumption that it was going to be for a month or two, but not for several months. He missed Elisabetha deeply. He prayed for her every night, to be united with her again, for her health and well being, and even to be heavy with child when he came home. His heart began to swell as his horse galloped up the path that lead to his ancestral home.
Once he had passed the gate, he dismounted from his horse and watched as a stable boy took the horse away. Quickly he opened the heavy iron door of the manor and there, as always, was his uncle Roderick to greet him.
"Mathias." Roderick said eagerly. "Your wife."
"Where is she?" Mathias questioned eagerly.
"She." Roderick broke off. "She has taken to her sick bed, you must come quickly."
Roderick and Mathias ran up the stairs and down the hall to where Elisabetha's bedchamber was. Roderick opened up the door and Mathias instantly ran through the anti-chamber, into the interior chamber, and over to the bed where his wife was. There were several people crowded around her, trying to alleviate some of her pains. Mathias ignored all of them and sat on the bed and looked at his beloved.
She was indeed very ill. The blush that always graced her lovely features was gone. Her lovely golden hair was dull no longer full life that it once was. She looked so weak and frail. How could this have happened to her?
"My love..." He said instantly taking her in his arms.
"My Lord." She said feebly. "You have returned once more."
"Yes my love." He said with tears in his eyes. "And I will never leave you again."
"But you must protect the holy lands." She softly retorted. "You are the only one who can do it my Lord."
Mathias smiled to her, and then he turned to all the people in the room and ordered them all to leave the room. He wanted to be alone with her.
"Please do not be so cold to them." She said delicately. "They are only trying to help."
"I understand my love." He said holding her in his strong arms. "But I want to be alone with you."
"My Lord," She said smiling feebly. "You must regale me with the tales of your adventures."
"Surely my love," He said. "You do not wish to hear of that now."
"Yes." She replied. "I was told that your battalion claimed a city, I am very proud of you."
Mathias told her about the many adventures he had in the east. It seemed to lift her weary spirits, hearing about his exploits.
The day had gradually passed into night. Elisabetha was sleeping soundlessly when Mathias got up to take a breath of air outside her bedchamber. Outside waiting were Roderick, Ann-Marie, and Kenneth, his father-in-law.
"How is she?" Kenneth asked eagerly.
"She is resting father." Mathias said. "But you may see her if you wish."
Kenneth opened the door to the bedchamber and went in.
"How are you my lad?" Ann-Marie asked sounding very concerned for her nephew. "You seem exhausted."
"No Auntie." He answered sternly. "I am fine. I am just going to go the chapel for a moment."
"I understand."
Mathias slowly walked down the stairs, though the main hall, and into the small chapel. There were a few candles still lit, it seemed that people were offering prayers for Elisabetha, but so far none had been answered. Mathias took another candle lit it at the alter; then he fell to his knees and began to pray.
"God I beseech you." He began. "Please do not take my Elisabetha from me. I have fought for you in foreign lands. I have destroyed the heathens for you almighty one. I have remained chaste for my wife and have resisted temptation. I have been nothing but devout for you, so I beg of you please, do not take Elisabetha."
Soon after, Mathias returned upstairs to Elisabetha's bedchamber. He was holding her in his arms once more singing a gentle tune to her. Hearing the sound of his voice woke her out of her gentle slumber and she looked up at her gallant husband and smiled. Seeing her smile again warmed his heart, so he continued to sing to her.
"Mathias." She said softly.
"Yes my love."
"I am glad you are well my Lord." She said almost whispering. "I prayed every day for your safe return."
"Elisabetha." Mathias said clutching her hand tightly.
It was then he noticed it; Elisabetha's body had grown cold and limp. Her feeble breathing had stopped all together and her heart beat no more. Elisabetha was dead. His world had been destroyed. The tears fell from his gray eyes and he sobbed silently, clutching her cold lifeless body to his.
The door to Elisabetha's bedchamber opened, everyone crowded up to Mathias to find out what was going on.
"Uncle Roderick." Mathias said with his voice cracking. "I need you to. To prepare the family crypt."
Everyone gasped and Kenneth began to sob bitterly.
"Tell the servants to put her in her wedding dress." He said softly. "And when they are finished, this room is to be locked, bolted, and never entered again."
"Yes my son." Roderick said running off to find the servants.
"Mathias." Ann-Marie said preparing to hug her nephew.
"Auntie?" He questioned which stopped her from coming too close to him. "Would you send for the priest?"
"Yes Mathias." She said softly touching his check before she departed.
Mathias walked over Kenneth who was sobbing inconsolably and he hugged him.
"It was you." He said weeping bitterly. "She was waiting for you to return."
"What do you mean?"
"She was given the last rights a fortnight ago." He said trying to calm down. "She waited until you came back before.."
Mathias was dumbfounded. Even at the end of her life, she thought of no one but him. His heart cracked in half. Why didn't he return sooner? Why couldn't he feel that there was something wrong? This was all his fault. If he had returned home sooner, he could have saved her. Why didn't he return sooner?
January 1093
Transylvania
Several months had passed since the Belmont Battalion had departed for Syria. Much had been accomplished by them. They had managed to procure a city in the name of the Holy Roman Empire. Once the company seized control of the city, they had to make certain that no one would bother the inhabitants of the peaceful metropolis. After a few months, their mission was accomplished; the regiment had returned home.
Mathias wasted no time in retuning to the Cronquist manor. When he had first gone to the east, it was under the assumption that it was going to be for a month or two, but not for several months. He missed Elisabetha deeply. He prayed for her every night, to be united with her again, for her health and well being, and even to be heavy with child when he came home. His heart began to swell as his horse galloped up the path that lead to his ancestral home.
Once he had passed the gate, he dismounted from his horse and watched as a stable boy took the horse away. Quickly he opened the heavy iron door of the manor and there, as always, was his uncle Roderick to greet him.
"Mathias." Roderick said eagerly. "Your wife."
"Where is she?" Mathias questioned eagerly.
"She." Roderick broke off. "She has taken to her sick bed, you must come quickly."
Roderick and Mathias ran up the stairs and down the hall to where Elisabetha's bedchamber was. Roderick opened up the door and Mathias instantly ran through the anti-chamber, into the interior chamber, and over to the bed where his wife was. There were several people crowded around her, trying to alleviate some of her pains. Mathias ignored all of them and sat on the bed and looked at his beloved.
She was indeed very ill. The blush that always graced her lovely features was gone. Her lovely golden hair was dull no longer full life that it once was. She looked so weak and frail. How could this have happened to her?
"My love..." He said instantly taking her in his arms.
"My Lord." She said feebly. "You have returned once more."
"Yes my love." He said with tears in his eyes. "And I will never leave you again."
"But you must protect the holy lands." She softly retorted. "You are the only one who can do it my Lord."
Mathias smiled to her, and then he turned to all the people in the room and ordered them all to leave the room. He wanted to be alone with her.
"Please do not be so cold to them." She said delicately. "They are only trying to help."
"I understand my love." He said holding her in his strong arms. "But I want to be alone with you."
"My Lord," She said smiling feebly. "You must regale me with the tales of your adventures."
"Surely my love," He said. "You do not wish to hear of that now."
"Yes." She replied. "I was told that your battalion claimed a city, I am very proud of you."
Mathias told her about the many adventures he had in the east. It seemed to lift her weary spirits, hearing about his exploits.
The day had gradually passed into night. Elisabetha was sleeping soundlessly when Mathias got up to take a breath of air outside her bedchamber. Outside waiting were Roderick, Ann-Marie, and Kenneth, his father-in-law.
"How is she?" Kenneth asked eagerly.
"She is resting father." Mathias said. "But you may see her if you wish."
Kenneth opened the door to the bedchamber and went in.
"How are you my lad?" Ann-Marie asked sounding very concerned for her nephew. "You seem exhausted."
"No Auntie." He answered sternly. "I am fine. I am just going to go the chapel for a moment."
"I understand."
Mathias slowly walked down the stairs, though the main hall, and into the small chapel. There were a few candles still lit, it seemed that people were offering prayers for Elisabetha, but so far none had been answered. Mathias took another candle lit it at the alter; then he fell to his knees and began to pray.
"God I beseech you." He began. "Please do not take my Elisabetha from me. I have fought for you in foreign lands. I have destroyed the heathens for you almighty one. I have remained chaste for my wife and have resisted temptation. I have been nothing but devout for you, so I beg of you please, do not take Elisabetha."
Soon after, Mathias returned upstairs to Elisabetha's bedchamber. He was holding her in his arms once more singing a gentle tune to her. Hearing the sound of his voice woke her out of her gentle slumber and she looked up at her gallant husband and smiled. Seeing her smile again warmed his heart, so he continued to sing to her.
"Mathias." She said softly.
"Yes my love."
"I am glad you are well my Lord." She said almost whispering. "I prayed every day for your safe return."
"Elisabetha." Mathias said clutching her hand tightly.
It was then he noticed it; Elisabetha's body had grown cold and limp. Her feeble breathing had stopped all together and her heart beat no more. Elisabetha was dead. His world had been destroyed. The tears fell from his gray eyes and he sobbed silently, clutching her cold lifeless body to his.
The door to Elisabetha's bedchamber opened, everyone crowded up to Mathias to find out what was going on.
"Uncle Roderick." Mathias said with his voice cracking. "I need you to. To prepare the family crypt."
Everyone gasped and Kenneth began to sob bitterly.
"Tell the servants to put her in her wedding dress." He said softly. "And when they are finished, this room is to be locked, bolted, and never entered again."
"Yes my son." Roderick said running off to find the servants.
"Mathias." Ann-Marie said preparing to hug her nephew.
"Auntie?" He questioned which stopped her from coming too close to him. "Would you send for the priest?"
"Yes Mathias." She said softly touching his check before she departed.
Mathias walked over Kenneth who was sobbing inconsolably and he hugged him.
"It was you." He said weeping bitterly. "She was waiting for you to return."
"What do you mean?"
"She was given the last rights a fortnight ago." He said trying to calm down. "She waited until you came back before.."
Mathias was dumbfounded. Even at the end of her life, she thought of no one but him. His heart cracked in half. Why didn't he return sooner? Why couldn't he feel that there was something wrong? This was all his fault. If he had returned home sooner, he could have saved her. Why didn't he return sooner?