Chapter Seven
Mathias The Fallen Angel
Late February 1093
Cronquist Manor
Some time had passed since Elisabetha's death and Mathias was doing horribly. At her funeral, he remained silent. At her interment he still said nothing. Even the days following her death he said nothing. Not a sound passed from his lips. He neither slept nor ate; he just remained in bed staring blankly out the window. The members of his family tried desperately to get him to eat or a the very least leave his bed, but Mathias would not be moved. The one thing he loved in the world was gone and he was determined to rejoin her. Finally Roderick sent for Leon. If anyone could appeal to Mathias's sense of reasoning it was him.
"It is good of you to arrive Lord Belmont." Roderick humbly.
"I can never resist a friend in need." Leon said. "Where is he?"
"He is in his bedchamber." Roderick said quickly ushering him down the dimly lit corridors. "This way your Lordship."
Finally they had come to Mathias's bedchamber door and out came Ann-Marie with the children. The children were sobbing bitterly; they were too young to understand why their cousin was behaving thus. Ann-Marie saw Leon standing there with her husband and she smiled. Maybe speaking with Leon could bring Mathias out of his depression.
"I pray you good Sir." Ann-Marie said softly. "Please help Mathias though is grief."
"I shall do my best dear Lady." He said bowing deeply to her.
Leon entered the dimly lit room and there upon the bed was Mathias. It was worse then what he was told; this was not the friend that once fought beside him. Mathias was so pale and thin from lack of food and sunlight. His face, once full of youthful enthusiasm, was now sullen and depressed. He just sat there, rigid as stone, with a blank expression on his face and in his eyes.
"Mathias?" Leon questioned trying to hide his horror.
Recognizing the voice Mathias looked over to Leon; for the first time in many weeks Mathias smiled.
"My." Mathias struggled to speak. "My friend."
"Gods be praised." Leon said joyously. "You can still speak."
Mathias nodded his head.
"You have your family worried to death about you." Leon instantly admonished.
"I apologize." He said softly.
"Your apology shouldn't be wasted on me." Leon said. "It should be to your family."
"You are right."
"Mathias, I know you are grieving for Elisabetha." He said sitting on the bed next to his friend. "But you must pull yourself together."
"I cannot." Mathias said mournfully.
"My friend." He said. "Please at least eat. Regain your strength."
"I cannot."
"You must." Leon commanded. "As your Lord and commander, I am giving you an order."
Mathias looked at the serious expression on Leon's face and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. The serious expression on Leon's face dropped and he too began to laugh.
"You always have a way of amusing me Leon." Mathias said softly.
"I am begging you my friend." Leon said earnestly. "Please, eat something."
An hour had passed since Leon entered Mathias's bedchamber. Finally he had emerged with a smile on his face. Roderick, who was waiting patently outside the door, breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw that Leon was smiling as he exited the bedchamber.
"How is he?" Roderick asked
"He is not well." Leon said. "I finally got him to eat something, but he said he shall not leave his chamber."
"I see." Roderick said softly.
"I have done all I can for him." Leon said honestly. "The rest is for him to decide."
"I understand." Roderick said. "Thank you Lord Belmont."
"Mathias is my childhood friend." He said. "I would do anything for him."
Night blanketed the Cronquist manor, the entire mansion was silent. Mathias, still in his bed, looked out at the night sky. Black clouds were passing across the pale moon.
"You shall not let me die, shall you?" He said contemptuously.
It was then he noticed the light from the huge full moon reflected off of the small silver cross that dangled around his neck. Seeing the beautifully glistening cross filled Mathias with blinding rage. After all those years of faithful service and devotion, God had betrayed him, just when he needed him the most.
"You." He said bitterly as he ripped the cross from his neck, staring at it full of hatred. "You whom I have spent my life serving have betrayed me. You cruelly stole Elisabetha from me, and even now you torment me, by keeping me bound to this retched world. I have nothing but hated for you."
Mathias got up from his sickbed and walked slowly to the raging fireplace. Without hesitation, he tossed the cross into the fire and watched with a sadistic smile as it melted away. Once the cross was reduced to a silver puddle, Mathias looked up at the moon again.
"From this day forward, I shall curse you!" He hissed bitterly.
Late February 1093
Cronquist Manor
Some time had passed since Elisabetha's death and Mathias was doing horribly. At her funeral, he remained silent. At her interment he still said nothing. Even the days following her death he said nothing. Not a sound passed from his lips. He neither slept nor ate; he just remained in bed staring blankly out the window. The members of his family tried desperately to get him to eat or a the very least leave his bed, but Mathias would not be moved. The one thing he loved in the world was gone and he was determined to rejoin her. Finally Roderick sent for Leon. If anyone could appeal to Mathias's sense of reasoning it was him.
"It is good of you to arrive Lord Belmont." Roderick humbly.
"I can never resist a friend in need." Leon said. "Where is he?"
"He is in his bedchamber." Roderick said quickly ushering him down the dimly lit corridors. "This way your Lordship."
Finally they had come to Mathias's bedchamber door and out came Ann-Marie with the children. The children were sobbing bitterly; they were too young to understand why their cousin was behaving thus. Ann-Marie saw Leon standing there with her husband and she smiled. Maybe speaking with Leon could bring Mathias out of his depression.
"I pray you good Sir." Ann-Marie said softly. "Please help Mathias though is grief."
"I shall do my best dear Lady." He said bowing deeply to her.
Leon entered the dimly lit room and there upon the bed was Mathias. It was worse then what he was told; this was not the friend that once fought beside him. Mathias was so pale and thin from lack of food and sunlight. His face, once full of youthful enthusiasm, was now sullen and depressed. He just sat there, rigid as stone, with a blank expression on his face and in his eyes.
"Mathias?" Leon questioned trying to hide his horror.
Recognizing the voice Mathias looked over to Leon; for the first time in many weeks Mathias smiled.
"My." Mathias struggled to speak. "My friend."
"Gods be praised." Leon said joyously. "You can still speak."
Mathias nodded his head.
"You have your family worried to death about you." Leon instantly admonished.
"I apologize." He said softly.
"Your apology shouldn't be wasted on me." Leon said. "It should be to your family."
"You are right."
"Mathias, I know you are grieving for Elisabetha." He said sitting on the bed next to his friend. "But you must pull yourself together."
"I cannot." Mathias said mournfully.
"My friend." He said. "Please at least eat. Regain your strength."
"I cannot."
"You must." Leon commanded. "As your Lord and commander, I am giving you an order."
Mathias looked at the serious expression on Leon's face and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. The serious expression on Leon's face dropped and he too began to laugh.
"You always have a way of amusing me Leon." Mathias said softly.
"I am begging you my friend." Leon said earnestly. "Please, eat something."
An hour had passed since Leon entered Mathias's bedchamber. Finally he had emerged with a smile on his face. Roderick, who was waiting patently outside the door, breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw that Leon was smiling as he exited the bedchamber.
"How is he?" Roderick asked
"He is not well." Leon said. "I finally got him to eat something, but he said he shall not leave his chamber."
"I see." Roderick said softly.
"I have done all I can for him." Leon said honestly. "The rest is for him to decide."
"I understand." Roderick said. "Thank you Lord Belmont."
"Mathias is my childhood friend." He said. "I would do anything for him."
Night blanketed the Cronquist manor, the entire mansion was silent. Mathias, still in his bed, looked out at the night sky. Black clouds were passing across the pale moon.
"You shall not let me die, shall you?" He said contemptuously.
It was then he noticed the light from the huge full moon reflected off of the small silver cross that dangled around his neck. Seeing the beautifully glistening cross filled Mathias with blinding rage. After all those years of faithful service and devotion, God had betrayed him, just when he needed him the most.
"You." He said bitterly as he ripped the cross from his neck, staring at it full of hatred. "You whom I have spent my life serving have betrayed me. You cruelly stole Elisabetha from me, and even now you torment me, by keeping me bound to this retched world. I have nothing but hated for you."
Mathias got up from his sickbed and walked slowly to the raging fireplace. Without hesitation, he tossed the cross into the fire and watched with a sadistic smile as it melted away. Once the cross was reduced to a silver puddle, Mathias looked up at the moon again.
"From this day forward, I shall curse you!" He hissed bitterly.