The king and his children

Carters POV

I was born on august 18 1270 as an orphan, I had no parents and certainly no one to take care of me, but to my rescue I was found and brought back to France, I was raised under royalty and nobility. when I was 15 my brother Philip the IV became king I was happy form and I'm glad that I didn't get it, I have my own stuff to take care of, but yet after I became older I always feel different because of my skin tone is a little darker but still pale, but father Philip the III told me that I'm his son, but yet I feel like I came from another world but I was excepted as one of their own.

It was always nice for them to accept me as a family member, I even got myself a nice wife and she seems to be a pretty, beautiful and kind, we met when we were children at the age of 4 and my father believed that she may be the right girl to be my wife, her name was Sophia a daughter of a French noble, she is very kind but her temper can be high when she's mad but I still loved her and I wouldn't get a mistress, no way I will get one.

My life was also part of chivalry, I start to learn the skills of the sword when I was 7, the broad sword was a magnificent weapon, long, light, strong, sharp and well ballanced, I've been told it's the master of all weapons and a crucifix for knights, but there is one group of knights that are all around west from the holly lands to England, they were known as Templar's and they were known peace keepers but I some how believe that they are not, one time I noticed one man looking at me with absolute hate, why would he hate me? I don't really know.

One day I went to my brother for some help, I wan't to know why the Templar's were looking at me with absolute disgust, I walked in to his office and he was sitting at his desk reading some papers.

"Ah my little brother come in, come in here want some wine? what is it that you came to me for?

"Brother Phillip I have a question for you but it's a personal one."

"Go ahead tell me what it is?"

"the Templar's were looking at me with disgust, but they don't seemed to mined the other people but why me?"

"Oh right, have you ever heard of the crusades?"

"Yes our father told us those stories... Why?"

"That is how the Templar's came into being, in the siege of Jerusalem some of the crusaders found a sacred object in which is important to the church, and so those crusaders who were knights start to create a organization known as the Templar's, know they defend the countries of this continent, and they even have joined the other countries on crusades as well."

"So the Templar's made enemies in those crusades?"

"Mostly Muslims and infidels, those people hated the them the most, and some even made vengeance by killing their men at arms and other knights."

"So they think I'm Muslim?"

"Probable, you have the skin tone and completion but I know you are not, the sword you carry is your crucifix, your path to god."

"Of coarse it is, I follow god not the Muslims god."

"Don't worry Carter as long as you are with us they won't even touch you."

"I hope so, but I will stay safe with my family."

I left his office knowing that I'm safe, I trusted Phillip more than any of my brothers and sisters, although I know that father adopted me because I was an orphan but he has given me a life, and it is a happy one.

(10 years before)I was five and I was seeing my first tournament, the joust started and both knights star to charge at each other with lances mounted, I learned that it's the most popular spectator sport in the west, aside from the British archery competition since they had a culture for archery making them the despised men on the battle field. The knights charged 3 more times, on the fourth try the knight in blue and white was knocked by the one in red and gold, but the blue one got up and the 2 knights start to fight en foot.

It was a terrific yet horrible and terrifying sight and I thought they are going to kill each other, the weapons looked dangerous and it seems.

"Father are they going to hurt each other?"

"They may kill each other but we try to make the tournament safe, no mater what precautions were taken many knights were killed at the tournament, but those who survived it was the best battle training you could get."

"Is the tournament a battle?"

"It wasn't battle but it is designed to be just like it, look he nearly got him."

he was right, the red and gold knight knocked the man to his knees with his mace and knocked him out, the victor raised his mace and the crowed start to roar with approval.

"Brother Philip what did the victor won?"

"What the looser lost, the knight who's on the ground whose now helped up he lost his armor, his weapons, and his horse he has to give them to the winner."

"You mean forever?"

"No not forever, he will get them back but he has to pay for them to be brought back, but the looser will set the amount to be paid, remember to low a price it would make him look cheap, dishonorable, so he has to say what he can afford and the victor accepts it."

That much money lost that would mean financial ruin.

"But why? why would they do such a thing?"

"They live by a code of chivalry, it's a code of rules that knights follow."

"Oh... ok."

the tourney was up and there are 14 knights all wear 2 types of color's on their tunics, half of them are wearing green but the other half are wearing blue, I guess that they are going to fight in a group so guess that they there will be a fight to the finish, the group with the last man standing wins. As soon as they went on the field the fight started fast and furious, there are so many fight that even I couldn't take track of.

Many knights fell, most of them are wounded, even though they wore plate armor on the knees and some parts of the shoulder and arm, but in a mater of seconds and minutes the green team went down and the blue has only 3 men standing.

The tournament was over in minutes, 3 more jousts went by and the people started to leave, the knights will taken care of by the healers, those who died will be given a burial, but they will be remembered for their honor.

We went back to the palace, and I was very curios of who I really am, why am I physically different by my skin tone? We went in the office and I walked to my fathers desk and I start to ask.

"Father why am I Different? I mean by my skin?"

He took a beep breath, cleared his throat and put aside some papers.

"Listen son I know that you feel different because of your skin, but your not the only one, in fact there is a race of men who have been painted by god him self for a reason."

"And I am one of them, but why am I the only one here?"

"Let me tell you of the crusade that I went on with my father, I went to a dessert country at the city of Tunis, my father died during the siege because of a disease and there was no cure, so we had to abandon the siege, and I had to take the throne but we made a treaty with the sultan which had discussed a trade, and while I was going I noticed a baby by the church and it was left by his parents to die, I can't just let it come to a horrible fate so I gave it a home and a family and a life."

"Why did you took that baby?"

"Because you were innocent Carter, a child left like that doesn't deserve to be left at a temple to die. If you are asking me so you would know where you are from and who your parents are, your birth doesn't make you who you are, it's they way your raised that made you who you are, you are my son Carter and that is what you are nothing else."

"So I'm an orphan who is left by his parents to die, and you have given me a life?"

"Yes son."

"So you saved my life from a death and you gave me a life because of that?"

"Yes son, and I want you to have the best life you can get, you'll get your chance to glory later on in life, one day you will raise your sword and ride into battle with you brother son."

(1286) I was walking through the halls going back to my chambers, once I got in Sophia was weaving a portrait of a crusade from 16 years ago.

"You seem to be impressed with the crusade, why are you impressed by it?"

"Most women are disgusted by them because of the blood, but my father was part of the crusade, he was there when your grandfather died."

"I see, you remember when we were children, remember what you said to me when we first met?"

"I said that you have to watch your mouth."

"That's true."

She got up and started walking towards me until we were nose to nose, I couldn't help it but I got a strange feeling in my gut.

"And do you watch your mouth these days?"

"After a few years of friendship, then a few years courtship, and now marriage I guess I do now."

I inclined my head to hers until our lips met, my mind started to combust like two jousters just hit each other hard enough to knock them both out of their saddles, as I pulled away Sophia was smiling.

"what tomorrow brings, we cannot know."

This time Sophia is the predator and I am the prey, there are no tomorrows.