On the other side of the courtyard, several children around seven or eight years old were gathered together, listening to an old Priest with thinning hair read from the Bible.

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. This is all the beginning of the calamities..."

Most of these children belonged to the household knights. Since their fathers had no fiefs, the children had no choice but to gather here.

Geoffrey, waiting in the courtyard, noticed them—or rather, he noticed a burly man in Chain Armor. It was his Guard captain, the man in charge of his household knights. He was standing with the children, listening to the Priest read from the Bible.

Geoffrey walked over. As he drew near, the old Priest noticed him and stopped reading.

"Lord Earl, is something the matter?"

"What passage is that? It sounds rather unsettling."

"The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, verses 6 through 8."

The old Priest replied slowly, holding the Bible out to Geoffrey.

Geoffrey glanced at the page instinctively. Even though he was illiterate, he gave a perfunctory nod.

"Please, continue. It is the word of God, after all. It can never be read too many times."

He then clapped the Guard captain on the shoulder, who followed him aside.

"What are you doing, standing there like a fool? Why aren’t you doing your job? Your men still haven’t returned, and you’re here listening to the Bible like a child."

"My lord, it is already noon. It’s the customary time for rest."

"I have no objection to you resting, provided you finish your duties first."

"But you still haven’t paid us for last month," the Guard captain said, his tone laced with discontent.

"You have the nerve to ask? What did you lot do last month? Nothing! You even let a few villagers kill some of your men. Am I paying to feed a pack of useless trash?"

"They ambushed us! Besides, there’s been no money to maintain our equipment this year."

"Don’t give me excuses. Just do your job. Otherwise, I’ll throw you all out. There are plenty of men who would love to be Knights."

Geoffrey then turned to leave.

"Only His Majesty the King can make that decision. You have no right. We are Knights."

"Watch me. Who do you think His Majesty will support? You, or me?"

Geoffrey had no desire to hear the Guard captain’s excuses and started back toward the main keep. He had only taken a few steps, however, when someone called out to him.

It was the steward he had just sent out, the young Englishman.

"What now? Hasn’t that English Count left yet?"

"He had left, but he returned a short while later. And with him is..."

"With who?"

Just then, a group of Knights on horseback rode in through the gate. They were laughing and talking amongst themselves, and unlike usual, they were all wearing new fighting Vests.

Geoffrey was about to confront them when the young man’s next words stopped him in his tracks.

"I think it’s the Prince. The Herald said so, but I’m not entirely sure," the young man said, waving his hand to show his uncertainty.

"The Prince?"

Geoffrey had a bad feeling. ’It couldn’t be Prince William; he had no reason to visit.’

’Which meant it could only be...’

’It can’t be.’

Geoffrey quickened his pace, hurrying toward the castle gate. Instead of going outside, however, he ran up the stairs to the top of the wall, where he crouched down to spy on the party outside.

He saw Walter Off’s loathsome face, but he quickly spotted another, more familiar one.

’Prince Robert?’

He suddenly recalled the recent rumors.

’Is he here to win me over?’

’The chances of that were slim. But if that wasn’t it...’

A subtle sense of dread began to creep over him.

His gaze swept over the open ground outside the castle. Apart from a dozen or so Attendants and a tall Priest at Robert’s side, there were no other soldiers.

’No, that makes no sense.’

His eyes swept past the open ground to the Forest beyond.

A moment later, he descended the stairs and beckoned to the young man, who hurried to his side.

Geoffrey then walked out of the castle gate. He stopped short of the drawbridge, and from a distance, offered Robert a bow in perfect courtly fashion.

"To the eldest son of the great Conqueror, the future lord of Normandy! I, Geoffrey Mandeville, offer you my deepest respects. Your arrival brings immeasurable glory to the humble Brightlingsea Castle. May God be with Normandy, and with the noble Robert!"

He projected his voice, reciting the greeting loudly and clearly.

Robert was about to speak when Geoffrey shoved the young man beside him and shouted again, "What are you waiting for? Go and welcome Lord Robert into the castle to rest!"

Before Robert could react, Geoffrey added, "I hope Prince Robert will forgive the imposition, but I’m afraid my humble castle cannot accommodate too many people."

The young man hurried before Robert’s horse, where Eric grabbed his hand and pressed something into it.

"Prince Robert is a generous man. There is no kinder Norman. He is willing to treat all men as equals, including the English," Eric said to him in English with a soft chuckle.

At his side, the Earl of Northampton, Walter Off, clearly understood Eric’s words. His gaze drifted to Eric involuntarily.

Eric then took the reins of Robert’s horse and called back in a loud voice:

"It is no matter! We have received the Lord Earl’s respects. We shall enter with the Earl of Northampton, Walter Off, who is husband to Prince Robert’s own cousin. We will only bring a few personal guards and Attendants."

Eric then patted Leif, who was beside him. Leif broke from the formation and ran toward the Forest behind them, quickly disappearing from sight.

Standing at the gate, Geoffrey’s sharp eyes caught this exchange.

’Damn it... just as I thought. The army is waiting in the rear. Damn it all, why now of all times?’

A short while later, Robert, the Earl of Northampton, Walter Off, and their retinue of Personal Guard and Attendants had all entered the castle.

Geoffrey hastily ordered the main gate shut and the drawbridge raised. He then barked orders at a few Guard Knights who were gathered for their noon meal, sending them to man the gate and keep watch from the walls.

...

On the way to the great hall of the keep, Eric leaned close to Robert and whispered:

"The Earl of Northampton doesn’t seem to dislike you. Are you on good terms with him?"

"Not good, not bad."

"Then why not try to win him over? He seems like a good person to have on your side, and he’s one of the English."

"My cousin and I have a feud. Her only pleasure in life is humiliating me in front of the old man. Besides, the Earl of Northampton is terrified of her; he tells her everything."

"A feud? What happened between you two?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Ah, what fine weather we’re having. A rare treat. This castle is well-appointed, too. When I get back to Normandy, I’ll have to..." Robert suddenly started looking around everywhere.