Chapter 12: The Tournament
Chapter 12: The Tournament
Someone pulled a fair-faced youth towards Lothar’s warhorse, fawning, "Knightly lord, those scrawny girls, thin as matchsticks, are no fun. Why not try this..."
"Get lost!" The knight in the horned helmet raised his horsewhip and roared, "How dare you try to peddle such an unclean thing to my noble master! Do you wish for my lord to commit an unforgivable sin?" In Catholic doctrine, homosexuality was a grave sin!
The merchant who had been promoting the youth looked instantly terrified. He had assumed this equally martial-looking knight was Lothar’s companion, never imagining he was a retainer. Lothar’s status in his eyes immediately rose from a mere knight to a high-ranking noble, as knights themselves would not have other knights swearing fealty to them.
"Please forgive my transgression! But he is not a man, but an eunuch, gelded since childhood using the secret arts of the Eastern Roman Empire. He is not an unclean thing. The emperors of the Eastern Empire greatly favor appointing eunuchs as confidants to govern the country for them," the merchant stammered in terror.
Eunuchs were already regarded as a third gender in many places and were popular among royalty and nobility. However, many people still considered eunuchs to be nothing more than incomplete men, viewing them with deep disdain and disgust.
Lothar waved him away, signaling for the man to leave quickly. "Hans, don’t get so worked up. Eunuchs have existed for hundreds of years. In the Eastern Empire, eunuchs have even served in high ranking positions." He lowered his voice and said, "I’m wondering whether you are a knight of the Heavenly Father, or a knight who serves only me, remaining steadfastly loyal even if I were to consort with an unholy demon."
Lothar swung himself onto his mount and rode forward.
Beneath his helmet, Hans’s face turned deathly pale. His lips, drained of color, trembled ceaselessly.