114 Boyars Homage

Fuck... man has no peace in his own house... deep breath, it's just a child... just annoying little pest.

"Boy, come with me to my office, it's time to talk seriously." (MC)

One more deep breath, Piotr is only 10 years old and it shouldn't be hard to manipulate him. After a few minutes we were already in my office, I told him to sit in the armchair, I poured some wine for me... after a short reflection I poured it for him as well. Supposedly alcohol is bad for health, but drinking water was more dangerous in those days.

"You wanted to talk, do you have any questions or doubts?" (MC)

The boy was confused, he tried to say something a few times, but his tongue tied in his throat, he grabbed the goblet in both hands and began to drink its contents greedily... At one point he choked on the wine and spat it a little on the floor.

"In time you will get used to alcohol... If you can't start this conversation, I'll do it. Listen and don't interrupt me ..." (MC)

Piotr nodded.

"I don't know how much your mother told you... As you probably know, I've known Sveta since I was a child. She was a servant in Jazłowiec when my father and your grandfather were still alive..." (MC)

Piotr listened to my story and only nodded his head from time to time, I wasn't sure if he was so stressed or retarded.

"... Once I was away from Jazłowiec for several months, it was a war with Sweden. When I returned to Podolia, I found out that your mother had not come to work for two months. It turned out that Jerzy, her husband beat her, yours half-siblings also knew his heavy hand, some time later he drowned while drunk... Apparently, one can only speak well of the dead, and if you cannot say anything good, it is better not to speak at all... Well, Jerzy looked good in the coffin." (MC)

I saw in Piotr's face that he had heard for the first time that Sveta's husband made a punching bag out of her... well, if he has any negative emotions, let him direct them to the corpse... and if he wants, I'll even give him a shovel.

"Then there was a fire, Sveta moved to the castle and we became lovers... after some time you were born. Sveta is of low birth, I am a Prince, and life is not a fairy tale, where everyone lives happily ever after. I could not officially recognize you as my son, but with the help of gold I made you a nobleman... then I even obtained the princely title for you and Katarzyna... it cost a little of my blood. If my enemies knew about you and your sister, they could use you against me or harm your mother somehow. You may feel angry with me, but I did everything I could to protect you. I am only human and I make mistakes, but I do not regret what I did and how I did it." (MC)

Piotr's eyes became moist, he grabbed the goblet to drink again, but the vessel was already empty.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" (Piotr)

I was surprised, my son summoned up his courage and spoke for the first time this evening.

"You were too young and I wanted you to live a quiet life without the burden of your parents past... Is there anything else you want to ask?" (MC)

"Did you... Did you do something to Jerzy, father? (Piotr)

He was smart, but also stupid. Some questions are not asked. I got up from my armchair, went to Piotr and stroked his head.

"Go to sleep, it is late, and you will not miss tomorrow's lessons... as for Jerzy, he did it to himself." (MC)

I wasn't fit to be a father, I didn't have that paternal instinct in me... maybe there is something wrong with me.

Two weeks later, the boyars homage was to be held in public, and for this reason even more nobles flocked to Warsaw. Over 20,000 people gathered on the main square of the capital, in the era of not much entertainment, such a political event was also a form of entertainment... so the age of 17 and 21 did not differ much from each other... whenever I saw politicians on the TV I thought it was more of a circus.

At one end of the square there was a throne on which Władysław IV Vasa was seated, with a large Persian carpet in front of him. Five most important ministers stood by the king, Hetman Potocki and I, the Primate of Poland and a whole bunch of more or less important personalities.

The Royal Guard consisted of one hundred hussars... although the time of the hussars on the battlefield was slowly ending, the sight of them always made an amazing impression. Dressed in half armor, tiger, leopard or wolf skins, and of course wings. Each of them held upwards five-meter-long lances, decorated with two and a half-meter banners... What was interesting, the hussar had to pay for all the equipment, including the horse, except for the lance, for which the King paid... a strange tradition.

We all stood and watched as the delegation of Moscow boyars fell to their knees and bowed, touching the ground with their foreheads, swearing allegiance and obedience to the Polish King.

"Do you believe them?" (Hetman Potocki)

"As long as they are weak, they will keep their oath..." (MC)

"And then another war?" (Hetman Potocki)

"Peace is just a period of rest before another war..." (MC)

"We, Władysław. By God's grace, the King of Poland, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Livonia, Smolensk, Siewierski, Czernihowski, Moscow and the hereditary king of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals..." (King Władysław IV Vasa)

The king read my merits and what reward I received. Several servants approached me and handed me a chest with 10,000 ducats, luckily I was prepared for it... my prize weighed almost 40 kilograms. Of course, I thanked the King... I walked a few meters from the throne, opened the chest and started throwing ducats in the crowd...

The whole ceremony lasted more than two hours, a small military parade, the boyars' oath, throwing hostile banners captured at Smolensk under the feet of the Polish king, announcing merits and awards, including mine ... and it all ended with a few minutes ringing of church bells throughout Warsaw.