86 Re Vera

I also raised the case of Prince Bogusław with my guest and my proposal which I presented to him, but it did not cause any controversy. Sapieha and Gosiewski agreed to help, if the last member of the Gryfit family decided to become a vassal of the Kingdom of Poland.

There was some sentiment in their decision, but also some calculation. The more Baltic coasts will be under the control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, either directly or indirectly, the better. The feast was over and although most of the guests did not matter to me, they all left satisfied, full and drunk ... no one will say about me that I am stingy.

Two days later, Graf Ferber and Stanisław "Revera" Potocki came to Jazłowiec. I introduced Graf to Hetman Sapieha and Gosiewski as my friend. Of course, I also mentioned that Hetman and Gosiewski are interested in Gdańsk trade.

However, before we met with the others, I first invited Potocki to my office for a private interview.

"How have I deserved this unexpected honor re vera, Dear Prince?" (Stanisław Potocki)

It was hard not to laugh, Stanisław Potocki used the Latin phrase "re vera" in almost every sentence, which meant "in fact" and hence the nickname "Revara" ... it was comical, especially when it did not fit the context of the statement.

"I would not call it an honor, just one nobleman wanted to talk to another. As far as I know, in 1612 you fought in Moldavia, and in 1617 you commanded your own banner in the war with Moscow ..." (MC)

"Re vera, the Prince has excellent information. But what did I do to deserve such interested parties? Someone who killed Khan Temir, captured Gustav Adolf and Christian IV, doesn't want to compare his experience with mine." (Stanisław Potocki)

"Please forgive me, but I will answer your question in a moment. First I want to make sure of something ... Then you served under the command of Hetman Koniecpolski. How do you rate him?" (MC)

I couldn't lay out all my cards right away, first I wanted to see what Potocki was holding in his hand.

"Re vera, a very good commander, more often he was victorious than he was defeated." (Stanisław Potocki)

"Yes ... we all know it. But I mean more how do you evaluate his actions in the east, mainly the Cossacks and the Orthodox?" (MC)

"Re vera, I don't understand ..." (Stanisław Potocki)

"Does his conduct in the East bring benefits to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?" (MC)

"He suppresses rebellions and tries to convert, re vera ..." (Stanisław Potocki)

There was hesitation in Potocki's voice, he understood perfectly well and knew what I was asking, but he did not want to reveal his thoughts.

"As you probably know, the position of Grand Hetman of the Crown is vacant. The King uses it to exert pressure on the Seym and the nobility. According to custom, due to his age and experience, Hetman Koniecpolski should be nominated." (MC)

"Re vera." (Stanisław Potocki)

"Re vera, well said ... I believe that the customs, even the old ones. They do not always serve us well, just because someone has the right age and experience, does not mean that he will be more suitable for this position than someone younger and with less experience." (MC)

"Prince, you want to say ..." (Stanisław Potocki)

"Yes, I think Koniecpolski should not receive Hetman's maces and I believe that when you gain more experience, you should receive this mace." (MC)

My proposal surprised him a lot ... I knew that he was ambitious like any magnate. Each of us had money and it was relatively easy to obtain it, but prestige, recognition and power came only when we held a position in the state. I was a voivode at the age of 23, he was just a starost in a few regions at 39 ... he was neither poorer nor more stupid than me, he just did not have many opportunities to show his talents. I decided to forge the hot iron, told him about my contract with Sapieha and Gosiewski, that I had two years for him to gain experience ...

"How?" (Stanisław Potocki)

"You have to set up a private army, and if necessary, I will lend you my men. You will be stationed here in Podolia, and when the time is right, you will gain fame." (MC)

"What's in it for you?" (Stanisław Potocki)

"When you become the Grand Hetman of the Crown, I want to become the Field Hetman of the Crown... Of course, it is a long way to go, the influence of Sapieha, Gosiewski and mine may not be enough, you will also have to use your own influence and money." (MC)

"When?" (Stanisław Potocki)

I was impressed for a few minutes I didn't hear the phrase "Re vera".

"As soon as possible, now I was summoned by the King to Warsaw, and we have several months to attack the Tatars ..." (MC)

"Tatars?!" (Stanisław Potocki)

"Re vera." (MC)

After a few more minutes of conversation, we returned to the other guests. Nobody mentioned political topics anymore, or rather topics related to internal politics were not discussed. On the other hand, everyone was eager to talk about their war experiences ... except for the son of Hetman Sapieha, who lost the battle with the Swedes in an embarrassing way, the other person who was not interested in the subject of war was the son of Aleksander Gosiewski, who had no military experience.

I woke up the next morning in the stable, Gosiewski was sitting next to me, and Potocki was lying next to him ... I don't know how I got here.

"What are we doing here? (MC)

"Stanisław urged us yesterday to avenge his brother-in-law ..." (Aleksadner Gosiewski)

"Brother-in-law? Wait, his brother-in-law was a Moldavian hospodar ..." (MC)

"Yes, yesterday, the three of us planned to attack the Ottomans ..." (Aleksander Gosiewski)

"(burp) Re vera (burp)" (Stanisław Potocki)

Fuck me... my head ached even more ... I don't drink anymore with them... a bunch of degenerates.