Chapter 4 Chapter Four

This is a training ground, with a square target without spears and arrows at both ends, a race track and obstacles, and an empty field for training wrestling.Now all the female guards have gone back to the city, leaving Jura alone.On the huge training ground, she appeared silent and lonely. Suddenly, a man came running and told her that the new prince had arrived. "Ha, Prince!" Jura whispered softly as she hurled her javelin at the target with such vigor as if she were about to stab an old enemy!It was outrageous that he, being an Englishman, should come to usurp her brother's rightful throne!But she was comforted by the fact that all the Lankangyanis agreed with her, and that the tribes were also unanimous in this matter, that this Englishman should not inherit the throne!

She heard a voice behind her and turned quickly, pointing the point of her javelin at the man's throat. "It was too late," Dale said with a smile. "I drew my bow as soon as I entered the training ground. If I were to shoot you, I would have hit you. There are no guards, and you shouldn't be here alone." "Ah, Dale," she said, throwing her arms around his neck, "I miss you so much." She wanted to kiss him, but she couldn't shake the memory of the man by the river.Distraught and sweaty last night, she realized she was missing the stranger.She had never seen a man like this before, all she knew were hardy farmers and loggers who used to rush past here to be with their wives and children.She only thought of this, but what she said to Dale was: "Kiss me."

Dale kissed her, but her kiss was completely different from that man's. She didn't feel the burning, uncontrollable desire at all, and couldn't arouse the excitement in her whole body. Daller noticed that she was a little strange, stepped back, and looked at her with a frown.Dale was a handsome young man with dark eyes and high cheekbones, but at this moment Jura seemed far less handsome than that man. "What happened?" Dale asked in a hoarse voice. Jura lowered her arms and turned to hide her flushed face.She worried that he would peep into her mind. "I miss you very much, nothing else. Can a girl greet her fiancé without enthusiasm?"

Dale was silent for a long time, until she turned back to look at him. They grew up together.Dale originally belonged to the Watters tribe. In an attack led by Saul, Dale's father killed Jura's father, and Saul killed Dale's father. The 12-year-old Dale killed him with stones. and the Broken Spear attack Thor, wanting to avenge his father.Thor tied the child to a saddle and brought him back to Escalan to raise him.Two weeks later, Jura's mother died, and Saul took her in.So Geralt, Jura, and Dale were educated and trained together under Saul's tutelage.At that time, Zhu La was only five years old. She deeply felt the loneliness and emptiness of losing her parents. Relying on Dale, who was tall and taciturn, she gradually regained her peace of mind.They grew up, and since she spent most of her life with him, she became his fiancée.But that doesn't mean she understands love.

"I heard that Ron has come?" She wanted to change the subject so that he would no longer pay attention to her.But Dale knew what she was up to.When she was six years old, she ate his dried fruit. Instead of admitting it, she asked him who stole it.She is good at diverting the attention of others. "Yes, here he is," Dale said, still watching her. "And did the people turn against him? Does the English usurper know what the people think of him?" "He opened the St. Helen's door." Jura laughed out loud. "How many horses did he use? Thor would not be pleased if he heard his son be so timid."

"He pushed the door open with his hands." Zhu La looked at Da Le suspiciously.He went on: "He opened the gate to let the wagons he had brought through. At first, he ordered his entourage to slam logs at the gate, to no avail. Then Ron put his palm on the gate and prayed God helped him, and the door was opened!" Jura was dumbfounded, bewildered.Legend has it that the gates will only open when the true king of Lanconia arrives.Is he the real king? She thought for a while, regained her sanity, and said: "The gate has been closed for many years. No doubt it has rusted and rotted over time. After being hit by a log, it must have loosened. That's why he pushed it open. I believe , everyone understands this truth.”

"After the gate was opened, Zandi went up to the prince and knelt down, shouting long live to him!" "Zanti?" Zhu Ji asked in amazement, his eyes wide open, "is that the Zanti who laughs whenever the British are mentioned? Is it the Zanti who sent someone back saying that the prince is an idiot? ?” "That's right. He kowtowed to him and called him long live, and all the guards and people responded and shouted long live together!" Jura looked away and said as if to himself: "These must be some superstitious people to believe that God helps him. We should let the citizens and guards see that it is indeed rusty." The door is not difficult to open. Have you told Saul about this?"

"Yes," Dale replied, "they're with Saul now." "them?" "Prince Ron, his sister and her child." Jura fiddled with the javelin in his hand and began to feel restless.It seemed that all the Lanconians were befuddled, and she was the only one left sober. "At least you don't believe the usurper? Geralt is our future king. Tell me, is he really English? Does he behave like a foreigner?" Dale didn't answer. Suddenly, he stretched out his arm, like a snake, quickly grabbed her long hair and wrapped it around his waist, forcing her to get close to him.

"Dalle!" she called out, out of breath, "what are you doing?" "You're mine!" He made a high-pitched voice from his throat, "You've been mine since I was five years old, and I can't let anyone share it!" His gaze threatened her. "What happened?" she asked in panic. "Did Ron do something?" "Perhaps you can answer that question better than I can." Jura seemed to understand what he was doing, recovering from his horror.Still holding the javelin in her left hand, she aimed the point at his ribs. "Let go of me, or I'll stab a hole in your body!"

He untied her hair and smiled. Jura didn't return his smile. "Explain, why are you tying up my hair?" Dale shrugged. "You can't help but be jealous of your lover!" "Jealous of whom?" Jura asked angrily. He didn't answer her question, just grinned.She didn't like the way he smiled, and was even a little disgusted.Although his eyes did not meet her, he could perceive her thoughts.By her first kiss he had felt a little strange, and her mention of the English reminded him that Roth had also asked him about Jura, and that gave him the hint that something serious might be wrong.

After a while, she smiled at him and said, "You have no reason to be jealous. Maybe it's because of me..." She looked at him suspiciously, as if begging him not to be too pushy. He laughed too. "Go," he said, "you don't want to meet the new prince?" With a sigh of relief, the moment of tension passed, she raised her javelin again. "Come on, you go back to him," she said. "Sol needs you." Dale stayed where he was. "I'm sure there will be a swallow party soon." Jura hurled her javelin hard, hitting the center of the target. "Then you bring some sweets to the white Englishman. I'm not hungry tonight. You go, get out of here, I need training." Dale frowned at her, as if something puzzled him, but he couldn't ask.Without saying anything, he turned and walked towards Escalan City. Jura angrily yanked her javelin from the target.She looked at Dale's back, thinking a lot; she hugged him, and he pushed her away; later he pulled her hair and said he was jealous; why didn't he kiss her passionately?Why didn't he do something to erase the memory of that man from her mind? She threw her javelin again and again, intending to pass the day in strenuous drill so that the night would be too exhausting for her to think of the man.She swore, and raised her javelin again.But this time it missed the target. "These men!" she said the words in an angry tone.Dale suspects her and pulls her hair abruptly; while another man kisses her impertinently... An Englishman is threatening Lanconia, what the heck!She threw her javelin again, hitting the bull's-eye with precision. Ron was standing outside his father's bedroom door, trying to wipe off the dust from his long journey.He didn't have time to change clothes.Feel impolite.He was told that King Saul insisted on summoning him immediately, without waiting a moment. Ron had considered whether the dusty clothes would affect Sol's health, but it didn't matter when he pushed open the heavy oak door and looked at Sol's room.He was so startled by the filth in the room that he kicked away a gnawed bone as soon as he took a step.It was very dark in the room, and he paused for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light.His father seemed content to remain silent, eyeing his son over and over, and allowing the son enough time to observe him carefully. Sol was lying on a pile of animal skins. The hair was very long and it looked like rough animal skins.But it suits his heart very well, because he is also a rough old man.He was extraordinarily tall, at least four inches taller than Ron, but he was thinner and less stocky; perhaps his face had once been handsome, but now it was covered with the marks of war—scars.Ron naturally thought of the scene when he rode high on a horse and brandished a sword, leading thousands of men and horses into battle, charging against the stubborn enemy.In the end he won. "My son, come, come to me!" Sol finally whispered in a deep voice, from which Ron realized that his illness was causing him great pain. "Come, sit beside me." Ron moved forward obediently and sat on the edge of his dad's bed, trying to control his agitation and hide his anxiety. His mentor Phelan has repeatedly reported to Sol his weaknesses and strengths.Before he met the old man, he wanted to make the old man happy, and he always expected him to live a happy and comfortable life.Now he saw the old man's harsh eyes and gray face, and it seemed to him that the old man was disappointed in his blond hair and fair skin.But Ron kept his feelings secret, calmly waiting for the failure or success of the meeting. Thor reached out his scarred hand and stroked his son's cheek, old dark eyes filled with tears. "You, like her, like my beautiful Anne!" He stroked Ron's arm again, his eyes and mouth widening into smiles. "You have a Lanconian figure, at least you have taken something from me. From the height, you look like me; your hair looks like Anne." Then, Sol laughed wildly, but coughed after laughing.Realizing that his father didn't want to rest yet, Ron sat still until the old man's convulsive cough passed. "I can still eat. I've known for a long time that the only reason I can escape death is because I want to wait and see you. Will William treat you well?" "Fine," Ron replied softly, "I haven't greeted you for him yet." Sol smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know he will...he will love you all forever. When Anne dies..." He broke off, trying to suppress his emotion, "Death brings memories and I pray I'll be seeing your mother soon If William had asked me to hand you over to his care after my dear Anne's death, I would have done so; but he attacked me and my entourage, and tried to keep you by force! . . . " Thor coughed again, but soon got the spasm under control. "You sent someone to pick me up," Ron said politely, "I'm already here!" Saul smiled and said he was satisfied with this. "Yes, but I want you to grow up in England, you are Anne's comfort to me." He took Ron's hand, "Son, no one can conquer Lanconia, what Huns, Slavs, Romans and Salmans." He stopped talking again, laughing. "We will repel all invaders, and we Lanconians can defeat anyone... except ourselves," he added gloomily. "Yeah, tribes kill each other," said Ron, "I've had it." Thor held Ron's hand tightly. "I heard that you dealt with the Zenas alone, and dared to face Brokan." "The Zenas are also Lanconians." "Yes," Thor nodded, and Ron waited for him to get his cough under control again. "When I came to England, I found that a country should have a real king. In name I was king of Lanconia, but in reality I was only the king of the Ariel. Neither Zenas nor Vattles Don't recognize me as their king. We are a nation divided by tribes, and if we don't unite, Lanconia will be wiped out sooner or later." Ron began to understand what his father wanted from him. "Do you want me to unify Lanconia?" Although he had just arrived in Lanconia and did not understand how these tribes were divided and how to achieve unity, he did not feel the difficulty of this matter and scary.Thor looked at Ron and sat up. The old man didn't express whether he needed or believed that he could conquer the tribes. "Because I left you to be raised in another country," said Saul, "you are not an Ariel; perhaps because you are half-breed, other tribes will not recognize you." "I see," Ron said without further ado, closing his eyes slightly.After these few days of understanding, he believes that Lanconia must be peaceful. As the future king, he hopes that he can stop the killing of the tribes and unite them; Zanti become friends!But can he do it in his lifetime?Although people had trusted him now because he had opened the rusty door, Ron didn't think their trust in him would last long.Everything he did seemed British to them, and he was a foreigner after all. "I think Geralt should still be king, because I'm English," he said softly, "and the Lanconians will believe that my half-brother will be king." Thor's expression turned angry. "Geralt is an Arial, and he hates any tribe. I heard you brought the son of Brockane to be with you. You must protect him, or Gerald will kill him. Jay Lalter thinks that Lanconia only allows Ariel to live, how narrow-minded it is!" "Do other tribes also dream of taking Lanconia?" Ron said, feeling very tired. "Yes," Saul said firmly. "In my grandfather's time, we Lanconians united and fought against outsiders, and the tribes were happy. Now there are no foreign invaders, and the tribes are attacking each other." He stretched out his scarred hand, " War is bloody. You see, I have killed many of our own people with these hands. Of course I don't want to do it, but it can't be stopped, because the Arials don't invade other tribes, and other tribes will attack you!" He grabbed Ron's hand and fixed his eyes on him, as if pleading. "I left Lanconia to you, and you must save her. You should also be able to unify the country, because you have opened the gate of St. Helen." Ron smiled at his frail father, thrilled at the trust and trust the old man had placed in him. Saul sank back on the pillow. "You have Anne's humility and gentle temper, I can see that. How did you feel on your way here? Are the Lanconians difficult?" "It's kind of scary," Roth replied with a frank smile, "but they didn't make me, an Englishman, very difficult." "Lanconians only believe in Lanconians," he said, looking at Ron as if paying special attention to his blond hair and blue eyes, "but you will change, you can do things I can't. If Anne is alive now, and she may help me do something to bring peace to Lamonia; but she is dead, and I have lost my spiritual support. If the tribes do not unite, and the Lanconians continue to kill, we will Can't resist the invading cavalry from the mountains; we kill ourselves, and the result is that there will be fewer and fewer men in the land of Lanconia, which is very sad. I think I put the cause of national unity and peace in You, do you think it can be achieved, my son?" Thor closed his eyes, intending to regain his strength, and waited for Ron's answer.Ron naturally respects his father's will, but does he have the strength to do it?It would be nice if he had his father's strong convictions - even half of them.What he will be facing will be to change the extremely stubborn ideas and beliefs formed by the Lanconians for centuries, which requires taking risks and suffering great pressure.For a moment, he really wanted to go back to Uncle William's house in England, to hide in that safe haven.But he thought again, although his father's wish was difficult, it was a great cause that related to the fate of the Lanconians. Didn't he also hope to make the country unified and peaceful?Why are you afraid when things come to an end?Want to retreat?If you don't even have the courage to make a promise, how can you talk about striving for it?Suddenly he thought of Jura, she was from Lankonia, she knew everything about Lankonia, if she was by his side, he might be able to conquer all the tribes and unify the country. "Dad," Ron pulled himself together and asked in a soft tone, "I heard that you want me to marry Youlian, is that true?" Thor opened tired eyes.He had benefited so much from being married to a beautiful English girl that he believed his son's marriage to be a momentous event. "I picked Celian when she was a child. Because she reminded me of Anne. Celian was very calm, kind, and very strong, smart, strong, she was my woman Captain of the Guard. She will be an excellent wife for you." "Yes, I believe she will, but..." Ron hesitated, unable to bear to look at Thor's puzzled eyes.The old man's life is about to end, but he still feels abnormally healthy. "You're not married to an Englishwoman, are you? Are you married?" "I'm not married," said Ron flatly.His father waited patiently, his quick gaze piercing into Ron's, causing Ron to leave his seat.He felt that he was not afraid of Brockane, but the old man.There is no doubt that he was able to rule the country for so many years for his own reasons. "There is a girl here, I heard that she is also a guard, she is qualified to be my wife, her name is Zhu La." After hearing this, Saul slowly lowered his head, as if in extreme pain. "Do you feel strongly about her?" Ron felt a little embarrassed, but he managed to keep the blood from rushing to his face.He wanted Jura, and he wouldn't regret it even if he offended his father. "Very strongly," he answered clearly, that he was sincere to her indeed, that he hoped his father would understand, that he was even willing to fight for Jura. Saul raised his head again, staring intently into his son's eyes.It has a power that has been passed down from generation to generation of Lanconian kings. "When I need Anne, I must have her, and if the King of England refuses me, I will steal her in the night. Do you feel the same way about Jura?" Ron remembered Jura's passionate kiss back. "Yes," he said, "I'm exactly like you." "I don't want to ask you how you met her, no doubt you saw her. Why didn't you love Cirien, my son? Jura was quick-tempered like her brother, and stubborn like her mother; the girl's mother tried Threatening me to marry her, and after she bore Gerald, she married Jost, my most loyal squire, as her punishment, and made my life miserable." Thor stopped, slowly calming his mind. "If I give Jura to you, it will cause much trouble: Sirian will be your enemy, for all the Arials love Sirian, and they will all hate you when you dishonor this beloved woman; And Jura has been betrothed to..." "Betrothed?" Ron asked breathlessly. "Yes," Saul replied, "she will marry Bretta's son Dale in the future. Bretta is the leader of the Waters tribe. You must not provoke her." Ron was dumbfounded. "A woman is the head of the tribe?" Can he conquer a woman because of his marriage?Will the Lankonian raise him to fight her? Sol laughed at his son. "Bretta has a brain. She's been the leader of Vattles since her husband was killed. She's always hated me, and the Arials. So I hope you'd better not add to her annoyance. And hatred. Could you reconsider marrying Cillian? Or another girl? Jura just..." "One is all I want," said Ron frankly. Thor sighed deeply. "If you must have Jura, there is a way." "What way?" Ron asked impatiently, "I'll take any way." "But she's afraid she'll fail, and you'll lose Jura." "If it's a fight, I'm up for the challenge." "You don't fight, Jura fights," Saul said, and he explained, "Women in Lanconia protect the back of their husbands in battle. If a man walks or dies, they It's about protecting yourself, so men are willing to find a strong and courageous wife. For that, it's sometimes going through the honorium—that is, the competition—to choose." "What kind of game is it?" Ron asked. "It's a bit like the British Invitational, but all the people invited are women," Saul said. "They compete in archery, javelin throwing, running, jumping over obstacles, wrestling, etc." Ron was about to speak when Saul grabbed his son's hand and stopped him. "If this kind of competition involves a king, an invitation must be sent to all the women of the tribe. Whoever wins the competition will become the queen. Jura is very young, she has not participated in this kind of competition, and it is likely to ask Failed." He paused for a moment, and added: "Cillian is more likely to win." "This is an opportunity, and if I want to get Jura, I cannot pass up this opportunity." "You don't know, most of our female guards are very beautiful, but it's hard to tell the women of other tribes, because they despise the Ariel king, and may send women like wild animals to participate." Sol's Lips are curled.The voice sighed, "You have never seen an Ertans woman. They are cunning and dishonest. They will secretly cut your hair while you sleep, if they can find a buyer. Brocaine will no doubt send an ugly I have a calf, which is better looking than the Zenas women. What do you think, my child? Marry Cirian, she is strong, beautiful, and..." "Dare you win my mother over by Honorium?" Ron asked suddenly. "I, of course!" Sol said softly, "When I was young, I was full of blood, and I dared to do anything for her!" "My blood boils for Jura," Ron replied firmly. "Let's have a match." Saul thought about it, nodded and said: "Since you insist, you can continue the competition. But you have to stay away from Jura, and don't let anyone know that your purpose is to get her. Otherwise, you will annoy Bretta's son , will arouse his wrath! I will tell the people that the purpose of your willingness to play the contest is to treat all tribes fairly. The women of all tribes have a chance to claim the crown of queen. Now you must go. Then I You can declare the game." Ron looked very happy to see that everything was settled and his fatigue was forgotten.He said to Saul, "I thought you might like to see your daughter and grandson?" Thor's eyes widened and brightened. "Lola? She was a baby when I left. Did she come with you?" "Yes, she brought her son Philip with me. A bright boy." "I bet she can't be as smart as you were when you were little," Saul said, laughing. "Let them in quickly, I'm praying for Lola, she needs to find a suitable husband." Ron smiled. "I think so too, she seems to be closer to Zanti, maybe they might get married in the future." Saul laughed again until the coughing stopped. "The old warhorse, huh? That's a fine couple. Zanti was never married. A fiery woman would melt his old heart." "If other women can do it, so can Lola." Ron stood up, took his father's hand, and kissed it. "We did the important task you entrusted to me, but..." "Don't but," said Saul sharply, "and don't worry, I pray for you every night, and you will succeed. You are not the chief of a tribe, but the king of all Lanconia; you cannot be loyal to any one Horde, you are going to unify this country. I hope your wife is by your side and can help you. Don't worry. Call my daughter and grandson quickly." "Yes, Daddy," Ron said, leaving the room immediately. "Son," Saul yelled, "you've got to choose some clothes that fit, so people don't look like you're an Englishman." Ron agreed outside the door. Walking outside Sol's room, Ron leaned against the black stone wall and closed his eyes. — deeply grateful for his father's trust, but also aware of the weight he had placed on his shoulders.Unifying the country is easier said than done!Now six tribes, hating each other and killing each other, he prayed to God to guide him, no matter what he had to unite them.He opened his eyes and thought of Jura again, and he hoped she would help him.He emerged at the door through a dark hallway, just as he heard Lola's tantrum, followed by Zanti's soft laugh. "If I may interrupt you, Lola, our father wants to see Tsukuru and Philip." Zhu La left the training ground with a feeling of reluctance. A young man told her that she had to go to the stables on an urgent mission, and that she would miss it if she was late.Ever since Saul had brought his English son back, she had been in a mess and in a trance.Who is looking for her?What urgent task?He went to the stables to find out, maybe she would see Geralt, and he consoled her. It was dark in the stable, and there was no one there.She thought that if the Zenas came to attack, they would surely win, because the Ariel had no precautions. "Hi, is anyone there?" she called.Can't hear an answer.She became suspicious, pulled out the knife, and left the stable. She carefully looked around and listened carefully, for fear of being plotted against.Suddenly, her knife was knocked away, and at the same time a pair of strong hands picked her up and dragged her back to a dark corner of the stable. She struggled desperately, but her whole body seemed to have no strength at all. She was pulled very tightly, and her whole body fell into his arms.The light was extremely dim, she couldn't see his outline clearly, but her specific feeling made her understand that it was him! His mouth searched for hers, and instead of avoiding her, she responded to his kiss with all her affection.She had said to herself yesterday that her reaction to the stranger by the river had been accidental and that it would never happen again.But now, at this place and at this time, she accepted his caress without hesitation and kissed him passionately, and she felt very comfortable. Jura had forgotten where she was, only the feeling of being in this man's arms, her body weak and trembling in contact with him. When he looked up, she put her arms around his neck and ran her hands through his hair...she needed him terribly. "Jura," he whispered, his voice seemed to seep into her heart, "we're together now," he said kindly, passionately, kissing her thick lips again. She also opened her mouth to kiss him, like a flower for the bee, so that the bee can take the pollen from the ground.Being together meant making love, and she was preparing for him, she didn't think about the consequences, all she cared about was that they would be able to get married in the future.She even thought of the scene when they were both standing in the middle of the banquet hall when they got married. "My baby," he whispered to her, kissing her neck hungrily as if he would eat her. "We're going to be together forever, I've made arrangements." "Yes," she whispered back, closing her eyes and throwing her head back. "We're in this together." He pulled her closer and gazed into her face. "You're so attractive to me, more than I thought. Jura, you don't know how happy I am, how happy I am. Tell me, do you love me?" At this time, she couldn't say anything, only the feeling of intoxication. Because of his strong force, she lost her balance and fell backward on the stone wall of the stable.He didn't let her go.Jura thought that his heavy body would crush her to death, but she didn't want to struggle and still held him tightly. Suddenly, he relaxes her. "Come on," he said exhaustedly, "you're mine. Let's go." She grabbed the stone behind her and straightened herself up. The rough stone pierced her hand, and her heart pounded as if it had jumped to her throat. "Get out of here, or someone will see you," he said. Jura's heart was beating violently, yes, don't let anyone see it.She tried to straighten her knees, supported the wall of the stable, and moved a few steps clumsily. "Jura," he called. She didn't turn around.Her body was so weak that she couldn't move. "Remember you are mine," he said, "and don't let Bretta's son hurt you!" She nodded, she was very dizzy.But at last she came out of the stable.She was so happy in her heart that her feet remembered the way to the women's barracks, for there was nothing in her heart but him.She touched her fingers, eager to find traces of his kiss. "Jura," someone called her, but she didn't answer. "Jura!" was Cillian's voice. "What's wrong with you? Where did you drop your knife? Why is your hair so messed up? What's the mark on your neck? Have you been attacked?" Jura grimaced at her friend and smiled, "I'm great." Cirian took Jura's arm and forced her back to her spartan room.The interior furnishings are simple, only a bed, a table, two chairs, a washbasin stand and a wooden box for clothes.Weapons hang on the wall, and a cross carved from wood sits above the bed. "Sit down," said Celian commandingly, pushing Jura to bed.Then he moistened the towel and forced Jura to wipe his face. "Now tell me, what's the matter with you? What happened?" Jura has begun to regain strength. "I... I'm fine, nothing happened," she said as she took off her coat, her hands still trembling, but her emotions had returned to normal.She must stay away from that man, he is like an infectious disease, as long as she gets... an infectious disease, she will kill him. "Tell me, what news do you have?" Jura asked Celian. "Have you ever met the Englishman who pretends to be the throne?" Perhaps because she hated the Englishman, she could forget her feelings for him. Are we as stupid as we think?" Cillian was still puzzled by her friend's expression. "He's not stupid at all. In fact, he seems to have been extraordinarily brave, daring to ride against Brokane alone." Jura snorted. "So he's even more stupid than I thought, and he doesn't even know how to protect his own life. Sirian, you should beg Sol to dissolve your marriage to that annoying Englishman while he's still alive." .” Celian smiled warily. "He wasn't annoying. He kissed me and it was very, very pleasant." Jura looked at her coldly. "He's too presumptuous. He thinks we Lanconian women are promiscuous? He dares to kiss a female guard!" When Jura said this, she felt that her face was burning. Isn't there a man who dares to kiss her? ? "Whenever he needs, I allow him to move freely," Silian said, turning to leave, and suddenly remembered something. "Tell you, Saul ordered a contest to be held, and the winner will get a new king and become queen." "Competition?" Jura didn't believe it, and carefully peeped at his friend. "In my experience, I haven't seen such a thing. Of course, I don't doubt Sol." She stood up quickly. "Is that pompous Englishman going to run the contest? If it was his idea, it would be an insult to us Lanconian women, that he thought the women Saul had chosen for him were not good enough. His illegitimate son !..." “朱拉！”西丽安转身说，“你错怪了他，是索尔宣布比赛。他说他的儿子是全兰康尼亚人的国王，因而他的妻子必须从所有部落的妇女中挑选。这只有高尚的罗恩才能同意，因为如果被一个泽纳斯妇女赢了，或是一个厄尔坦斯妇女赢了，那怎么办？”她说着，声音里带有恐惧，“没有多少男人愿意进行这种比赛。自从洛坎国王赢得了梅塔王后以来就再没有举行过这种比赛。我听说，说她是妇女中的畜生，在多次战斗中被削掉半个鼻子，而且她比国王大十岁。他们结婚没有生孩子。所以罗恩王子同意进行比赛，与获胜的妇女结婚，是很高尚的。” 朱拉转身，默默祈祷。为什么人们赋予这个外国人如此高尚的特性？“无疑不管比赛是什么结果，他已见过你，并认为你是所有兰康尼亚最优秀的妇女，一定会赢的。或者他是一条恭顺的狗，只能服从别人而不敢提出自己的主张？” “朱拉，罗恩根本不是恭顺的狗。你必须会见他。今晚有燕会，来吧，我给你介绍，你亲自看看，他到底是个什么样的人。” 朱拉不满地说：“我不能辜负我哥哥，我相信杰拉尔特会是国王。你可以去参加燕会，坐在他身旁﹒我不能去。这里需要人看守宿营地，我准备惩罚胆敢来犯的人。” “你的刀呢？”西南安指指她的空刀鞘问。 “我……我掉在一个暗处了，”朱拉踌躇了一下才说，血液冲上面颊，她想起了在马棚里被那个男人打掉刀的一幕。“我去找我的刀，你去参加燕会，我们明天早晨见。”朱拉迅速离开她的房间，没有回答西南安关于怎么遗失了刀的问题。 刀不在马棚里。她在牲畜厩内站了一会儿，闭上眼睛，咒骂自己多么愚蠢。她两次遇见这个粗鲁的人，陷入他的怀抱，自己就象一个马路上的妓女。而且她不知他的姓名或他的身份，他想象他可能是一个在城内工作的奴隶。除了他穿着整洁，会说艾里阿尔语，嗓音深沉、发音准确外，不象是外国奴隶的喉音。 他会不会故意制造事端，用这把刀向她进行敲诈？她的刀把上刻有两只跃立的狮子，人们一看就知道那是她的。如果这个人在达勒面前卖弄，达勒将要说些什么？布莱塔的儿子……如果达勒在另一男人手中看见她的刀，说不定会引起瓦特尔斯和艾里阿尔斯部落之间的麻烦。 “蠢人！”她大声咒骂自己，“你不配当卫士！”