Chapter 17: Molding an Heir ( Dec. 1081 - Mar. 1082 )
Roussel had spent the remainder of November hunting with his new falcon and found he greatly enjoyed it. The hunt helped take his mind off of Simon and accept his passing while also allowing the duke to roam across his realm and see its condition. After finishing his latest hunting trip, he returned to Kaisereia and decided to focus on educating his heir, Anfroi.
About a week after his return, Roussel was searching through his keep for the boy. As he passed the dungeons, Anfroi emerged carrying a bloody knife and covered in filthy clothes. The duke was shocked by what he saw and just stared for a moment. As Roussel recovered he advanced on the six-year-old and saw the boy's expression change from one of pride to fear.
"Son, you have just done an evil thing. Come with me, and I will teach you the right way." With that Roussel turned about and headed through the keep to the stables with his son hot on his heels. He ordered a servant to saddle up two horses, and father and son mounted once they were ready. The two exited the keep and rode through the city streets until they reached the town square, shadowed by a handful of Roussel's guards.. A platform had been set up and a crowd was gathering. Anfroi saw a man being led up the platform in shackles, flanked by two guards and a headsman.
"Papa, what did that man do? Are they going to hurt him?" Anfroi urgently asked.
"He was a thief who robbed travelers and hurt many of them. He is going to be executed, and you are going to watch." Roussel watched the boy's face pale as this revelation. "This is true justice, not what you did in the dungeons. Those people are there because I do not wish them to die. Your actions violated my will and hurt people that did not deserve it." With that, Roussel went silent and watched the execution proceed.
The prisoner was forced to his knees, the headsman took position, and the axe came down. The head was not severed in the first blow, so he gave two more blows before it was done. Anfroi's face had somehow gotten even paler, and he appeared ready to retch. "I have one more lesson for you, son. Follow me," Roussel said as he motioned for Anfroi to guide his horse after.
The two of them journeyed deep into the seedy side of the city until they arrived outside of a worn down church. It appeared abandoned and no one could be seen up or down the street. However, Roussel dismounted and pounded on the main door. A young woman appeared, dressed as a nun. Her habit was incredibly worn and covered in some sort of bodily fluid.
When she saw Roussel, her face betrayed her shock, and she struggled to find her words. "H-how may I help you, my lord?" she finally squeaked out.
"My son would like to meet one of your patients," Roussel replied. The nun started to protest, but Roussel silenced her and insisted. She left them in the front room and rushed into the back of the church.
"Father, what is going on here? I do not understand what I'm supposed to learn," Anfroi said. Roussel motioned for him to be quiet, so the two waited in silence for the nun's return. A few minutes later, she finally arrived, bearing a stretcher together with another nun. On the stretcher was one of the most hideous men Anfroi had ever seen. His face was misshapen and discolored, covered in some sort of rash. His nose was nearly flat, and he appeared to be in pain. The nuns set the man down and left the room.
"What is your name, man?" Roussel demanded. The man turned his head to look at Roussel and said, "I am Alexios. What could you want with a leper like me?"
"My son is learning a lesson in justice and suffering. I would like you to tell him of your life," Roussel said. He then turned to Anfroi, saying, "Go and sit with him. Listen closely for even the most humble man can teach you something." Anfroi hesitated, obviously terrified of sitting with the leper. His father's stern look galvanized him though, and he took a seat next to the man.
Anfroi saw the man's hands for the first time and was even more repulsed. The fingers were swollen and deformed, making the hand look more like a paw of some strange animal. "W-what happened to you?" Anfroi finally asked. The man shifted on his stretcher and began talking.
Alexios spoke of his time as a farmer, with his wife and five children. They had not made much money, but they were happy and had a good life. However, when he came down with leprosy, his family shunned him and the villagers drove him off the farm. He lived in the underworld of the city, shunned and scorned until he eventually discovered the church. From there he had helped the nuns until his leprosy became so bad he was largely helpless.
Anfroi was shaken by the man's story and brought to tears by his suffering. When the story had finally ended, Anfroi held Alexios' misshapen hand and thanked him for his story. With that, Roussel led his son back to the keep, content in the lesson he had learned. A few days later, several of Roussel's guards went by the church and made a sizable donation.
On the 20th, Lancelin, Roussel's second bastard son came of age and was assigned to Count Henry's care. Roussel was already busy taking care of Robert and Anfroi, so he left his trusted lieutenant to handle his third son. Henry appreciated the sign of trust and promised to take good care of the boy.
Meanwhile, Anfroi had clearly learned much from Alexios the leper. Theophano had given the boy a toy a week or two ago, and the charitable little rascal gave it away to the smith's son! He had mumbled something about how the smith's son did not have any toys, and that was not fair. Roussel was pleased the boy had taken the lesson to heart and was practicing it even when his father was not around.
Unfortunately, Roussel could not figure out where he had gone wrong with Robert. The boy was cruel and unkind to his peers, always getting into fights with them. Perhaps Simon had spoiled the boy...regardless, Roussel caught Robert fighting with another boy and broke it up. After yelling at Robert, he beat the boy to teach him a lesson, yelling about how Robert was soft and spoiled by his mother, Ermyntrude.
The beating did not get through to Robert as he became jealous of Anfroi's relationship with their father. The unfairness of it all stewed in Robert's heart, turning him against the duke and his brother. The only lesson he had learned was to not show his feelings because he'd just be punished. Roussel had unknowingly set his eldest sons on diverging paths, sowing the seeds of future conflict...
